Category: Advice

Majority of travelers visit Africa mainly to embark on African safari. Compared to any holiday, the African safari vacation is exceptional offering you a chance to explore new tourist sites and also for you to experience something unique from the usual experiences. When planning Africa safari or any holiday, you need to put into consideration rates, destinations among other factors. This will help you to ascertain whether to embark on private or group safari. Some travelers prefer private safaris to group safaris depending on a number of reasons.

There are many differences between private safaris and group safaris. Usually, scheduled group safaris are arranged by several safari companies and they can be planned based on your budget. They are relatively pocket friendly compared to private safaris. For visitors on Uganda safari but their budget is limited then group safaris are the best way to go. Preferably, the group safaris are the best alternative for volunteers and solo travelers.

With private safaris, travelers control their road trips. You have a chance to decide where to visit, the best time, the accommodation choices and which safari activities to take part. Embarking on private safari in Uganda means you become the manager of your trip whereas group safaris, you take part of the safari reserved. You have no control of the trip. They are perfect for those of you who wish to get in touch with other travelers and make friends.

Private safaris are the best alternative, especially if your dream is to have a comfortable road trip in Uganda. You are in position to make decision on what will excite you while on Uganda safari tour. This means that the choice of national park you make entirely depends on you and you can simply change your travel plan. Private safaris are flexible unlike group safaris where you don’t enjoy such freedom.

Private safari cars are equally classic and comfortable allowing you to embark on Uganda safari comfortably. You won’t have any crowd while on a private safari in Uganda or Rwanda.

When deciding which accommodation option to spend a night, you either you go by the safari lodge option that you choose by yourself and your group in case you are in a group of friends or you go by what your tour operator suggests.

Compared to group safaris, private safaris have no cancellations. Your travel plan remains as it is planned despite the destination. Group safaris sometimes may have cancellations, especially in case few people turn up.

With private safaris, higher chances are, you will be guaranteed professional driver and experienced guide to take you through thrilling wildlife safari experience, identify different wildlife species, birds among others. You will be the boss of your trip and also have a chance to decide how long you wish to spend your holiday, stopover points among others.

With group safaris, you don’t have opportunity to change course and explore other tourist sites which have not been included in the travel plan like it is a case with private safaris.

Groups safaris are at times regarded more challenging, the fact that you may share the same bus with strangers. In such situations, you realize that not everyone admires what you do and you too may not at peace with others are doing. This can be irritating but at that point, you won’t have a choice. This is one reason why group safaris are not enjoyable.

With group safaris, different travelers with varying travel dreams share the same trip. In case expectations are not met for everyone, then the trip won’t be exciting.

On any safari in Uganda, the hardest part in preparations is to decide on whether to do a gorilla safari in Bwindi impenetrable national park, wildlife safari or rather a cultural safari in Uganda. Uganda being a country with diverse attractions that cannot be fully explored in only one trip, travelers, especially first time safari goers face the hardship of deciding on what to do.

However with the help of the many tour companies operating in Uganda, visitors have got some guidance. Now the hardest part that still lacks and challenges almost 90% of the trotters on Uganda safaris is knowing what to pack particularly on a self-drive safari in Uganda.

The inconvenience of a huge or an extra luggage is unbearable on any safari trip, comfort is a major factor to consider. For any safari adventure, trotters should be ready for any emergencies as well as have fun. It is very easy to pack minimally yet maximizing the storage capacity.

Here are the simple safari accessories that one would pack for a Uganda self-drive safari trip to serve in all situations on the trip.

Backpack. Most travelers, especially those that are to spend more than three days out opt for suitcases and trolley bags when setting out on a Uganda safari trip. But a backpack is the most obvious choice for any trip. Choose a high quality waterproof backpack with many compartments designed for the great outdoors. It should be comfortable and convenient.

Mini first aid kit. It is very common that most trotters on self-driven safaris in Uganda majorly focus on camping and clothing gears and then overlook the first aid kit while packing for a safari. Remember that simple accidents can always occur and it’s very easy to get a stomach upset or colds in a strange area. Walking through the thick jungles while trekking the gorillas in Uganda can easily cause simple cuts and bruises by the wild leaves, here a well-equipped first aid kit can work until when proper medication is attained.

Binoculars. Any safari checklist is incomplete without binoculars to admire the majestic and beautiful sights that nature presents. Binoculars help in viewing far objects and animals, have clearer sights in detail and also closely observe the impressive wildlife without any disturbance on either nature walks or game drives in Uganda.

Multi-tools. These have a variety of functions in one durable item.  This reduces on the items to carry, instead of packing, screwdrivers, knives, can openers, scissors, tweezers, and maybe blades, simply have one multi-tool. It’s something that is very essential on any outdoor activity, be it an African safari or not.

Sunglasses. This are needed almost for every safari as some destinations have high temperatures and sun exposure. Shades protect travelers from the direct sun rays from hitting their eyes, something that can even cause sores on the eyes. Ensure that you get comfortable and perfectly fitting sunglasses as you might be wearing them most of the day time.

Insect repellant. Either not thinking about it, or assuming that they will find mosquito nets, most travelers tend to forget the insect repellants. It’s true that most hotels offer mosquito nets, but what about if you are to camp. Being a safari tour in Uganda, visitors are likely to spend most of their time in the wilderness. And on a self-driven safari, this means being in the wilderness on your own, so you need to be your own protector.

USB electronic charger. The fact that trotters carry several gadgets while on any trip in Uganda, they are likely to shut down at moments when you most need them as you will be spending long hours out. So in order not to limit your gadget usage, carry a portable charger with a power bank to help you out in case of a battery black out.

Water purifier. Even if bottled water is widely available in all national parks of Uganda, plus other simple shops and restaurants in the local communities, it is also important to carry a water purifier. The hiking trails in Bwindi, or a nature walk in Lake Mburo national park might leave you with only water from the springs, rivers and lakes as drinking sources. So to guarantee your safety, come along with a water purifier.

Travel journals. We all forget too soon the things we thought we could not forget and journaling helps travelers to note down the special moments they would not love to forget at any time in their lives. While in the African jungle, record down the way you see life in this strange land to help you tell better stories and blog posts when finally home. Always remember to opt for leather travel journals as they are in most cases water proof.

Camera. If not all, then most of the world trotters are photographers especially for wildlife. Photography is one things that surely catches your mind the moment you first step in Uganda. There is simply something about Uganda’s wonders that forces trotters to pull out their cameras to take selfies with the gorillas, pictures of the beautiful falls or landscapes. So a camera is one accessory all travelers should not leave behind in order to capture the striking moments on a safari tour in Uganda.

A travel checklist is always incomplete without any of the above accessories, ensure you have them on any Uganda trip to spice up your adventure with ease and comfort.

There are many vital questions that the travelers from all over the world ask before finally booking a safari to any destination country. Many tourists are so curious about what type of tour they are going to have once they decide to book a safari, and these are not to blame since it takes strength to trust large moneys to a mere tour operator into organising a safari on their behalf. Here are the most important questions to ask before making a final decision.

What is the whole experience of the tour like? Do you provide any videos as well as photos of this particular safari?

In tourism, we sell experience to the clients and it’s vital to describe the whole associated experience of the tour package you are giving to the travellers. Always attach photos and videos to the tour itinerary you are sending to the clients. This is because a photo has more meaning than the many words. Many visitors are attempted to book a safari by watching an online video attached to the tour, therefore it’s more advisable to add very attractive safari photos and videos to the website.

How does the safari itinerary look like?

Writing a safari Itinerary is great art where you have to be very specific as you lay out the different activities to be engaged in by the travellers. Make the itinerary very exciting and interesting to read. This can be done mainly by describing how the experience is in the final destination instead of lining it out. In case the safari includes gorilla trekking, always describe to the client in the itinerary how it’s going to be carried out, the time it takes, what expectations are there while trekking and many other engagements. The main reason for this is, many travellers love detailed content since it brings out the whole picture of the itinerary.

What other travelers have commented about the same safari?

Many visitors who book with different operators leave reviews on trip advisor or on safari bookings and many other willing travellers make their final decision based on the many reviews about a safari on trip advisor or safari bookings. Remember to ask your past clients to a write a review and testimonials about their past tour experiences with your company on either safari bookings or trip advisor on any other marketing platforms. This will help you to bring more traffic to your website.

The cost of the tour, does it include any hidden costs?

Always be honest with pricing the whole tour package and avoid the unknown hidden charges that might make the price to appear so high. End ever to mention all the tour inclusives as well as the exclusions to ensure that your clients get to account for their money before booking a tour with you. This kind of costing will build a degree of trust and credibility between you and the traveller.

Is the price reasonable to the traveller? Do you have any less expensive options to give out?

Many tourists are very conscious about the prices which are given to them and they will always carry out their research to find out the exact rates of many different activities. Also make sure that the rates are you provide to the clients go in line with what you are to provide to them. Avoid over costing the client because these will always look for the lowest prices elsewhere from other operators.

Am i booking with a very credible operator?

The first question is the tourist traveller’s mind is how credible is the operator they are trying to deal with. Many book safaris when venturing into unknown territories, they have less knowledge about both the destination and the operator. Always make sure you show the traveller how credible you are by showcasing all the credibility most especially when you are part of any association or government bodies so that they can buy your trust easily.

Is my life safe? What are some of the safety measures taken by the operators?

If you are offering tour itineraries with activities including a high degree of physical risk, you have to explain the nature of the risk and the specific measures that are to be taken to ensure the safety of the travellers. You can go ahead and talk about the team’s expertise experience, track record and the safety precautions at the facility and many more.

What if i want to make cancellation of the safari? What are your cancellation and refund policies?

This is also possible especially when booking a flight, a hotel or a tour, cancellations are inevitable. This also calls for all the operators to always lay down all the cancellation and refund policies without ambiguity.

Is the tour guide an expert to carry out the tour?

Will the travellers be able to learn from the tour guide, is he so experienced enough about the different tourist destinations to be visited? Any tour guide should be very flexible enough during the tour and should be in position to answer any questions from the clients. The operator should inform the travellers which type of guide will carry out the tour, whether is a local, trained historian or the specialised professional guide.

In what language will the tour be presented?

You should also explain to the travellers the language that will be used while carrying out the tour. This is vital since some clients don’t understand some languages and need to also be catered for in a special way. If the tour is to be given in more than one language, you might need to ask whether one language will be considered the main one for the whole safari.

How do i book a safari and pay for it?

This is also one of the final stages in completing booking a tour, once the travellers is ready to book; the operator’s main aim should be to complete the booking process. The most ideal way of doing this is through the automated booking process, this also includes, picking a departure date, filling in the details of the safari, making online payments and then getting instant confirmation. Remember to make the process of confirmation as simple as possible and never tell your client to transfer money to your personal account, this should be a company account for secure payments.

This question of how to choose the best safari company for your safari is a common one and frequent. However, this question is not so surprising since there are so many safari operators in the tourism market and all these make promises to give you the best tour once chosen most especially when you know nothing about them. There are ways of improving your chances of making the right choice and decision of which safari company to give you your dream African safari; this will help you in avoiding the ones that might turn your safari into disaster. There are mainly three simple steps to follow.

Please never allow this to happen to you; by this, we mean that never chose a company due to the cheapest price since some of these operators are looking for a way of surviving not to give good service to the visitors. These are not tour operators but they just hide behind us the givers of genuine service. This means that whenever you want to travel, be ready to make a good choice of the operator who will value your money that you saved for decades to enjoy your African safari.

There are also those people who pretend to know a lot about tourism but in the actual sense they can’t provide the service behind the industry and these have greatly destroyed the operator’s name of wanting to make money out of our tourists. These own websites about what they offer, have forged reviews on trip advisor, safari bookings and many different flat forms and you will trust them thinking that they will give you the best but you will end up being disappointed.

There is also some good news about these scammers and since many of these have been shut down and closed, so the question is how do you avoid these fake tour operators when you are choosing a tour company for your vacation. Just apply these three steps and you will reduce on the risks of such operators.

Always get recommendations from others; the advice you will ever get about a tour company that you want to choose is from the real people who have used this same company on any safari. These can tell you exactly how that company performed for them and will also give you first-hand information without leaving anything untold. This will be a great way to shortlist all the companies that you have information about and then decide on which is good for you. More, in case you don’t know anyone who has been on a safari in a particular country, you don’t have to worry since there are many websites on the internet that shows a list of safari reviews as well as travel diaries that are written by the people who have previously gone on the trip. You can find these and learn from them. These have got many tips and recommendations that you can learn that are so helpful and valuable for your own trip.

Try checking their credentials. As a tourist, you need to know about each and every bit of the operator that you will want to choose, you can also try checking their credentials of the safari company you are planning to use in order to make sure they are very reputable. As a tourist, you need to know about every bit of the operator that you want to choose, you can check so that to know that the company is reputable.

Also make sure that even the guide you are to use is listed. The associations in East Africa include; KATO which is Kenya Association of Tour operator, TATO which is Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, TASA is Tours and safari Association of Namibia, SATSA is Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, ATTA is African Travel and Tourism Association and ASTA which is American Society of Travel Agents. In case they are not members, it doesn’t mean that they are not reputable but being a member, can afford any peace of mind to the traveller.

Always ask the right questions; you now have got a tour company in mind and you have carried out some research to find out more about it, it’s now time to get into contact. What are the questions do you need to ask to make sure you get best value for your money. Always find out how many other people that will join the trip? Ask about the policies of payment as well as the cancellation policy; get to know about their location and address of the company offices. There are also many other questions that you can ask but the above question will establish a quick feedback about the company knowledge. You can follow the above three steps in finding the best tour company for your trip with accuracy.