Most travelers love the privacy of taking self-drive trips in Africa where they just hire a safari vehicle and drive themselves to any destination they prefer. But for first-time travelers, there are several reasons why you should consider hiring a car with a driver/guide than going on a self-drive safari you will never have enough knowledge about the destination you visit than the locals, so for the first-time traveler to Africa, a local guide/driver is needed for the best safari and safety.
Guided tours have changed from just a simple walk with locals of the destination you have visited more intricate and detailed drives covering extensive areas with specialists on flora and fauna guiding your attention to things you shouldn’t miss. There is a slight difference between guided tours and self-drive tours and the main difference is during a guided tour the clients always have a tour guide with them and an organized itinerary they follow and on a self-drive safari, the tourist can just hire a safari vehicle for a certain period of time and drive themselves to any destination they want to explore. Though self-drive tours offer a lot of freedom and privacy compared to guided tours, but tourists can’t be ensured answers to the questions.
Normal guided tours include customized or preset itineraries that cover the entire safari from the day of arrival at the airport to departure and there is also another option where the tourist can organize everything by him or herself and you just hire a car with a guide to be guided throughout the safari.
In this post, we intended to discuss the benefits of hiring a safari car and driver/guide so that when organizing your road trip to Uganda you choose wisely.
Safety
Since everyone takes his life as a first priority, even on a safari every one wants to be safe and the guides who go with you are not just with you to drive you and point at animals but also to keep you safe on the safari. Some visitors who take self-drive tours sometimes do things in the presence of animals which can put them in danger, though sometimes they do it unknowingly. The guides can advise you on the proper behavior within the sight of the animals in the national parks since the tour guides are well experienced and have enough information about all animals and their behaviors.
Route
One of the main points of interest in hiring a vehicle and driver/guide is that you don’t need to carry maps, GPS, or stress over where to take the next turn. You are given a knowledgeable driver who won’t just drive you to and from your desired destinations, but additionally continue informing you about your location and even the time you remain to reach your destination. This leaves you with only the task of sitting back and enjoying your trip, watching animals, and drinking in the raw panorama unfolding before you.
Interaction
Somewhere on a safari, you may want to take the park and learn more about African culture. For instance, some tourists who come to Uganda and visit the eastern part of the country specifically in the Mbale region get excited to witness the Imbalu (male circumcision) ceremony held by the Bagishu. This could be so difficult to enjoy this Imbalu ceremony in case you are on a self-drive safari because you will not have any way to communicate with the locals due to the language problem. But when you are on a guided safari, your tour guide will help you interact with the local people to get first-hand information about African culture and they will also help take part in some cultural activities like dances.
Trained, insightful, and knowledgeable guides
It is extremely normal for the undisciplined eye to miss the sight of animals or things that could be a part of intrigue but, for a professional guide, it is very easy to point out a leopard covered in tree branches or to track the location of the hard of animals. Local guides always know the areas completely and always know where to which animal at what time. This saves you a lot of time driving around simply hopping to see animals by possibility or luckiness.