Uganda has ten national parks where wildlife that is flora and fauna are protected. These national parks are distributed around the country but they are located in the remote areas of the country. There are a lot of tourism activities that are done in these national parks in order for the tourists to enjoy that is a game drive, nature walk, special animal tracking, hiking, boat rides, research encounters and many more.
However, we shall not look at all of the tourism activities; we shall look at a game drive in the national parks. A game drive normally involves driving around by 4×4 Uganda car rental watching the different animals, birds and other attraction in a national park.
Not all national parks hold game drives since some of them have very fragile lands that can be adversely be affected by the car driving and its related problems. There are only five national parks where one drive that is queen Elizabeth national park in the southwestern park of Uganda, Murchison falls national park in the west, Kidepo Valley national park in the northeast, Lake Mburo national park in the west and Semuliki national park in the west.
Driving in the national parks of Uganda is not the usual driving on any road you may know, there are some measures and guidelines that are put in place to follow.
Guidelines for driving in Uganda’s national parks
For successful self-drive trip in a park, the following must be observed strictly;
Drive Slow
No one is chasing you when on a self-drive in a park, so it’s very important to drive slowly, slow drive is very important even before arriving in the park as this will keep your life, animals and the car safe. All Ugandan parks require you to drive at a speed of 40km per hour to avoid collisions with the animals or car flips. And also, if you drive slowly, you will be having a better chance of seeing more species of wildlife which you could have missed when over speeding.
Travel Early
Since most of the games are early risers, sometimes it requires you to wake up so early so that you can have a bigger chance of watching them, other wildlife going to hide after a night’s hunt. So here you will catch up with very many species than someone who begins a game drive late. Most of Uganda national parks are open at 7am. If your accommodation is with in the park no problem gets ready by 6am to spot plenty of wildlife and you may also be fortunate to see the sunrise from the beautiful park landscapes.
Night driving
Night driving within national parks is generally prohibited due to safety concerns and potential disruption to nocturnal wildlife. However, some parks offer authorized night game drives with experienced guides. Ensure you understand the regulations and only embark on authorized night drives with qualified personnel.
If driving during twilight hours, use headlights responsibly. Avoid high beams, which can disorient and stress nocturnal animals. Consider using red-filtered torches to minimize disturbance while observing wildlife at night.
Spotlights can be helpful for spotting nocturnal creatures during authorized safaris. Use them sparingly and avoid shining them directly into animals’ eyes. Remember, responsible observation is key to minimizing interference with their natural nighttime routines.
Keep on the trail
While in the park, keep on the available game track when driving to avoid accidents and colliding with other vehicles. All tracks can lead you to nice view of wildlife and no need of getting off the road and enter the virgin terrains. It’s one of the regulations at the park, so you should take it very seriously.
Avoid walking in the park
When in the park, you are not allowed to walk around, as this may put your life in danger, remember animals like leopard, lion, hyena among many others run faster than you, so don’t entice them, and keep yourself in a car throughout a game drive.
Don’t litter the park
In order to preserve the park and the animals living in it, whatever you go with in the park you must bring it back. Used items like bottles, paper bags and polythene bags among many others as this may put the life of animals in danger; you must leave them at the lodge or throw them outside the park.
Fuel Up the car very well
You must fuel up your car well and also carry cans of flue for any destination to avoid being getting stuck on the way or in the park. Getting stuck on a game track in a jungle is a very frightening experience and also adds to your expenditure as you have to call the park or rental company for back-up gas or towing, so avoid these kind problems before it’s too late.
In conclusion
Driving in Uganda national parks is very adventurous and exciting as you view various exotic animals like lions, buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, zebras, leopards, hyena, birds and many more.
The vehicle being driven in Uganda national parks should always be in very good condition. It should not be emitting any fumes out of it. These national parks are fragile, the fumes can greatly affect the environment and in the end affecting the animals.