Camping Safaris in Uganda/ Uganda camping safaris / camping in uganda
Uganda camping safaris : Uganda is one of the most rewarding destinations in the world for a camping safari, whether you are a budget traveler or a luxury traveler camping is always a best experience as it gets you close to nature and wilderness.
Before going on a Uganda camping safari, here some of the aspects you need to consider. In Uganda there are three types of camping safaris that is self catered safaris, scheduled camping safari and tailored made camping safaris. Below are the more details which will determine
Your Uganda camping safari experience will highly be determined by the type of safari you consider among the above three. Below is a further breakdown of the same.
Self catered camping safaris
Self catered camping safaris are the type of camping safaris where tourists do the entire planning and execute the camping by themselves , this means tourists handle their own accommodations, flights, local transport, meals, entrance tickets among others.
Almost everything about a self catered camping safari, however it is necessary to delegate a few activities or aspects of the safari such as booking and securing gorilla trekking permits, chimpanzee tracking permits, boat tickets among others which require prior booking.
Camping Types
Types of camping
In Uganda, there are mainly 3 camping options to consider when on a self catering camping safari including ground camping, rooftop tent camping and glamping (luxury safari tents).
Ground camping
Ground camping is fun and secured through hiring a car for self drive with ground camping gears, camping using a hired car with camping gears, you are required to pay approximately USD 20 – 50 for camping space.
Another alternative when ground camping is booking a camping site with camping gears, there are several camping sites in several safari destinations in Uganda. Before going on a camping safari it is very important to know who you are going to hire camping gears from. Sometimes it is hard to find who to hire camping gears from.
Rooftop Tent Camping
Rooftop Tent Camping in Uganda is done in 3 categories that is 2 pax roof tent, family roof top tent and double rooftop tents.
2 pax Rooftop Tent
A 2 pax Rooftop Tent is hired only with a car, there are several car hiring companies from which one can hire the tent and the vehicle. You can hire the car with a roof top tent, the available vehicles with a rooftop include a Land cruiser Prado, Land cruiser V8/VX/GX, Land cruiser 70 series and Land cruiser 76 series.
Family Rooftop Tent
A family rooftop Tent accommodates a maximum of 4 people, however this tent is recommended for 3 people for a comfortable sleep. Because of the size of the Family Rooftop Tent, it is recommended for Land cruiser with an Engine size of 3400cc.
Double Rooftop Tents
Double Rooftop Tents are 2 pax roof top tents on the same vehicle, these tents are recommended for Land cruisers with engine sise of 3400cc and above. Vehicles perfect for Double Rooftop Tents include Land cruiser TZ, Land cruiser V8, Land cruiser VX, Nissan Safari, Land cruiser GX, Hilux double cabin, and Land cruiser hard top.
Scheduled Camping Safaris
Scheduled camping safaris in Uganda are organized by tour operators together with their agents from different locations, the tour operators target travelers who are willing to visit the same camping destinations at the same time of the year.
Note: There is no entirely camping scheduled safari, however there is always a tour operator willing to organize for a camping safari in your preferred dates.
With scheduled camping safaris, all you need as a camper is to pay a set fare for your safari and all the requirements for your camping are covered in your camping package. In the scheduled safari, items included in the package are listed as well as items which are not included.
Luxury camping in Uganda
In most of the national parks in Uganda, there are several options of luxury camping, this type of camping is offered through safari ground tents that are well designed to match the ambience of a hotel room. Luxury camping is also referred to as glamping.
How to plan for a camping safari in Uganda
As a traveler, planning for your camping safari can be done for you by a tour operator or by your own self. When planning for a Uganda camping safari, here are some of the procedures.
Choose the type of camping you are interested in and that fits your budget
When planning a camping safari in Uganda, it is best you identify the type of camping that fits your budget, there are 3 camping options in Uganda including ground camping for budget travelers, rooftop tent camping perfect for midrange travelers and glamping for luxury and midrange travelers. Camping in Uganda generally depends on the budget of the client, ground camping costs about US$ 25 a day.
Choose the camping season
The season you choose to go camping in Uganda determines the camping experience, the best time for camping season in Uganda is in the dry seasons in the months of December, January, February, July and August. However, Uganda’s seasons are very unpredictable, unexpected rain can be experienced even in the dry season.
Rooftop tent camping and glamping offers a more weather resistant camping experience, with a rooftop tent, you don’t need to worry about the rain run-off since you will be sleeping on a raised ground – above the car top. The glamping option offers more comfortable camping option that is in on bed which is a more weather resistant when compared to ground camping.
How to plan for a camping safari in Uganda
As a traveler, planning for your camping safari can be done for you by a tour operator or by your own self. When planning for a Uganda camping safari, here are some of the procedures.
Choose the type of camping you are interested in and that fits your budget
When planning a camping safari in Uganda, it is best you identify the type of camping that fits your budget, there are 3 camping options in Uganda including ground camping for budget travelers, rooftop tent camping perfect for midrange travelers and glamping for luxury and midrange travelers. Camping in Uganda generally depends on the budget of the client, ground camping costs about US$ 25 a day.
Choose the camping season
The season you choose to go camping in Uganda determines the camping experience, the best time for camping season in Uganda is in the dry seasons in the months of December, January, February, July and August. However, Uganda’s seasons are very unpredictable, unexpected rain can be experienced even in the dry season.
Rooftop tent camping and glamping offers a more weather resistant camping experience, with a rooftop tent, you don’t need to worry about the rain run-off since you will be sleeping on a raised ground – above the car top. The glamping option offers more comfortable camping option that is in on bed which is a more weather resistant when compared to ground camping.
How to choose a perfect vehicle for a camping safari in Uganda
Two camping options that is ground camping and rooftop tent camping require hiring a vehicle during camping experience in Uganda.
Group size
The number of the group highly influences the type of vehicle that will be perfect for your camping safari in Uganda,
- A 5 door Rav4 is perfect and recommended for a 2 pax ground camping safari
- A vehicle with double roof top tents is recommended and perfect for 4 pax camping safari
Note: when choosing a vehicle for your camping safari, it is important to be mindful of the extra luggage since the most of the space is likely to be taken by camping luggage.
Safari Budget
A safari budget is crucial when hiring a vehicle for a camping safari in Uganda, hiring a vehicle with ground camping gear costs about US$ 50 and US$ 150 per day depending on the type of the vehicle.
Note: The most recommended for a Uganda camping safari is the Land Cruiser TX/TZ which is highly recommended for your safari. However if your budget fits a Rav4, it can also be great for a camping safari.
