The configuration of your Uganda safari will likely be influenced by the mode of transport you consider for your adventure, the meals, accommodation, and the sights. It is often unjust to just pull out one item that directly determines your safari experience but for the sake of a proper understanding, lets into Uganda camping safaris.
Before going further regarding Uganda camping safaris, the traveler has to first make up their mind among the type of safari they are going to consider. They are mainly three options that the travelers have at disposal; self catered tours, scheduled tours or tailor made tours.
Your Uganda camping safari experience will highly be determined by the type of safari you consider among the above three. Below is a further breakdown of the same.
Self catered Tours camping safaris
Self catered tours are a tour configuration where the tourist does the entire safari planning and execution by themselves. This ranges from accommodation, flights, local transport, meals, entrance tickets and a lot more.
Since almost everything regarding your self catered tour is handled by you though sometimes you can delegate a few activities of your planning such as securing gorilla trekking permits, chimpanzee tracking permits, boat tickets, lodge reservations among other activities, it remains totally at your disposal to plan for your camping safari.
There are mainly three camping options to consider for a self catered tour; ground camping, rooftop tent camping and glamping (luxury safari tents).
Ground camping
Ground camping can be secured through hiring a car for self drive with ground camping gear. When you hire a car with camping gear, you will only be required to pay for camping space which is US$20 for the maximum.
You can also book a camping site with camping gear. However, in this you have to make a mash up in your tour of camping sites and lodges since you cannot get camping gear everywhere around the country yet you can get camping spaces almost everywhere around the country.
Rooftop Tent Camping
Roof top tent camping often comes in three configurations; 2 pax roof top tent, family roof top tent and double rooftop tents.
2pax Rooftop Tent
A 2pax roof top tent can only be hired with a car. There is no car hire company in East Africa that simply hires out rooftop tents; you have to hire the car with a roof top tent. This is available with a Land cruiser Prado, Land cruiser V8/VX/GX, Land cruiser 70 series and Land cruiser 76 series.
Family Rooftop Tent
A family rooftop can accommodate a maximum of 4 people but it is recommended for three people in order to sleep comfortably. Because of its size, it recommended for a Land cruiser with an Engine size of 3400cc
Double Rooftop Tents
Double roof top tents are simply two 2pax roof top tents on the same car. These are also recommended for Land cruisers with engine sise of 3400c and above. These include but not limited; Land cruiser TZ, Land cruiser V8, Land cruiser VX, Nissan Safari, Land cruiser GX, Hilux double cabin, and Land cruiser hard top.
Scheduled Camping Safaris
Scheduled trips are trips organized by tour operators bringing together people from different locations but all willing to visit the same destinations at the same time of the year. It is not common to find any entirely camping scheduled trip but you are likely to find one that makes an allowance for camping on some days.
With such trips, all you need is to pay the set fare. When you pay the set fare, then all the requirements for your camping are covered in the package. However, during some scheduled trips, the tour operator will include a few items that are not included in the package.
Luxury camping/Glamping in Uganda
There are several options of luxury camping in Uganda in most of national park. The glamping experience is also available is in Entebbe the main gateway into Uganda.
Luxury camping is offered through safari ground tents that are well designed to match the ambience of a hotel room. You do not have to be a scout to go for glamping. Glamping in Uganda is for everyone that can afford it.
How to Plan For a Camping safari in Uganda
Planning for your camping safari can be done for you by a tour operator or you can do it by yourself. Below are some of the procedures for planning for a camping safari in Uganda.
Choose the Mode/Type of Camping That Fits Your Budget
Identify the camping configuration that can fit your budget. With the three camping options at your disposal; ground camping is for budget travelers, rooftop tent camping is for midrange travelers while glamping is for luxury and midrange travelers.
Choosing among these three will highly depend on your budget. Ground camping can go for less than US$25 a day which is unlikely to be the case with other forms of camping.
Choose your camping seasons wisely
It is more fun to camp during the dry seasons. December, January, February, July and August are the most recommended camping months in Uganda. Unfortunately, Uganda’s seasons are often unpredictable; even the dry season can turn out rainy. So how should you go about this issue!
Rooftop tents and glamping offers a more weather resistant option for camping. When you consider a rooftop tent, you do not have to worry about the rain run-off since you will sleep on a raised ground (above the car top) while when it comes to glamping, you are likely to have an option of a bed which is not the case with ground camping.
It is therefore recommended to consider a rooftop tent since it is more budget friendly, comfortable and more weather resistant than ground camping.
How to Choose a car for a camping safari in Uganda
There are mainly two camping options that might necessitate you to hire a car in Uganda. That is ground camping and rooftop tent camping.
Group Size
The group size will highly influence the type of car you choose for your camping safari in Uganda. A 5 door Rav4 is recommended for a 2pax ground camping safari in Uganda. A 4pax camping safari is recommended to consider car hire with double roof top tents. However, you must also be mindful of the extra luggage since most of the space in might be taken by camping luggage.
Safari Budget
Hiring a car with ground camping gear is likely to cost between US$50 and US$150 per day depending on the car type. Therefore, however much the Land cruiser TX/TZ would be recommended for your safari, your budget might not fit a Rav4.