Budget Safaris in Uganda
The best Budget Safaris in Uganda: No experience beats the feeling of rising to the sound of a roaring lion at a distance or becoming up close with the herds of Cape buffaloes, elephants, or antelopes through Uganda’s wilderness. However, just the thought of undertaking a safari in Uganda spells costliness and simply spending overnights at a private Safari Lodge will possibly use up a mammoth portion of your overall safari budget. And yet, it is very possible to enjoy the trip and even return with the most memorable experiences that are worth the cost.
One of the important things to note is that these private Safari lodges offer more than just a place to sleep after your wildlife viewing experience but have numerous additions in the price that include mouth-watering food, extraordinary and secluded accommodation as well as walks close to the Lodge. For this reason, while you are staying at these Safari Lodges, less money will be spent except for Park activities, drinks as well and shopping/souvenirs. However, budget safaris in Uganda are possible through;
Taking advantage of the low season rates
One of the ways of enjoying budget safaris in Uganda is by taking advantage of the low season rates, thus getting more value for your hard-earned money. If it is possible to be flexible with your travel to Uganda, then make it in the wet months because they are the low season with numerous places of lodging offering low-season discounts.
The wet season in Uganda runs from March until May and again from October to November. However, traveling at this time of the year comes with several challenges that include more challenging walks resulting from muddy and slippery hiking trails for travelers interested in chimpanzee treks, gorilla trekking tours, mountain climbing, and guided forest/nature walks. For tourists planning to enjoy game viewing in the savannah Parks (Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Kidepo Valley National Parks), expect poor visibility of animals that tend to hide in the tall grasses but the activity still goes on regardless.
During the low season in Uganda, travelers are likely to find superb rates for the private places of lodging that remain open even during the rains thus offering the opportunity to get a luxury safari at a fraction of the entire high season cost. Therefore, if the African game is your primacy and your travel budget sits toward the budget side of the scale, then the low season of Uganda is the perfect time to undertake your trip.
Staying at Budget accommodation facilities
Uganda’s safari destinations have a wonderful range of affordable or budget places of lodging. However, these places may not be of a small budget, they offer almost similar services as the more costly ones at a trimmed percentage of the total cost. If you are travelling to Uganda primarily for game viewing, then you will never go wrong with some of the budget safari Lodges. Visitors to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can stay at Bwindi View Bandas, Rushaga Gorilla Haven, Buhoma Community Guesthouse, Bwindi Backpackers Lodge, Crane Hotel, Bwindi, or any budget hotel in Kabale, and Lake Bunyonyi.
For budget safaris to Murchison Falls National Park, travelers can stay at Murchison Backpackers Hostel, Red Chili Camp, Heritage Safari Lodge, Parkside Safari Lodge, and Hornbill Bush Lodge; while those in Queen Elizabeth National Park can stay at Simba Safari Camp, Pumba Safari cottages, Tembo Safari Lodge, Mweya Hostels and tents at Bush Lodge. Much as the budget places of lodging are not as exquisite and polished as the luxurious or midrange options, expect great food and value for money as well as a world-class game viewing experience like any other visitor.
Search for different special offers
Another way to enjoy budget safaris in Uganda is by looking at the special offers by different Tour Operators or even Hotels in Uganda. For instance, some Tour Operators offer one or two nights in a secluded hotel if you book longer safaris and therefore always search for these special deals.
Road transfers to safari destinations
Road transfers instead of flying into the safari destination or booked place of lodging is another excellent way to enjoy budget safaris in Uganda, because costs will be kept down. With road transfers, you will enjoy the services of an experienced driver guide for the duration of your safari in addition to being your guide during game drives. Booking flights for each person on your safari is quite expensive yet with a road trip, the costs of hiring the vehicle will be shared among each person on the safari.
Alternatively, you can save more costs when you use public transportation to the nearby Towns of National Parks because there is no direct public transportation for Park entry gates but you will be saving a great deal of money for other things needed during your budget safari in Uganda.
Top destinations for budget safaris in Uganda
Budget safaris in Uganda are possible when you visit some of the country’s top safari destinations including;
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Budget safaris in Uganda are incomplete without visits to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where travelers can book unforgettable gorilla trekking experiences, guided forest walks, birding tours, or village/community tours. This Park is known for sheltering the highest concentration of mountain gorillas and undoubtedly has the highest number of habituated gorilla families and trekking permits.
Murchison Falls National Park
This is another excellent choice for budget safaris in Uganda because while here, there are endless opportunities to discover the wilderness through activities such as game viewing, walking safaris, bird watching, hot air balloon tours, and boat cruises where some of the 76 mammal species, 451 bird species and so much more.
Kibale Forest National Park
For chimpanzee trekking during budget safaris in Uganda, travelers visit Kibale Forest National Park on the western side of the country. This is known as the Primate Capital of East Africa with over 13 species that include the endangered chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, and many others.
Other outstanding places to explore during your budget safari in Uganda are Lake Mburo National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Sipi Falls, Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks among others.
