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Car battery Damaging Habits to Avoid on a Uganda Self Drive Safari

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Have ever been in the middle of the jungle and then the rental car jams to move? We all know what can happen right from there, the first thing is to develop panic attacks due to the fact that you may not know how to move of out the jungle where there are no people to come to rescue. As a car rental experts we ascertained the problem being car battery failure. Car battery failure are normally caused by bad driving habits.

Here we try to bring the terrible habits to avoid that can kill the car battery;

Driving with a Loose Battery 

Sometimes car batteries get loose from their clamps and they cannot perform to the maximum potential and in the end weakening. So as a traveler always check on the battery to see whether it is in its right position.

In case your battery is loosely clamped or not properly secured in its place, the vibration, on driving becomes one of the major causes of car battery failure. It gets even worse if it is an uneven terrain you are driving on. It causes damage to the components inside it, resulting in the formation of cracks. The ultimate result is corrosion and failure down the line.

Leaving Lights and Cooling on while the Car is Stationary

This act is one of the most common cause of battery failure in the long term. Leaving radio, lights, air conditioner or electronics charging when the car is not at operation or being driven leads to the drain of the battery and thus killing it in the long run. So you have to ensure that all the systems that use the battery to run are turned off while the car is at station.

Lack of General Maintenance

It is important to check the battery every few months, especially at the time of service. Check whether the level of water is full. Water loss takes place because of the normal gassing caused by high temperatures. Simply go for a battery in which you can maintain the water level, and the battery can last much longer than usual.

Driving only Short Distances

If you did not know about this then it time you know. The car battery charges whenever the car is being driving. Therefore when you drive the car for a short period or distance, the battery does not completely charged. In most cases when the battery is not completely charged regularly and is used, it dies out.

So always make sure that you driving the car for a reasonable distance.

Turning the Headlights on before the EngineI

It is something that a lot of us do without realizing that it can be fatal for the car battery. When you put the headlights on before you turn the ignition on, it exerts extra load on the battery. Though it is incapable of causing battery failure in the short term, it surely shortens the life span of even the best batteries.

When you rent a car in Uganda for a self-drive safari make sure you avoid the above bad habits that may kill the car battery. And when the car battery is dead, there are problems of car breakdown that you are definitely going to face on your trip

6 Road Offences to Avoid While Driving in Uganda

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Nowadays most tourists who come to Uganda wish to drive on their own to visit the various tourism destinations. However, many of these tourists are foreign to the lands of Uganda and therefore some of the road rules and policies are unfamiliar to them. Many of them have been convicted by the traffic officers for road offences, they clearly do not know about.

We found out the missing gap that many of these foreign travelers we rent cars in Uganda sometimes are not aware that they are making offences on the road. So as a traveler, we bring to you the most common Road Offences to Avoid While Driving in Uganda

Not fastening your belt while driving; This is a common habit among drivers, they tend to forget to fasten their belts. Fastening the belt is not only done for the sake of avoid a road offence . It is also a good driving deed as the belt protects from hitting the sterling or windscreen in case of an accident. Thus sometimes saving from getting severe inquiries. Anyone caught by the traffic officer without fastening his/her seat belt is given a fine of around ugx 10000shs.

Over speeding in settlements/urban areas; the major causes of road accidents in Uganda is over speeding that is normally done in the urban areas.

Many people drive at a terrible speed in areas where people are dwelling and doing their business. there are always people crossing the roads and also building and other stuff just near the road. So in case of any hiccup while driving the driver is likely to run over the people or building or stuff around the road due to over speeding.

The maximum speed of driving on roads where there are settlements or towns is 50km/hr. therefore if you happen to go beyond that it is an offence.

Taking over in corners; this must be a renowned offence worldwide but still drivers still do commit it. Taking over in a corner is a very dangerous act since you may not a clear vision of a car coming from the opposite and hence colliding with it. Traffic officers are always near the corner to curb down offenders who over take in corners.

Driving at the shoulders of the road; Driving at the ending of the road is an offence in Uganda. The space left at the road side is normally for pedestrians but some drivers use the space in order to bit traffic jam which is an offence.

Driving without third party insurance; it is mandatory for every vehicle in Uganda to have third party insurance as this protects the vehicle in case of causing any social hardship like knocking the building, animals or any other stuff.

Driving without a driving license; sometimes travelers tend to carry their driving license while driving in Uganda yet it is the only document that reflect that you are eligible or qualified to drive.  So as a traveler you should always carry your driver’s license when you are going to drive in Uganda.

Why Go to Murchison Falls National Park on Self Drive?

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Murchison Falls National Park is located in the north of Uganda and it is the largest biodiversity conservation in Uganda. This wonderful game park has become the power house in Uganda’s tourism industry as it receives hundreds of thousands of tourists to enjoy its attractions.

Of lately tourists love exploring different tourism destinations on their own and this is commonly termed as self-drive expedition. These kind of expeditions are tremendously exciting as the tourists enjoy and explore a wide range of biodiversity without any restrictions.

A Uganda self-drive expedition to Murchison falls national park is very amazing and many travelers who have undertaken have had a lifetime experience and here are the reasons as to why you should go to Murchison falls national park on a Uganda self-drive expedition

Murchison falls national park has one of the most powerful and scenic waterfall in Africa. These powerful falls are a beauty to watch and encounter. As you hike to the top of the falls, you witness the Nile forcing its way out of a narrow path to a loud sound as it settles down at the bottom. Top of the falls is a good place for photography.

At Murchison falls national park, you have the opportunity to see the big five animals except the rhino that are only found at Zziwa rhino sanctuary which can also be visited on your way to the park. So it is best for you to have a stopover at a sanctuary to sum me it all as a big five time.

On the game drive around the park you see these amazing animals grazing, running around while others resting getting rid of satisfaction. There are also some other incredible animals to see on the game drive such as giraffes, elands, warthogs, antelopes and hyenas.

You can also have launch cruise at the Victoria Nile where you are able to see interesting and special aquatic lives. While on the afternoon boat ride feeling the sea breeze, you are able to see hippos, crocodiles, variety of bird species and also land animals mostly elephants and buffaloes at the banks of the river.

Murchison falls national park is one of the kind biodiversity, it is so unique with very special species of animals and plants and also interesting physical features that cannot be found anywhere in the world. It would be a very memorable experience if you would take up a Uganda Self drive Murchison falls national park.

 

 

 

 

4 Ways to Get In and Out of Entebbe Airport Uganda

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Entebbe airport is the international air gateway of Uganda. This is the only international airport in Uganda and it receives more than a million of traveler using it as air transport terminal.

Entebbe airport is detached from the capital city and other social structures, a traveler has to use a means of transport to travel to his/her designated destination.

Here are the 4 ways to get in and out of Entebbe airport;

  1. Take an airport taxi
    Entebbe airport taxi is one of the main options of transporting travelling in and out of Uganda’s main gateway. There is a reservation desk of the taxi when you get out of the terminal, you can easily get to the desk then request for the services.These are quite expensive due to the high demand from the very many travelers at the airport since they can be easily accessed by anyone at the airport. The taxis have a yellow strip on their body and also an airport taxi sign at the top of the car.
  2. Taking a charter plane
    Charter planes are normally used by luxury travelers who wish to visit the different tourism destinations in Uganda. These charter planes are managed by a company called Aerolink.They fly to most of the major airstrips in Uganda namely Kisoro, Kihihi, Gulu,Pakuba, Soroti and Mbarara. With the charter plane, you book it in advance once you get off the main international air carrier at Entebbe, you get to the charter plane commonly known as Aerolink.
  3. Residents Take Their Own Cars
    Those who reside in Uganda can take their own cars to and from the Entebbe Airport. After all, there are several parking options, which include long stay parking at Uganda and short term parking.However, there is always a fee to pay when you park your car at the airport. In most cases, residents who use the airport use their own cars as it is cheaper than any other means that can get you in and out of it.
  4. Travel with  car rental services
    This is becoming the most popular means of transport of getting in and out of Entebbe airport. There are very many car hire companies in Uganda and offer airport transfer services at an affordable rate of USD 50$ if your destination is within Kampala or Entebbe.All the traveler has to do is to get on the internet and look for your ideal Uganda car rental company to book with and he/she is good to go. The car rental operator normally awaits for the traveler at the arrival point of the airport.

 

Tips for hassle-free holiday car hire Uganda

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Uganda is one of those safari destinations a traveler can experience behind the wheels on his own. It is such a small country and has a very simple Road network that leads to the several major tourist destinations one may wish to tour. This is why very many travel companies have take up that opportunity by offering self drive safari to their clients.

All one has to do is hire a car in Uganda and traverse to his/her preferred tourism destination without the help of a driver guide. Accommodation and tourist entrance booking also can be done by the travel company on behalf of the traveler or a traveler can also do that by himself. Holiday car hire Uganda makes a traveler explore the pearl of Africa on his own and with maximum independence and comfort.

Nevertheless car hire Uganda is tremendously good for a traveler; he/she has to put some tips in check to get car hire services that will give him/her the best experience in Uganda.

Below are the tips for hassle free car hiring Uganda:

Make sure that you get both car rental and personal travel insurance

Any person traveling overseas needs personal travel insurance to safe guard himself from all unforeseen problems that might happen while on the journey like theft of luggage and self physical injuries. This is supposed to be gotten from the home country.

In addition to personal travel insurance make sure that the rental car has comprehensive insurance that makes the traveler less liable of any unforeseen damages that might happen on the car while driving it. This gives the traveler a peace of mind knowing that he/she has shield in case of any problem on the voyage.

Take some time to read the car rental agreement

The car rental agreement is always a written document given to a person wishing to rent car from a company consisting of the terms and condition under which he/she is hiring the car. It is best for a traveler to read each and every clause of the agreement and in case he/she does not understand one ask the company for clarity. Remember if you violate any clause in the agreement, you are likely to pay a fine and thus incurring more costs on the car rental services.

Make sure you’re aware of the road rules in Uganda

Different countries have different road rules so as a traveler one has to know the speed limits, turning rules, overtaking etiquette and also the nature of other drivers on the roads.

This makes the traveler to get full aware of the driving rules and policies in Uganda so that he/she does not fall short of being an offender due to ignorance. Offensive driving in Uganda comes with a premium fine or jail time so knowing the road rules is important for anyone wish to hire a car in Uganda.

Check the rental thoroughly before driving off

This is very important tip to all traveler hiring rentals overseas, it is best to inspect the vehicle you are wish to hire before hitting the road. Endeavor to check for the dents, scratches and also the mechanical condition of the car and take an extra mile to take photos of the rental car. This helps to avoid any misunderstandings between the company and the client over damages after using the car.

Having a valid and recognized driving permit

It is best to have an international driving permit which can be acquired from the driving authorities from your home country or if not make sure that your driving permit is translated in English a language used in Uganda. No traveler is allowed to hire a car without a clear driving license.

Pay any fines or tolls promptly

In case, you get a fine for any driving irregularity, please ensure you pay for it immediately to the authority concerned. The vehicles are always monitored in the traffic system in Uganda and if it defaults to pay a fine it will be confiscated and that will mean another fine in addition to the initial one. It is best to clear the fines at hand to avoid tangling with traffic authorities.

Advantages of Manual Transmission Rental Cars

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 Automation may have taken over manual machines even in the car world but for Uganda car hire manual cars is more meritorious that an automatic transmission. 4×4 manual vehicles may look to be old fashion but they are very user friendly on a self drive car hire expedition.

Here are the advantages a 4×4 manual transmission vehicle has to offer to a traveler wishing to hire a car in Uganda:

  1. Staying in Control

Manual transmission gives the traveler the opportunity to be in full control of the car that is selecting the best gear for the speed and situation. There is no anticipation or prediction of what to do while driving a manual as the person is in control of the gears and the cars so the driver is able to come up with a solution of his/her own during accident bound situations.

  1. Available for Cheaper Prices

For travelers who are budget sensitive manual cars are the ideal cars as these are cheaper than the automatic cars to hire. There is no doubt about this as the models of automatic cars are newer than the manual cars yet car operators price tag their rental cars in accordance to the model and the size of the car. The traveler is likely to get a big bargain of a cheaper price when hires a manual car other than the automatic one.

  1. Low Maintenance

4×4 Uganda rental cars which are manual transmission are cheaper and are of low maintenance since they have simple machinery compared to the automatic cars that have sophisticated machinery. The machinery found in manual cars is always easy to maintain and their spare parts are readily available in most spare workshops in Uganda.

  1. Better Gas Mileage

Due to the less technology in manual cars, the engines consume less gas to run the system while driving the car and this puts manual cars in a good position to consume less gas than their automatic counterpart that have hi-tech of which it has to use lot of gas to run the driving system.

  1. Advantage of Skill

Manual transmission involves lots of technical know-how as the driver must be well conversant with the wheels. It involves comprehensive manual driving where by the driver has to control the gears and the speed of the car on his\her own which is not the case with automatic cars where by a driver has to only be in position to control the sterling, the accelerator and the brakes and he/she is good to go. With the automatic one becomes very dull and lazy as no skill or brain matter is used to drive the car.

It is best for the traveler to use manual cars for self drive car rental experiences in Uganda since most of the times it involves driving long distances of which manual cars have the best qualities  to martial up the ragged roads  of most of safari Uganda destinations.

Hiring a car for Airport Transfer – Tips to Make It Great

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After a long haul flight, it is everybody’s dream to get a reliable and convenient means of ground transportation to lead him/her to his/her hotel or any other destination. It may not look as simple as it seems that all the traveler needs to do is to book the car rental, there are some criteria that have to be undertaken in order to meet the traveler’s expectation of reliance and convenience.

Remember today the world is liberal as everyone can start up his/her own car rental company and unfortunately enough not all these car rental companies are competent enough to give the traveler the services he/she may want.

So here are the tips to make an airport transfer car rental a smooth experience:

Look at the fleet of cars

Before the traveler books a rental car for an airport transfer, it is very commendable to check the fleet of cars the car rental company is offering to their customers on the websites. This gives the renter the room to choose the best rental car possible for his/her airport transfer.

Normally car rental companies have different kinds of cars for hire that appeal to all sorts of people be it high end, middle class or the economy class of people. The rental cars are categorized by size here in Uganda that is the compact cars, sedans, SUVS and the crossovers. In most cases the big cars (SUVS) come with a big price but with greater services and the compact cars are cheap and with also good services so it is upon the client to know which car best suits his/her budget and then make a choice.

Stick to the same car rental services

When the traveler often travels to Uganda, it is better for him/her to use the same car rental services unless the traveler gets a bad experience by the first time he/she sued them. For that case, the traveler may opt to change. Staying with the same services creates loyalty between the traveler and the car rental company of which comes with great merits.

For example, there are no prediction and surprises and the traveler has the experience of using the car rental services. There is likely to be a reduction in the prices of the car rental at which the traveler hires the vehicles as it is done to keep the customer around for such a longtime. The traveler can also get the car rental services on credit and later pays since they have a mutual understanding with the company. The loyal customer can get a rental car at anytime he/she wants be it at the last minute.

Booking in advance

Anything concerning travel must be done before hand as they are very many people wanting to take up the services. If the traveler is going to a certain destination, he/she must contact the car rental agent and reserve the rental before the date of traveling to his/her destination.

This should be at a month to two weeks before the travel dates. This gives the traveler room to get a rental car of his/her choice without any panic. Furthermore, sometimes the car rental company gives a discount to their customers who book in advance.

Car rental is always the best means of transport for airport transfer services.

 

Budget Travel – Car Rentals Uganda

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The peak season of Uganda travel is here, the season that used to be for family vacations and Uganda wildlife safaris and travel. Sadly, many are not able to take up the trips and the vacations due to the current situation of the economy, rising prices of fuel and money getting scarce as time goes by.

However, they are very many ways of saving some money on your vacation or having a vacation on a budget bill. In this article I will take a leaf from saving money on a car rentals Uganda.

One of the greatest ways of saving money on a car rentals Uganda is by searching online for a car rental company. There are very many well established cheap car rental companies on the internet. These have very affordable rates of renting a car for self drive.

They start from as low as 40 us dollars for an SUV car like a Toyota RAV4 per day. Some of these car rentals websites allow you to enter the maximum amount of money you are willing to hire a car.

Another means of saving money on your car rental Uganda is by checking the car before you set off for your expedition. You should also take some pictures of the car that can act as evidence of the condition you found the car before using it.

The checking is done to find out if there are some damages on the car like dents, scratches, non operating tool in the car as sometimes the car rental company can apportion the blame on you for damaging the car and you may have to pay some money for amendments and sometimes it might not be you who damaged the car.

When you rent a car in Uganda, ask for unlimited mileage driving of the car. Car rentals that come with limited mileages come expensively as when you get off the limit of the mileage or the distance you are supposed to cover, you are likely to pay a premium fee for violating an agreement which mounts the expenses of the car rental services. So make sure that an agreement is made on an unlimited mileage system whereby you travel anywhere in Uganda without incurring additional costs.

Read the agreement given to you by the car rental agency before signing it. There always clauses in car rental agreement if violated can lead you paying a fine. Some of these clauses are fuel refill, early return and pick up place. So read them careful and put them in practice so that you do not violate them.

Before making a reservation of car rental Uganda, call your bank or any association you are attached like sometimes military or a non government organization to know if you have car rental insurance coverage. This helps dodge paying insurance for the vehicle thus saving some money on your budget travel.

When the above tips are put in practice, you are likely to save some money on car rental Uganda of which it is one of the items that takes the biggest share of your budget.

Common Credentials Asked When Renting a Car

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There has to be an approved process one has to go through in everything that involves property acquisition whether for a short time or permanently. Car renting Uganda is a business which involves renting car for self drive around the different areas of Uganda.

Remember a car is a property that is highly valued so one is supposed to be with some qualifications that permit him/her rent a car on his own. These qualifications are put up to limit some related problems that may arise due to reckless driving that may cause damaging of the car or the problem of stealing the car.

However different car rental companies in Uganda have different criteria that allow someone rent a car with them. So here we come up with the 3 most common qualifications that every car rental company may ask of you.

A Minimum Age

Albeit different countries having different ages of consent that allows some to drive a car, the age of 21 year old is the standard one across all nations in the world for which a car rental company allow one to acquire their car. Right identification is asked of the people willing to rent a car in order to approve his/her age.

Generally most car rental companies ask for a driving permit as the requirement for the age but some take an extra mile to ask for another document that disclose your age well like a passport or birth certificate. So when renting a car in Uganda, you should first ask for what documents you are supposed to carry so that you can qualify to rent a car with a certain company.

In case you are going to use an extra driver while using a car rental services in Uganda, you should also make sure that he/she meets the company’s requirement of minimum age.

Driving Record

Your driving history or record is very essential for the car rental company. Most car rentals do screening of driving records in the approval process. Screening of the driving process has become so much easier with the advancement of technology around the global as there is always a designed system where a car rental company puts particulars of your driving license and the record is displayed automatically.

If the car rental company finds out that you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, over speeding fines or you have ever engaged in other driving irregularities that make you an offender, you may be denied to rent a car with them.

Credit/Debit Card

Most car rental companies in Uganda will request you to issue out your credit or debit card to rent a car. Car rental companies most of the times hold a certain amount of fee on these credit or debit card as security deposit while others keep the card in case of any damage caused on the car that is liable to you and is beyond the insurance cover, they can easily get the money to compensate for the damages you may have caused. It is advisable to agree that term basing on the details of the contract.

The above are the most common qualifications one may need to rent a car in Uganda from any car rental company around the country.

Ways of Getting a Cheap Car Rental Uganda

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Car rental business is a fast growing business in Uganda as many people have come up to establish agencies due to the high demand of renting a car from other people. Many people rent cars for taking a gorilla safari uganda, cruising around the city, for a business conference, for wedding ceremonies, airport pickups.  But this can sometimes tend to be expensive due to the terms and conditions that the car rental agencies might put. In this world of scarce financial resources, one always needs a cheaper car for renting and the following are the ways as to how you can minimize the costs of car renting Uganda

Hit the internet

This is the most effective step of getting a cheap car rental Uganda. There are so many car rental agencies in Uganda that often offer relatively lower prices compared to the other in order to out compete them. These can only be found through surfing as they hold websites with the rates and services they offer. As you go through the internet you will find agencies with the quality services at affordable rate and you can choose from them.

Try to look for agencies that are a bit distant from the airport

Agencies that are near the airport are relatively expensive in that they get many customers walking in from the airport due to their convenient location. It is better to look for car rental agencies far way as these offer relatively low rates.

Be vigilant on signing additional insurance

You might get excited on signing the car lease agreement but first look at the additional insurance that may be placed are favoring you.  Since this might lead you to incurring daily expenses that can make your overall trip expensive. It is better to first assess it then see if you get provision funds for the insurance.

Avoid shifty fees

Most car rental agencies have some fine that you might encounter if you breach one of the terms and conditions stipulated in the agreement. For example there might be a clause in agreement that one has to return car and park it at a certain point if case you do the vice you encounter a certain fine. One has to be careful to avoid such unnecessary fines that can make car renting expensive.

Make an assessment if you really need to rent a car

At times you may think when you are in a foreign land you may need a car but in actual sense you don’t need it. For instance you might not be going to make a lot of movement in your early of visit and don’t have many luggage. It is better to use public transport since it might be wastage of funds. But if you have a lot of luggage and you going to make a lot of traveling then it is better to rent a car because frequent paying of transport fare for public transport might cost you heavily.

Try to book a car earlier

They say  time is money and this is so true with car renting. If the need of the car is so urgent it may be very expensive to get a car as the car rental agency might take advantage of your desperation of wanting a car and charge highly. It might also be a business period where the cars might be on high demand and this can lead to higher rate. When you need a car book a earlier in that there is room for negotiation.

Keep good records of anything related to the car you’re renting

This can be done by taking pictures of the car before you take it in that you have a clear preview of the car’s condition before you use it. This may be useful after using the car and know which damages you are supposed to pay for.

Give a try to small car rental agencies

Booking with the smaller agencies can be cheap as these can make personalized offer and also flexible in their terms and conditions since they want to built a good reputation so that they can get closer to the large ones. Most of the times these offer cheaper and better rates than the known ones

Remember to know and also fight for rights

Some agencies are so cunning in such a way they might want to charge you unfamiliar fees so one has to be careful and fight for what is best for you.

With the best ways one can get a cheaper car to rent and you will enjoy a good self drive tour Uganda

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