Travel Tips for Persons with Disabilities
In the past times, people with disabilities were marginalized and despised because of their vulnerability. However, over the years, the world has changed and they are accepted. People have learned that disability is not inability. A disabled person can perform the same duties or engage in activities as an able-bodied one. Various countries have enacted laws and policies to protect, accommodate and make life easier for the disabled. For instance, public buildings and places have set up facilities to accommodate persons with disabilities.
With the direction the world at large is taking to make life easier for the disabled, these vulnerable people are able to travel for a holiday and engage in various adventurous and recreation activities. Albeit the facilities and services have been developed for the disabled, there are still challenges for them, particularly when traveling solely or visiting a foreign destination like Uganda.
1. Plan the trip beforehand.
The success of a trip majorly hinges on planning and preparing. It is very essential to plan earlier for your Uganda safari trip because it alleviates the stakes of getting disrupted and impeded. Reserving travel items such as accommodation, park activities, flight, and car hire is greatly significant. If you are to use a ground handler, it could be a local tour company, family, or friend, informing them of your visit is very vital. They can book the facilities you need putting into consideration of your condition.
2. Use lodges that disabled catering
Accommodation establishments with disabled-friendly facilities are very conducive as they permit persons with disabilities to swiftly operate with less effort. Most hotels and lodges in Uganda have facilities like elevators, wheelchairs, stairless pathways, and emergency exits that ensure people with immobility are accommodated.
3. Book with a tour operator that provides safari packages for disabled tourists
Well-established tour companies know how to manage and arrange tour packages for visitors with disabilities. They know which hotels and lodges to book, the activities to enjoy, and the kind of safari vehicle. The tour operators in Uganda are able to organize for the disabled to take part in activities that many call impossible for them. For instance, disabled people have been seen engaging in gorilla tracking with the help of a local tour company. What normally the tour operators do is inform the Uganda Wildlife Authority about the client’s condition and they are allocated to a near gorilla family for tracking. Sedan chairs and porters are hired to carry the disabled persons to reach the habitat of the gorillas and enjoy the huge apes in their natural setting. The ground transportation arranged for persons with disabilities is normally 4×4 Uganda car hire and spacious enough for them to have the comfort while traveling.
4. Understand and know your privileges when at the airport and any other public place.
It is a bit daunting for people with immobility to travel particularly when they get to the airport or any other transport hub. It is very hard for them to get the right data and directions due to the business of the airport caused by the big crowds and long queues. There is normally personnel at the airport that is meant to attend to people with special needs during their transit.
Disabled are protected from any kind of discrimination from air transport operating entities. However, when it comes to security, they have to go through any security protocol established at any facility. These vulnerable individuals are advised to know their rights to prevent and report any injustices that may be done to them during their travel.
5. Carry extra medication
It does not cost a thing to pack extra prescriptions while traveling. There is a possibility of your baggage getting lost during transit, so having a backup plan will save you a lot. This is also one way of ensuring that you don’t run out of your tablets inconveniencing to getting others that might not be available at the destination you may have visited. The drugs must be kept in a proper and accessible place.
6. Save and take your doctor’s contact number and email when traveling.
Before you plan to travel, visit your doctor to seek advice on whether it is possible for you to travel to a foreign destination and participate in certain tour activities. When given a go-ahead, ask the doctor for the necessary information about your condition and the quick remedies to take in case any issue arises. The doctor’s contact should also be noted and saved, you may need to seek help when far away.
7. Book Short flights
Long haul and connecting flights are very challenging for persons with disabilities. There is a lot of hassle involved like waiting for long hours with the heavy luggage at the medium airport to connect to the final destination. Using a direct flight alleviates all the obstacles and energy and time are saved. A direct flight flies straight to your final destination without any stopover.
8. Get travel information about the place to visit
This goes to sole disabled travelers, there is nothing harder to find like a place you literally don’t know about. You are advised to search for travel information about the places to go, accommodation to stay, the most convenient means of transport, and eateries to dine at to have a clue of how to go about your itinerary while at the destination. The source of information can be the internet, travel magazines or guides, and friends and family. The information helps in situations of being stuck, in need of urgent attention, and loss of your bearing.
9. Bring the necessary luggage
Luggage carrying is one of the most hectic tasks when traveling, it gets worse when it comes to disabled people. Therefore, you are advised to get luggage, you can easily manage while traveling most preferably it should be one suitcase. Having two or more big luggage will be so hard to monitor since they are placed on the plane randomly and the same applies when they are being dislodged off on the convey belt at the airport. You may bring a huge luggage if you are moving with a partner or group.
10. Free up your mind
Don’t feel pity for yourself, disability is not inability. You can go through or do anything that other people do. Enjoy your travel as nothing can stop you.
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Rent a Car with a Fridge in Uganda
A car fridge is one of the essentials of a memorable self drive safari in Uganda more so if you are having your safari in the dry months of July, August, September and December. You will need a cold drink besides you all through your safari. Whether it is just a mere sip of water, or some local fresh juice or soda; regardless of the drink, it will better taste cold on a sunny day.
Not many self drive car rental agencies offer their car with fridges. And most of the budget cars such as the 3 door Rav4 and the 5 Door Rav4 often have no configuration for the fridge. It is usually the land cruisers that come with the option of a fridge. Therefore you might have to take a long search to land on a car rental agency in Uganda that offers a car with a reliable freezer. In most cases, the fridge is charged separately from the daily car rental rate depending on how long your hire tenure is.
There are mainly three misconceptions that come with hiring a car with a fridge. Some people do not differentiate between a fridge and an electric cooler box. Others do not differentiate between a chiller and a cooler box. It is therefore important to get clear details of what you are getting and what it cannot do for you during your trip.
Chillers
A chiller is simply a box that can keep cold things cold as long as you have ice in it. On its own, it does not have the capacity to keep things cold. Therefore you will have to stock it with piles of ice blocks. It is built to hold ice for a few hours while keeping your items inside at a relatively similar temperature. Many at times, when people ask for cooler boxes, they mean chillers.
Electric Cool Boxer
The electric cooler box has the capacity to keep items either warm or cool as long as it has been plugged into power for at least 3 hours. Many people who hire a car with an electric cooler box get disappointed. They often think they will get the results of a chiller even without adding ice blocks which is never the case.
It is often recommended to put some ice blocks in your chiller to jump start it to the desired temperature. It holds ice for a longer period than the none electric chillers do. They commonly used electric cooler boxes are 25 liters which can draw their power from the cigarette lighter port.
Electric Car Freezer
The electric car freezer will give you the effect of the cooler or even more without any need of adding any ice blocks. They usually come in two configurations; those which draw their power from the car battery and those which use their own portable batteries.
Self drive car rental agencies in Uganda such as 4x4uganda offer freezers that directly draw their power from the car battery. For this reason, they can only be used when the car is running. Though some cars can have a battery designated for the fridge, it is not very common for a car rental agency in Uganda to offer such unless you are hiring a hilux which is typically built for camping.
Cautions for hiring a car with a Freezer
- The first thing most of the people who hire a car with a freezer do; is to stock their freezer with beers. It should be noted that it is illegal to drive in Uganda under the influence of alcohol. For this reason, it is always recommended to only drink while at the campsite. Alternatively, if you are not a lone traveler, you can have one of your colleagues who does not drink keep on the wheels other than exposing yourself to driving under intoxication while in a foreign land.
- Ensure that the fridge is powered of when you turn off the ignition. Sometime the freezer goes off with the ignition while on other instances, you might have to turn off the freezer yourself. Keeping the freezer on might earn you a direct appointment for a jump start the following day.
How to Make a Family Travel Plan To Uganda
Planning a family trip to Uganda? Ranked as one of the best destinations to visit on continent Africa with lots of things to see and do such as gorilla trekking, mountaineering, biking, boat cruises, game drive, and many more. But, before visiting the country with your family, below are some of the things you should think of before setting off to the beautiful country.
It is not an easy task to have a family travel plan when you have infants and young children.
By the time you have everything in place and finally board one of the many jets in the airport, you are beyond needing a vacation.
You certainly don’t want to have a stressful vacation and by choosing family-friendly charter flights, activities the entire family can enjoy, and quality accommodations, you can arrive home actually feeling relaxed and ready to take on the world.
Transportation
When you have infants, toddlers, or young children, flights on commercial jets can often be a difficult situation.
Most of the children can’t move around without disturbing others on the flight and the lack of space makes it almost impossible to feed an infant.
Even worse, you are likely going to be stuck in the middle of a row of strangers, making it a real pain to get your children in and out to go to the bathroom. The kids will get out of their routine, get grumpy, and the situation gets nasty in a hurry.
Charter flights are the perfect solution for young families. If you choose wisely, hiring jets gives you the opportunity to book charter flights that match your needs while still fitting into your vacation.
You and the rest of your family will find the ride is more enjoyable with the extra space.
When you do book your outgoing and return jets, make sure you find out what conveniences they have on board.
This will allow you to prepare for the trip because you know if you need to bring food and snacks and will be certain they have some way of heating bottles.
It is also a good idea to ensure the transportation of your luggage is taken care of by the airline. Lastly, see if there is a play area in case the charter flights are delayed.
For those who plan on having a self-drive safari, there are many car rental Uganda companies ready to get you a reliable car that suits your family. But, please if you are to have the best out of your road trip, the best car for your safari is a 4×4 for off the bitten tracks.
Activities and Things to Do
If you do decide to have a family travel plan you need to know your vacation activities, consider making a list of all the things you would like to do.
Include a number of different kinds of activities like for example a week-long vacation, consider having one or two afternoon tours, some shopping, your favorite sightseeing locations, fun your children will enjoy, and a relaxing walk.
One of the most common mistakes families make is overfilling their vacation plans with structured activities such as day tours.
You can still include some of these time-specific activities, but be sure not to go overboard. Leaving your plans more spontaneous will allow you to customize your activities to meet the needs and moods of your children.
When choosing the things to do on your safari in Uganda, think of activities that do not restrict any family member for example, if you are to go gorilla trekking, make sure that all the family members are above the age of 15. So for those who have little ones, you will have to think wisely about activities that suit your people such as game drives, simple hikes, boat cruises, and cultural tours.
Accommodations
You may ask the hotel staff about the extras they offer and what they have available to make your stay easier when deciding where you will stay during your vacation. If they have cribs or playpens available, then you will have one less item to lug around. Try to get a room on a quiet end of the hotel or ask for a room on the ground floor if you have a toddler.
Whether you are heading to Kampala or Bwindi impenetrable forest national park in Uganda a family travel plan will make your vacation feel a lot more like a holiday and a lot less like work. After all, that is the entire point of the trip.
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Best 5 Adventure Holidays in Uganda
It is not by default that Uganda is called the Pearl of Africa. Uganda has lots of natural attractions as it has 10 national park and 13 game reserves and it is one of the reasons why there is an increasing number of people flying in Uganda. When you come to Uganda, you are able to enjoy the sun, sand, wonderful exotic animals, interesting culture and the nightlife of Kampala. However when you are in Uganda for a short holiday you can never explore all the attractions.
But we came up with the best adventure attractions when you can spend your attractions that can give an lifetime experience.
Visiting the might river Nile and its source
River Nile is the longest river in the longest as it starts its long journey from Uganda through Sudan and ends up in Egypt in North Africa. River has lots of interesting features harbor lots of tourism activities it has fresh waters where people do a launch cruise; it has water falls for whitewater rafting and there is kayaking on river Nile. You can also have a relaxing time at Jinja Nile Resort most especially in the evening. An excursion at the source of the Nile is one of a kind experience as it brings excitement and discovery in one’s life.
Visiting the mountain gorillas in Bwindi
Mountain gorillas are one of the sought after exotic animals in the world. These animals are so unique in their physical appearance and also their social behavioral ways that are almost similar to mankind. Unfortunately, these wonderful animals are critically endangered species of animals that are getting extinct at any one time. So by taking an adventure holiday to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park you have a chance of being among the last glance of mountain gorillas before they are no more in the world. Gorilla holidays are a lifetime experience as it is very captivating to come up close with the elusive gorillas. There are always itineraries organized to for tourists to take like a 3 day gorilla safari tour to Bwindi.
Exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park
This park is located in the western park of Uganda and the most popular wildlife national park in Uganda. It is a medley of wonders as it has variety of natural attractions. There lots of wildlife activities a tourist can engage in while in the park like a game drive through the Mweya peninsular where you are able to view animals like antelopes, elephants, hyenas, elands and variety of bird species. There is also a boat ride on the Kazinga channel where you have a good time on the aquatic body and also able to enjoy the view of lots of aquatic life like the king fisher birds, marabou stocks, sparrows, eaglets and also big animals like the hippos, crocodiles and the elephants on the banks of the channel. At there is also chimpanzee tracking at the Kyambura gorges and also tree climbing lion at the Ishasha sector are worth to track. One can normally have a 2 or 3 days wildlife safari at the queen Elizabeth national park as you engage in the various tourist activities within the park.
The above places can give a splendid adventure experience in Uganda in 2017. Come meet the mountain gorillas one of man’s closest cousins in the animal kingdom, encounter Queen Elizabeth National Park the medley of natural wonders and The Mighty Nile the longest river in the world and get to know its rich history discovery and also enjoy the aquatic activities engaged on it.
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Safety Tips For Self Drive Tours in Uganda
Self drive safaris are famously the most sought after experiences by travelers not only in Uganda but across East Africa. With our 4×4 wheel drives, self drive tours in Uganda are life time experiences that you must not miss out in life. There are countless car rental/hire agencies around Kampala for you to rent self drive car. You can also access the same services from other major towns such as Entebbe, Mbarara, Kabale and Jinja. This is one of the most amazing travel experiences but given challenging part of driving in Uganda roads, travelers need to be careful and that is why we bring to you the highlight of safety tips. We hope this will help you get the most exciting travel experience in life!
Below is a list of safety tips to help you have wonderful self drive safaris in Uganda.
Make sure that you check the car properly:
Before setting off for your safari, it is better for you cross check with the car’s tyres to ascertain if at all they are in better state to hit on Uganda’s roads and above all, have a spare tyre incase of any thing while on your way. Especially for distant journeys, at least 2 spare tyres are best suited for you. As well, you also inspect the cars water level, lights, oil, seats, wiper blades and any leakages. There is service tag that will help you know when the car was serviced.
Never drive at night:
Self drive safaris can be safely done on broad day light in Uganda given the fact that there are few street lights not only in Kampala but also across major towns. Avoid driving at night hours because dark areas you can be risking yourself with the renowned for robbers. At night, you may not also access any help in case of car breakdowns.
Make sure that you have your road map and GPS:
A safari can bore especially when you keep getting lost and that is why you need a road map or GPS to help you navigate through out Uganda’s corners. With your 4×4 car, you can access the road maps and GPS (Global Position System) without incurring any cost. If possible you can rent your GPS or come along with it!
Obey the traffic rules:
Traffic rules are there for you to observe and they are of significant value as they help safe guard you from any risks while on the road. Ensure that you read road signs and most importantly, never drink and drive, put on your seat belts and the other thing is remind the rest of your colleagues to also put on their belts tight.
Make a stop over and have some food or refuel the car:
By taking a break after some distant drive, is one way for you to refresh your mind, and then get some thing to eat and usually we encourage travelers to purchase enough supplies and fuel for the car. Make sure you refuel your tank around major towns otherwise you will be disappointed reaching in places where there are no fueling or gas stations. An example of protected areas in Uganda or any other destinations, it is rare for you to get fuel station, you have to travel when your tank is a bit full to help you navigate up to that time you return.
When you are feeling tired, you are not advised to drive:
While you are around the park or any destination and you are feeling tired, it is advisable to take a rest and where possible give your colleague to drive but that person must have a valid driving license.
Know the weather patterns:
Uganda’s weather patterns including other destinations keep fluctuating and therefore it is important that you try to regulate the speed of your car to suit the weather conditions. Especially if it happens to rain and given the fact that Uganda’s parks are located in remotest areas, the ground can be muddy and you have to drive slowly on potholes and others may not be passable but once you have a 4 by 4, you will be good to go! While driving on a highway, the maximum speed can be 80 kilometers per hour and 50 km while you approach the trading centre.
Mind about other road users:
You should bear in mind that roads in Uganda are narrow and pedestrians, boda-bodas, cyclists, students, and cattle keepers will also be there squeezing themselves along same the roads that you will be using.
Observe the park rules and regulations:
Since our interest is mostly dependent on national parks, you should therefore bear with the set rules and regulations of any conservation area where you take a safari. They are do’s and don’ts that every visitor to the park must follow. Some of these include don’t walk alone while in the national park, be inside the tent and never keep food stuffs in the tent because you can attract wild animals like lions and hyenas. For the rules and regulations that might break, the fine can be put on approximately shs.100000 for over speeding and $150 for off track driving in the national park. Other strict rule in the park is that travelers are not allowed to hoot anyhow since it is against conservation rules.
Mobile network coverage:
Most of Uganda’s destinations are remotely located and this means accessing good network is also hard. You are encouraged to come with satellite phones to help while in the remotest areas with network problems.
In conclusion, self drive safari can only be safe if the above tips are followed appropriately. If you are new in the country it is better that you consult further with your car hire agency to help you get more knowledge about driving in Uganda. Enjoy your self drive experiences. If you want to hire a car in Uganda, here are the car rental agencies the we trust are
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Visiting Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park lies at 4000 square kilometers and it has the largest volcanic base in the world. It is found in Mbale district (Bududa) in the eastern parts of Uganda, it is a massive solitary volcanic mountain in the eastern boarder of Uganda and western Kenya. It is a UNESCO heritage and it is a home to over 300 bird species, small antelopes, buffaloes, forest monkeys, elephants and many others.
One day I and my cousin we organized ourselves to visit mountain Elgon National Park. We prepared ourselves and we had to rent car in Uganda from our reliable service provider. After getting the car we the next day morning we woke up and cleaned ourselves, we took a morning tea and then we departed from Kampala using the tarmac road that runs from Kampala to Mukono then to Lugazi to Jinja and then to Mbale where the park is situated. We delayed on the way because our car got a problem which needed to be repaired so the journey took us for almost 7 hrs. before reaching.
After reaching to the park we could not participate in anything rather than renting a nearby lodge in Mbale due to the fatigue we had, the next day in the morning we woke up and cleaned ourselves after which we took a coffee of tea each of us before going in the field. Soon after taking tea we arrived at the park where we received a very warm welcome by the park trained guiders. We paid all the bills that were required from us but our first sight was at the very huge mountain Elgon and large calderas that are clearly seen on the top of mountain Elgon.
We saw many visitors climbing mountain Elgon which looked very interesting and soon we also rushed into the same activity and we really enjoyed it. We also practiced mountain biking from Sipi trading centre to Chema hill in Kapchorwa town where we viewed many water falls from there. We found anglers involving in sport fishing and we asked them to teach us which they did though we didn’t catch any fish since we were still learners and yet the task is very challenging due to the very fast running waters.
Excellent birding activities are also done at Kapkwai forest exploration where we had a chance to view various bird species, we viewed many animals and many bird species from Mount Elgon National Park and got involved in many activities including mountain biking, mountain climbing, birding, hiking, sport fishing and nature walks which we practiced it on our own foot and through this activity we had a chance to view the Sipi falls outside the park.
Before leaving the park, we got to know that along the mountain side the local people grow coffee on the mountain side which is best known as the Arabica coffee or Bugisu coffee as it is mainly known by the farmers.
We completed our tour very late so we could not go back to our home on that very day so we had to go back to our lodge which we had rented. We slept there up to the following day where we left Mbale back to Kampala and this time our car did not get any problem so we did not delay on the way for so long.
Therefore, am happy to tell anyone there who is stuck to where he/she should go and chase away stress and boredom plus having fun that the best solution is mountain Elgon National Park.
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5 Finest Self Drive Routes in Uganda
It is really very interesting to explore this pearl of Africa on your own pace and itinerary. Each region hast its own tourism attraction, and to meet these attractions in each region, needs a drive of from 3-10 hours since most tourist attractions are located in remote areas which needs you to explore with a comfortable and good vehicle. Driving on the open roads, dust roods and game park trails when on a self-drive vehicle is a great experience, and this will be much better especially when you know which route to use. When you go for a self-drive tour it requires you to have knowledge of the route to take, the distances to cover in order to plan for the fuel, you need also to know the duration and advise on the possible routes plus the accommodation to stay during the road trip. Most of Uganda roads are tarmacked with sign post and clear demarcations. The following below are the most used routes by travelers
1: Kampala- Entebbe highway (45 km)
This route is considered as the most commonly used route in Uganda as it connects Uganda to the rest of the world, it links the capital to the main airport (Entebbe international airport), and hence all visitors coming to Uganda or departing the country have to use this route. It’s about 42 km (1 hour and 10 minutes) from Kampala to the airport without traffic jam. The route has very many attractions as it takes you to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC), botanical gardens, resort Hotels, over 20 beaches on the Lake Victoria and many other interesting places around.
2: Masaka -Masaka -Mbarara- roads
The Masaka road is known as one of the busiest roads in Uganda which stretches about 130km from Kampala Uganda’s capita and its largest city then connects to Mbarara highway about 148km in distance. From Kampala to Mbarara it’s about 278km which is about 2-3 hour’s drive depending on traffic jam in the city, from Masaka to Mbarara takes about 1hour and 40 minutes. These two routes connects to a number of popular tourist attraction in Uganda including the equator crossing, so here you can’t miss to have a stopover for snacks and photography, Lake Mburo national park which is the nearest park in Uganda you branch before Mbarara town, kibale forest the home to over 13 species of primates coupled with chimpanzee the closest relative of man sharing almost 98% of human DNA Make up, On this route you can connect to Ssese islands
3: Kampala- Jinja highway about (80 km- 2hours)
The trip starts from Kampala Uganda’s capital and it’s largest city to Jinja one of the good place for adventure safaris in Uganda, its located in eastern side of Uganda about 80km’s drive from the capital and the car takes about 2-3 hour’s drive depending on the traffic jam on the way. You will pass via Mabira forest Uganda’s biggest forest, primate watch and birding on the way is thrilling, pass through Lugazi sugar plantation plus amazing landscape scenery and local people .Many tourist love to visit jinja because it houses the source of the Nile and also a variety of many interesting adventure activities like white water rafting and Bungee jumping, other activities in Jinja include quad biking, cycling, boat rides many others. Be the first to visit this place with a self-drive car.
4: Kampala – Masindi road (285 km)
This is a can’t to mention route in Uganda as it connects the main Gulu highway and it’s the shorter route when going to Murchison falls national park which is Uganda’s largest park bio-diversified with a lot of attractions including forest giants like lions, leopard, elephant, buffaloes just to mention but a few., primate species are superb such as chimpanzee can be seen in budongo forest other primate species like the black and white colobus monkey, civet monkey among others are among the primate species inhabit the forest, bird watching activities are breathtaking, what about the beautiful Albert Nile where launch cruise are enjoyed from. Reaching Murchison falls national park takes about 4 hours and 20 minutes(285km) travelling by road.
5: Mbarara –Kabale road (472 km)
This rout links you to the most interesting and visited Uganda national park that’s Bwindi impenetrable national park which is one of the longest journey takes about 7 hours to reach the park passing via Masaka, Mbarara and Kabale. The journey takes you through plentiful trading centers, small towns, parks, local villages, landscapes among other attractions, Bwindi impenetrable national park house endangered mountain gorillas which have attracted a number of travelers to this park, tracking mountain gorillas is one of the most exciting adventurous activities on earth as these giants are only seen in three countries in the world that’s Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic republic of Congo. When at bwindi national park you can easily connect to Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 3-4 hours passing through the famous part of the park known as the Ishasha sector of the park
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