Uganda is gifted by many things but the
most attractive thing that one shouldn’t miss is to go gorilla trekking in
Uganda, either in Bwindi Impenetrable forest or Mgahinga Gorilla national
parks. Uganda is well-known for a wide range of bird species (over 1040
species), numerous wild animals which include the famous tree climbing lions in
the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The country blessed with
cultural tours, good scenic grounds, Ssese Islands and Kampala city – a city
built on history and culture.
With all the stunning beauty; no wonder
Henry Morton Stanley called it “the Pearl of Africa”. Uganda is Africa’s
premier safari destination attracting tourists from all over the world but many
travelers find it hard to decide whether to go on a guide or self drive Uganda
tour. Would I like to travel with a guide or by our self? It is important
to make an informed decision.
Here are the differences between guided
and self-drive trips, making it easier for you to decide what to choose. Please
bear in mind, however, that choosing a self-drive trip doesn’t mean that you
are completely on your own. Our office in Kampala – Uganda is available to
assist you at all times and everywhere in the country, in order to give you the
best possible lifetime experience.
A self-drive trip is cheaper because you
don’t pay a daily rate for the guide or for his/her accommodation and food.
Your choice of vehicle will also make a difference in the overall cost of a
self-drive trip. While guided trips can be more expensive as you will have to
pay for the guide but the overall cost per person depends on the number of
people.
On a self-drive trip you drive yourself.
This might sound appealing but remember that the one who drives has to keep
his/her eyes on the road and can’t enjoy the scenery and he will get more tired
than the rest. While on a guided trip, everyone in your group is free to relax
and enjoy the scenery as your guide drives you around
On a self-drive trip you don’t have the
luxury of asking a guide to explain certain things, animals or birds, leaving a
lot of questions unanswered. While the main advantage of a guided trip may be
the fact that you can, at any time, ask your guide questions, allowing you to
learn a lot about this amazing country.
You may think you’ll have a lot more
privacy or ‘together time’ on a self-drive trip. This will undoubtedly be the
case, however, even on a guided tour we can schedule enough ‘alone time’. While
it is a misconception that guided tours grant you no privacy. Our guide also
needs this! Therefore, we always try to strike a balance. Basically, the guide
is at your disposal when required but he will at regular occasions allow you to
enjoy an evening of private dining at a restaurant or an afternoon to
yourselves.
It is equally a mistake to think that you
have no guide during your self-drive trip. Most of the activities we recommend
and book for you are led by a guide. While on a guided tour, even if you
undertake guided activities organized by the accommodation establishment and
with a local guide, our guide is available to offer additional explanations,
which with no doubt guarantee the quality of your experience. Hence once again
you will be in the perfect position to enjoy and learn optimally about the
culture and nature.
On a
self-drive trip you are at some destinations responsible for your own game
drives. This means relying on your own skill, as well as luck. This could
result in either not seeing many animals or seeing an animal but not knowing
what it is or what it’s doing. You can arm yourself with books for your
self-drive trip; this increases on your luggage. While another major advantage
of a guided trip, particularly on game drives, it is his expertise when it
comes to wildlife. You simply have a much greater chance of seeing more animals
with a guide than driving through the park by yourself. Our guides know where
to find certain animals, what to look out for, are able to recognize and follow
tracks, detect sounds, and so on.
Finding your way around while on a self-drive
trip is not a problem because with tailor made safaris you not only get a
detailed itinerary but we also supply you with a satellite navigation system at
an additional cost for the duration of your trip. If you want to stop and take
a picture of the scenery on the way, that is possible too! After all, this is
your tailor made safari!
With that information, we are sure that
you can now decide whether to make a self drive or guided tour in Uganda.
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