Solo travel is not a very common idea in Uganda safaris. Most travelers either travel as a family or as a couple. It is not very common to find solo travelers in Uganda. A few of the people that opt for solo travel often hire a car with a driver or simply hire a car for self-drive. Tailor-made all-inclusive safaris tend not to be very common due to the high safari cost issues.
In Uganda, the main safari highlight is often gorilla trekking in either Bwindi impenetrable forest national park or Mgahinga gorilla national park. If your solo safari to Uganda features gorilla trekking, the following tips will be essential for a solo gorilla safari to Uganda.
Book Gorilla Trekking Permits In Advance
Gorilla trekking is Uganda’s leading tourism icon. Out of the many people that visit Uganda, the majority either wish to or visit Uganda specifically for gorilla trekking. With less than 200 people allowed to trek the mountain gorillas in a day, it is very common to find most gorilla trekking slots fully booked in the months of July, August, and September.
It is therefore recommended to book your gorilla trekking permits at least four months before so that your safari plans are not affected.
Only Book Accommodation After Booking Gorilla Trekking Permits
Uganda has two national parks for gorilla trekking. These are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. These two national parks have a total of five gorilla trekking locations. Four of these are found in Bwindi while only one is found in Mgahinga gorilla national park.
Therefore before you finalize booking your gorilla accommodation, first confirm where you will be trekking from. For instance, You cannot sleep in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and trek gorillas in the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Always choose accommodation within the vicinity of your gorilla trekking sector to avoid showing up late for your trek.
Use Both Google Maps And Mapsme During A Self Drive Safari
It is sad to note that some malicious people have put the wrong locations deliberately to lure people to their places. This kind of malicious behavior is very common on google maps. In order to avoid ending up in the wrong location, it is recommended that you often double-confirm your destination with mapsme.
Driving to the wrong destination not only put your safety in danger but also wastes your fuel. Of course, it is not very common for people to end up in the wrong destination but to avoid being one in the million, always double-confirm with other navigation maps
Hire A Small Car
The roads to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park are well paved. It is only the park roads that are rough. Unless it is a rainy season, the Rav4 still remains the best car option for a solo traveler. It is cost-effective fuel-wise as well as the hire cost per day.
Alternatively, in case you require more confidence on the road, you can hire a Land cruiser TX/TZ but the diesel option. Petrol cars tend to be more costly in regard to fuel.
Get A Satelite Phone
Most tour operators will advise you to get a local sim card for easy communication in case of any emergency but we recommend you to get a satellite phone to ensure that you have network access throughout your trip. Some places have poor cellphone network and a satellite phone will always come to your rescue in such places.
Make Sure The Car Has Tracking Device
It might seem like your privacy is being invaded but if you get stranded in an unfamiliar place, you would wish to speak to someone to offer you help. If the car has a tracking device, it makes it very easy to locate you and offer help other than the tour guide or yourself trying to explain where they should meet you.
