Talking of a Uganda or African wildlife safari most of the times means game driving and game viewing in the different national parks and other protected areas like game reserves and sanctuaries. Game driving is ‘needless to say’ the best way of exploring Uganda Parks and to view the country’s several wildlife species.
Normally game drives in Uganda are done in 4WD vehicles which tourists hire from their trusted tour operators like NATURE ADVENTURE UGANDA or from authorized car rental companies like 4X4 CAR HIRE UGANDA. Among the car types to rent from are Prado, Land Cruisers, Rav4, Super Custom, and Safari Vans. On your Ugandan trip, you can either decide to drive yourself or go for the chauffer safaris, where you are driven by an experienced driver-guide who will help you explore Uganda even more.
Where to do game drives in Uganda:
Uganda has 10 beautiful national parks and most of them provide game driving as one of the activities to immerse in, and it’s always magical!! The best Parks in Uganda perfect for game drives are Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. The other Parks in Uganda where you can do game drives include Lake Mburo National Park, and Semuliki National Park.
Here you are guaranteed of fantastic game viewing; sighting a variety of wildlife species like African Lions, Savanna Elephants, Cape Buffaloes, African Leopards, Cheetahs, Hyenas, Giraffes (Rothschild’s Giraffes), Zebras, Waterbucks, Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, Uganda Kob, Reedbucks, Bushbucks, Topis, Jackson Hartebeests, Impalas, Warthogs, Mongoose, and very many others. You will also view a variety of bird species including the popular shoebill stork and several primate species like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white Colobus, among many more.
All the aforementioned national parks have well designed game tracks and taking all these tracks while on the game drive gives you a totally different experience since each is endowed with various eco-systems, hence protecting different wildlife species. Game viewing in Uganda is really special and exceptional and will always leave you with undying memories. Driving to Murchison Falls National Park in Northwest Uganda you will have to stop at the only rhino refuge in the country, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, to view the country’s only wild rhinos.
Uganda is one of the African countries where you are guaranteed of viewing all the Africa’s big five, which are a first priority among the annual tourists (wildlife lovers) in Africa. The big five of Africa are; African Lion, African Leopard, Rhino, African Elephant, and an African Cape Buffalo – all these animals can be viewed during your game drives in the county’s different Parks.
Most of the times if you hired a driver-guide you will not need to be escorted by a Park ranger because your driver-guide is as knowledgeable as the Park guide/ranger. Therefore when you hire a driver-guide that will mean that you have paid for two things in one; a driver and a guide as well. However, if you’ve gone for a self-drive experience you will at most of the times need a Park ranger to guide you during your game drives because you will have no knowledge about the tracks in the Park, hiring a Park guide incurs an extra charge.
Generally game drives mean driving, in a 4WD vehicle, in search for wildlife in the Park and the best time to enjoy them is during the morning hours as it’s when animals have not yet scattered in the Park – they are just waking up, hence being found easily and in large numbers. On your game drives you can even be lucky enough to meet animals producing, hunting, playing, feeding, wandering, fighting with one another, resting and doing many others of their daily behaviors, which is even more memorable. Game drives always kick off at around a half past six (6.30am).