Crossing borders in Africa, SA Green Book is for Go!

Crossing borders in Africa as a South African traveler is easier in Africa. The South African passport may not be the golden key that magically opens the doors to countries worldwide, but it definitely is your easy ticket to much of Africa.

As many South Africans may well have experienced, travel as a South African national can be a bureaucratic process involving much paperwork and many different sometimes expensive visas. This is not the case for travel on the African continent, where South Africans are largely free to roam without visa hassles.

According to travel experts at Overlanding Africa and Rainbow Nation citizens of South Africa are exempt from visa requirements for:

Buying & Fueling a Car on a Self Drive Uganda

In most certain times when you search the internet for self drive car rentals in Uganda, you will absolutely get a huge number of results about car rental agencies, forums and blogs to mention but a few. You probably go ahead and visit each and every result, the car rental agency, browse through the whole site and actually get what you need. Its very un common for some if not all that mention about the fuel for the cars they rent out.

Usually when you go ahead and ask for a quote of car rental in Uganda, you will probably get the quote for the car hire on daily basis and maybe driver guide quote but you would never get a mention about gas refill information. Usually the agencies leave that for you to decide. However this is a very important aspect in regards car rental in Uganda.

The process of gas refuel in Uganda is almost completely different from America or the UK or middle east. Just like most many fuel stations outside Uganda may be using cards or got billed at the end of the month, its completely different here in Uganda. You short of gas, you drive to the gas station, with a pump attendant there, you will order for the amount of fuel you want in terms of shillings and you will get exactly what you ordered.

However the biggest mistake many tourists on a self drive in Uganda make is forget to keep a look at the pump metre as it counts. They also forget that Uganda is a developing country which of course anyone is trying to earn a living even when it means cheating especially when its a foreigner. These pump attendants earn little monies and are paid at the end of the month which isn’t even enough, so if they get an opportunity to make an extra shilling, they will definitely do.

Very much recommendable that whenever you stop at a gas station, don’t ‘bossy’ around and stay sitted in the drivers seat, get out and get closer to the pump or lower the behind mirror and observe the meter starts counting from zero or the pump was reset otherwise you will fall a victim of cheat.

There are probably thousands of gas stations in Kampala, for each and every corner of the town you will probably get a fuel station which calls for a reasonable price per litre in around Kampala. Usually recommended if you plan a self drive car hire in Uganda, get the first full tank in Kampala, and if you are taking a vehicle with a reserve tank, make use of the reserve tank as this will help you upcountry and you will be in for a big save on gas with your car hire in Uganda.

The price of fuel in Uganda varies from town to town, from one gas station to the other. Here you have to take a closer look so to get a good price by comparing. Expect between $1 and $2 per litre. Its more expensive upcountry than in towns close to Kampala. A small rav4 recommendable for self drive will take you between 650-700kms depending on the nature of driving and the terrain. Maintain an average acceleration to save enough gas with this SUV full time 4W car.

When you are upcountry, try as much as possible to always keep the gas to full tank and not refuel when you have a little distance to finalize your trip. Make sure you do right calculations about the distance remaining and the fuel needed.

There are also very many brands of gas stations in Uganda owned privately by individuals with different gas prices. There is no government intervention in the gas prices in Uganda.

The most recommended gas stations are the French owned Total and the shell gas stations. These gas stations and a few others have good quality gas for your self drive car hire in Uganda. Other gas stations are good as well but others are not that will give you bad fuel and could damage the car engine.

And should you be on a self drive safari in Uganda, make sure you service the car at the recommended gas stations by your car rental agency in Uganda.

Read much about how to save on gas so you can have an incredible self drive safari in Uganda.

Choosing a Tour Operator for Your Safari

There are loads of tour operators on the African continent offering a wide range of safaris. These include even the specialty tour operators offering specific safaris to travelers. Some tour operators offer other travel services that range from tours, to flights, hotel and lodge booking, car hire, phone rental services etc. While planning for your safari, it is very important to carefully select a reliable agemcy that will be able to offer a memorable safari for you. Here are some of the tips that will help you choose a good tour operator for your vacation in Africa.

It is advisable to interact with several tour operators before you can make up your mind over which safari company will take care of your tour. To start with, you need to find out the area of expertise of the tour company in relation to you preferred safari option. Some are experts in luxury holiday tours well as others specialize in tailor made safaris, camping, mountaineering, lodge safaris or overland vacations.

A little research in necessary to establish the reputation of the tour operator you choose to take care of your vacation. Take time to discover the membership of that operator in different reliable tourism organizations such as Africa Travel Association, ATTA, and so much more. If you are looking at a particular country, check out if that tour operator subscribes to some of the national and local tourism organizations.

Any of the tour operator should be able provide any travel information you need regarding your Africa safari; including visa, flights, hotels, travel and health insurance, security, communication and so much more.

Get a written copy of the terms and conditions from the Tour operator. In fact, you can probably have each company mail you a copy of their policy. After receiving a copy of each company’s policy, review the policies carefully. In doing so, you will be able to find the best deal for you and you will also familiarize yourself with all of the policies.

Avoid as much as possible, brief case tour operators. The list of tour operators on this page has been carefully selected basing on the credibility, Association membership, customer care and service provision. We are however not responsible for any loss or damage or dissatisfaction regarding any travel guide or travel agent listed on this very page. We try to ensure that these companies don’t default. Under such eventualities, you should contact us and have them removed accordingly.