Solo Trips in Uganda – Explore Uganda Alone
Solo trips in Uganda involve safari expeditions where travelers embark on private safaris and independently decide on which activities, accommodation options, destinations to visit, and means of transport based on their needs and preferences. Many travelers are hesitant about solo trips to African countries due to assumptions that these are lonely, get boring, and could be unsafe. A solo trip to Uganda, however, nullifies all these misconceptions and one can enjoy a beautiful and fulfilling adventure altogether. Solo trips in Uganda allow flexibility and freedom as one is not influenced by a co-traveler’s contradicting schedule and preferences, and gets to enjoy the country satisfactorily and yet safely and on a favorable budget.
While on Solo trips in Uganda, one, however, has to take into consideration the cost of the trip, since the cost of solo travel is sometimes higher than if one travels in a group. There is no sharing of costs as it would be in a group tour. One should do research and be more informed about the average costs for the activities they intend to partake in.
One could however consider budget options while selecting activities, accommodation, and transportation. Despite the cost value, Solo Travel provides a high-quality experience and service delivery for travelers, and however intimidating it may seem, one often gets to make many new friends. Several tour companies in Uganda can guide travelers who embark on this form of travel.
Where to go for solo trips in Uganda?
The best region for Solo travel in Uganda is western Uganda, where one can get to visit the famous National Parks like Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, as well as far north-west in Murchison Falls National Park, for game drives to see the big five and tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth national park’s Ishasha sector.
Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga gorilla parks for gorilla trekking are the other activities one can engage in on a solo trip. One could also visit the much serene Lake Bunyonyi and the source of the River Nile in Jinja. On a Uganda solo trip, one often gets to meet other travelers and friendly locals whom they interact with hence boredom on these trips is not a major problem.
Precautions for solo travel
While on a solo trip to Uganda, a visitor ought to put many precautions in place to ensure safety and maximum fulfillment; like trying to learn a few words in local languages for easy communication – greetings, introducing one’s self, saying thank you, and starting a conversation. Try to be vigilant about the safety of your property and it’s safer not to move around with valuables and large sums of money, let alone leave them unattended to.
Additionally, one should avoid showing large sums of money in public places since not all the locals can be trusted. Moving with a money belt is one of the safe ways of carrying money on a solo trip. One should also have a backed up soft copy of their visa and passport online in case of their loss.
Solo travelers are advised to save and write down emergency contacts in case of phone loss or theft, as well as inform friends and relatives about their travel arrangements. Travelers are advised to stay vigilant of their surroundings and avoid moving alone at night. One is also advised to dress conservatively while visiting local community-based sites in order to fit in and avoid unnecessary attention.
Carry some Cash
While on solo trips, do not hike alone, however tempting it maybe as dangerous. It is advised to carry cash when visiting rural based tourist sites, since ATMs are not available in these areas. Tourists should have a plan about accommodation and research about costs of various options in given areas. These always range from low range to 5-star hotels.
Different destinations usually have safari lodges and campsites where one can explore depending on their budget. Due to the sunny conditions, one should ensure to carry light and loose clothing, enough medicine and repellents while going down to the sites. There are also various safe transport means to use to move through the cities including Boda-bodas, taxis, private car rentals and taxi special hires. Taxi special hires seem to be the safest options though costly. The less costly boda-bodas are however risky but fun to experience.
A solo trip in Uganda empowers visitors to exhaust the tourism industry in Uganda at their own pace and according to their own terms.
