It takes passion, courage, and of course investment for one to take off their busy schedule and plan a vacation to any travel designated destination of their choice. People may have the passion but have limited resources which are insufficient forboth the usual bills and leisure.
Nevertheless, like they say resources are scarce but you need to grind so hard to get them and enjoy what you want. We only have one life; you have got to fulfill your dreams while still alive. Enjoying nature and its beauty is one of the greatest cravings for most people around the world. People love to travelto places of nature to escape away from the worries the usual routines bring however these places are rare in this day and age generation.
Uganda is one of the fortunate few places in the world still in itsnatural form. This east African nation is greatly gifted by nature, it has incredible landscapes endowed with enormous and eye-catching flora and fauna. The country is easy to explore and conduct any kind of tourism, thanks to its great infrastructural development, notably a great transport system, widespreadaccommodation facilities, readily available sources of water and energy, and reliable financial institutions.
Tourists can either take part in the customary guided safari tours or the trailblazing self-drive safaris. This article is more focused on self drive safaris that have taken over Uganda by storm. Travelers now love driving on their own to visit the various tourist sites particularly, the national parks. Such expeditions offer freedom and privacy, and at the same time, are cost-effective. Self drive in Uganda permits you to reach the main highlighted tourist destinations of your choice at your own velocity and experience the best nature can offer to its seekers.
However, the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic greatly affected the tours and travel industry, and many circumstances have affected the rate at which travelers used to flock to their desireddestinations. Just when tourism was at a high peak and many travelers visited Uganda to immerse in the unmatched wonderland of Africa, then uncontrolled hindrances, the covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical war between Russia and Ukraineemerged which greatly impeded the various economies hence the traveler’s lives.
The economies keep hampering the tourists’ escape plans to nature and much emphasis is put on the escalating fuel prices in Africa and the world at large. What baffles Uganda the most is that “Is she facing this challenge alone or even other countriestaste the ramifications of the fuel price inflation”.
Does fuel rise affect travel?
Fuel price inflation has become a global issue but this has not stopped travelers from road tripping. This has greatly affectedthem since it hardens safari planning with much spent to get many liters of fuel to be used throughout the whole safari and less is left to spend hence settling for unexpected cheap servicesfor the entire tour on accommodation, food, beverage, and recreation.
Yes, the fuel rise has affected the travel industry and the economy at large leading to an increase in other basic products and services. However, this has not stopped travelers to visit desirable destinations to engage in outdoor adventure. With time, money spent on travel is regained but once you miss on traveling, it’s like you miss a part of an interesting story that will never be recovered.
The fuel issue has only made travelers cut expenses on other travel items but has not stopped them from traveling. People were designed to be creative and scale through every situation that comes their way. Apparently, they have found a solution totraveling and engaging in self-drive safaris in an affordable way despite the high fuel prices
How to have an affordable self drive holiday in Uganda despite the increase in fuel prices
Time will tell when the fuel prices will be adjusted to reach customers’ satisfaction but meanwhile, we need to look out and minimize the little liters of fuel to enable reach the required total mileage of your safari. There are many ways of turning expensive road trips into affordable vacations. Since its fuel prices causing economic chaos, there is a need to find possible means of not letting it affect our travel plans.
1. Let your wallet determine your journey
Travelling is about passion one displays, that is to say, the love to discover new places beyond your home country with amazingnatural environments and beautiful landscape sceneries that will create breathtaking moments. Traveling is not meant for the rich but also for the middle class and the budget but one needs to be rational enough to choose destinations that appeal to their financial status. Plan your road trip and get to know which journeys are possible depending on your fuel budget. Don’t get forced to add other journeys to your itinerary which may lead you to incur more fuel costs. Simply still to the plan.
2. Refuel whenever you get a chance
Fuel stations are positioned in busy centers/ towns and driving an empty car with a red fuel click alert is so risky. The moment the car stops because of an empty fuel tank, it will call for expensive means of refueling. The car will require many liters to restart the engine for a smooth and safe drive. Road tripping destinations are located in far distant areas. The advice is if there is a need to refuel when you encounter a petro station along the way please do so to prevent panic of getting stuck with your family in a strange area.
3. Choose a fuel-effective rental car
Book a car rental Uganda that is both fuel and cost-effective. Car hire agencies have a wide range of vehicles and endeavor to know the fuel consumption rate of each and their rental price. Go for one that is frugal in all aspects so that you can save some money which could cover up for the high fuel prices. Some of the budget rental cars to hire include the Toyota rav4 and land cruiser Prado TX. Another trick to beat up the high prices on the rental vehicle is choosing the one that consumes diesel. The diesel gas tends to be cheaper than petrol by about Shs. 500Ugx. Therefore, if you are going to cover such a long distance on your safari, you will save a lot from a diesel car compared to the petrol one.
4. Refill at Affordable Fuel Stations
There are lots of gas refill station brands across Uganda and these sell fuel at different prices. You are advised to identify the ones with cheap fuel and note their locations if they resonate with your itinerary. If so, plan to refill the car at those cheap stations during the self drive safari.
5. Thorough preparation of the safari car
While setting off for self guided tour, always ensure that the vehicle is in good mechanical condition. Servicing the car is like giving it back its life to function well on the streets of Uganda. This practice involves checking the water coolant level, oil level, lights, mirror wipers, car tire threads, and the nature of the tire depending on your destination. Always check the tirepressure and have at least a spare one with you in case of an emergency. Deflated tires will reduce the speed of the vehicle and hence lead to an additional cost on the fuel bill. It is victory when a traveler comes back safe and sound at the end of the safari so emphasize the issue of the tire so keenly.
6. Refill the air conditioner AC
Many people have no idea how greatly air conditioner affectsthe fuel consumption rate of the car. Using the AC when it’sneeded to save fuel. Don’t also turn it on at a low degree setting as it increases fuel consumption due to the activated compressor whose role is to compress and hike the temperature of the refrigerant. Open the car windows widely where necessary more so when the car is moving at a faster speed to control wind resistance and fuel consumption. Don’t worry about air pollution, Uganda is such a natural and forested country with so much fresh air to enjoy especially in the countryside.
7. Switch off when necessary
The longer the car fuel engine runs, the more it will need or use fuel for better road performance. It is better to switch off the engine to preserve fuel while in an area where you are expected to spend a long time like in overcrowded traffic places and parking areas. With the changing technology modern cars have been introduced and these do not require warming up when the engine is restarted. Restarting a car doesn’t cost the same amount of fuel as the one lost while idling. Saving fuel is the same as saving money.
There are a lot of rules to enable you to have an affordable self drive holiday in Uganda but the above seven will guarantee you one in these situations where fuel rates are soaring uncontrollably.
