If you’d love to embark on a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime and would love to tick exploring Uganda’s vast national parks off your bucket list, simply continue reading to discover a few handy tips on how to plan an epic trip and enjoy a Uganda safari!
A handy guide to planning a safari trip in Uganda:
- Choose to join an organized safari group in order to save money and to see as many animals as possible in a short period of time
While tourists to Uganda do have the option of hiring a car and taking a self guided safari, you’re far better off joining an organized safari group as you’ll be able to split the cost of hiring a guide and van for the day with 6-7 other individuals. Better yet most safari guides are extremely knowledgeable and will be able to answer any questions which you may have about the wildlife which you come across.
- Opt to travel during Uganda’s off season
In order to gain the best possible value for your money, it’s well worth planning your safari trip to coincide with Uganda’s off-peak season. While some countries off seasons coincide with winter, Uganda’s off peak months are in April, May, and November which are typically when Uganda experiences the most rainfall. If you travel to Uganda during April, May or November you’ll find that accommodation and tours are far cheaper than they are in Uganda’s peak months.
- Choose which national parks you choose to visit carefully
As an example, if you have limited time to explore Uganda, you may prefer to visit a national park which is close to Uganda’s primary airport. An example of which is the Lake Mburo National Park, which is a 100 square mile park which is located in western Uganda and is known for boasting a wide variety of animals. Popular examples of which include hippopotami, impala, zebra, leopards, and buffalo.
It’s also a great idea to select the top three animals which you want to spot on your safari so that you’ll be able to visit safari parks which offer the animals, which you’d really like to see in their natural habitat!
As Uganda is a fairly large country it’s also a wise idea to calculate the driving distances between each national park which you plan on visiting. As some national parks such as the Kidepo Valley National Park are located several hours from most of Uganda’s national parks.
- If you’re on a budget, choose to stay in accommodation which is located just outside the borders of the national parks which you’d like to visit
If you want to save a significant amount of money, it’s well worth choosing to stay at a hotel or resort which is located just outside the park which you plan on exploring as the accommodation options which are located outside the perimeters of Uganda’s national parks are often significantly cheaper than the hotels which you’ll find inside the gates of your chosen national park.
So if you have your heart set on embarking on a Ugandan safari in the near future, it’s well worth following the helpful travel tips listed above, in order to ensure that you enjoy the trip of a lifetime.