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Reserve parking is one of kind of a hurdle task especially for newly graduated drivers. The whole thing of reserve parking seems to be complex for the driver since whenever they try to command the car goes to the opposite side. it would even cause one problems in case he or she has just rented a car for instance for a self drive Tour Uganda.

Reserving parking is one of the aspects of driving that is put into details when learning to drive but still it becomes an issue for many drivers.

This is a very technical task because a driver does not visibly see where the car is moving but only use the side mirrors to tell the direction of the car. More to that the car has to be squeezed in a small space that is normally left in between the other cars in the parking lot.

To get rid of the havoc that has been bothering you all the time, here we bring the tips to reserve park the easiest way possible:

Why Reverse Parking Is More Preferable?

Many drivers who aren’t comfortable with reserve park, they would rather park upfront in that they dodge what seems to be their nightmare. The upfront park is okay but when you learn reserve park driving becomes a vacation for you.

Above all reserve parking commands convenience and visibility while exiting the parking lot. You are granted safety since you have a clear view of what is coming from the road like the pedestrians and other vehicles.

Think of it when you get an urgent call and you would like to drive off straight to attend to the call and then you put again reserving the car and keeping a keen eye on other parties on the road. This leads to time waste and through the rush and tussle, you can easily cause an accident.

How reserve parking works:

Most cars driven in Uganda are old model where by one has to look through the side mirrors to reserve park the car. It is best for you to unfasten the seat belt to easy move your body while looking through the side mirror. It is also commendable to physically look behind through your driver seat.

For the new model cars, the reserve parking is a bit easy due to the technology encrypted. This has back camera monitor and a parking assist system that can easily make your reserve without any hassle.

Steps to proper reserve park

1. The first step is to look for ample space to where a certain car you are driving will fit. The parking lots normally have designated places for small and big vehicles. So check out for the space where your car will fit.
2. Secondly get let’s say the end points of your parking space are named point 1,2,3,4 where your left side is 1,2 and the right side are 3,4. Get the car to the right side and ensure that car’s rear bumper is in front of point 3.
3. Next step, look around to see if there is no car or person close to you or coming through the side mirrors. Then turn on the emergency or double indicator button to set a warning that you are reserving or parking in the back space.
4. The fourth step is to know the surrounding is clear and get to the reserve gear. Get to the wheel to the right side to get into the space while reserving. You should also keep an eye on the outside.
5. Keep reversing onto the left side till point 3 appears. Use as the focal point to direct the car into the far end of the space.Keep moving into the space till point 1 is seen in the left side mirror as you keep looking through both side mirror. when all the lines look parallel in the mirror, straighten up the steering wheel.
6. Keeping moving while the steering wheel is straight till you reach the far end and then shift the gear in to parking.

That is how easy reverse parking is! It should never worry you again.

In a lesser developed country like Uganda, driving is a very challenging task to do especially in a cold weather. Other than the muddy and narrow roads, the car can also get physical and mechanical problems. It is best to be alert of any arising hiccup when driving in cold weather.

One of the commonest problems that occur to a car in the cold weather is failure of the car to start.  it is really frustrating to wake up in the morning, trying to start off your journey and then the engine fails to start. The worst bit of it is when the driver literally green about the mechanical operation of the car. This brings so much panic and frustration henceforth ruining your mood of the entire day.

Uganda is regarded as relatively a hot country and the aforementioned problem is very minimal. Though the problem of the car not starting in the cold weather in Uganda is marginal, this is more likely to happen in some parts of Uganda especially in the western and southern part of the country where the temperatures are very low in the wet season.

And also there are cold streaks in the morning in almost each and every part of the country.  The western and southern part of Uganda that get the cold weather are one of the most visited parts of the country by tourists since they have lots of tourist attractions like the wildlife parks.

The tourists usually take up 4×4 car hire Uganda to drive on their own to the different national parks. Thereby this guide on starting a car in cold weather would help them when they experience any difficulties and also other drivers who may face the problem.

Turn Off The Car Completely.

When you realize that you are likely to park the car in cold weather for some good time, ensure that you completely turn off everything in the car.

Every single electric device that uses the battery should be turned off from the lighting system, radio to the heater. Electric devices drain the battery and in cold weather it’s normally at its weakest level of operation.

More to the above, when starting the car in the cold weather ensure that you let the engine run first alone so that the battery gets energized and then turn on the other systems.

Look Out For The Battery Leads

Before getting to the car to start off your journey, get to the car hood and check on the battery area. Normally in the cold weather the battery cable get some salty white substance that weakens the current flow to get to the systems that use electricity.

In case you find the substance clean it up and put back the battery cables and then start off the engine. You should also tighten the battery clippers.

For A manual Car Dip The Clutch While Turning On The Car Engine

This is one of the commonest tip used by drivers of manual cars when it fails to start. Dipping the clutch while starting the engine reduces the work the battery is supposed to do in starting the car.

You should know most of the car start failure are brought up by issues connected to the battery. So if the work of the battery is minimized at the start of the car then the car will ignite easily.

 A car is a mechanic machine used to speed up transportation of people and luggage. In Uganda, different cars are used and basically 4×4 wheel cars are highly demanded for successful safaris.

Cars that are high demand include safari land cruiser, 4×4 safari van, Toyota coasters and  more. Hiring a car depends on a number of tourist. There are 4 seat, 7 seat and Toyota Hiarce which is for 10 pax.

Terms and conditions are considered while hiring a car in Uganda so that the business partners equally benefits. Below are the car rental terms and conditions to be followed when hiring a car in Uganda.

The client has to present a valid identification card. This can easily enable the hire identify him or her and get to know he is dealing with a right person.

The Identity card should be in form of a national ID or a valid passport which in any theft or accident issues, it’s easier for the car provider to trace the client.

In addition the client should present a valid driving license which shows that he is eligible to driving. For the foreign clients, their driving permits should be in either English, French which are easily understood by the authorities.

Sometimes car hirers get cars from different car rental companies in case their cars are all out in the field and yet clients are on high demand of cars especially in high seasons.

For him or her to  acquire any vehicle in a rental company, he or she has to agree and sign on the agreement issued that in case of any damage , he or she has to compensate for the losses.

There should be a full payment of the fee to the car hire company for the service. The client should pay the full amount of money agreed upon before setting off for his or her safari.

He or she can make the payments before the day of pick up or the actual day to pick up the car. The payment should be done through electronic transfers or cash and this should be of the accepted currency such as dollars, shillings, Euros and pound sterling.

All the cars that are rented to the clients have comprehensive insurance that covers for all the damages that occur accidentally.  If the client damages the car intentionally due to careless driving, according to the signed agreement.

There is a certain payment he has to do to repair the damage and here the insurance company is not responsible. The damages that occur to the driver and clients in the car are not catered for the in the insurance

The hirer must inform you about the duration he or she is to be using the car. In the process he or she must present his itinerary disclosing the destination and purpose of the tour.

This will enable a hire to know where exactly his car is going and will be easier to track the car basing on the itinerary.

The client should not exceed the agreed duration and if he decides to extend his or her safari should inform the car hirer.

There should not be a third party involved in the business. In short terms, the client should come pick up the car on his own. He or she should not send someone else to pick it on his before.

He or she should be present at the rental point where the delivery boy handles over the car.

The car should be used for the rightful purpose indicated on the agreement made between a car provider and the client hiring the car. The client is not supposed to use the car for other purposes that are not indicated in the agreement such as using it as a taxi for transportation of passengers and make delivery service with the intention of making money.

A car can never move without fuel. Fuel is very crucial for a vehicle to operate. it is very important for a driver to know about the fuel tank capacity.Henceforth every driver needs to know something about the fuel tank capacity especially people (travelers) who rent cars to travel around Uganda. The level of fuel in the car is normally detected by looking at the fuel gauge at the dash board. When the fuel tank is full, the hand at the fuel gauge will get up at the “F” and it will get down at the “E” if the fuel tank is almost empty. The fuel light will also get on warning you that you are running out of fuel.

Knowing the car’s fuel tank capacity

The fuel tank is interconnected to the engine system but found at the basement of the car. The average fuel tank of the car can be 45-90 liters though the sport utility vehicles and the large trucks have a larger fuel tank opposed to that of the small cars.

Nowadays, most of the cars made have one chamber of the fuel tank. It is only the older models and long distance tracks that have two chambers that is the primary chamber (the normal fuel tank) and the secondary tank (the reserve tank). The reserve tank is smaller and is only 15% of the primary chamber.

The amount of fuel to fill in the tank

One can easily know the maximum amount or quantity of fuel needed in your car by simply looking at the fuel inlet cap as there are writings. For vehicles with reserve tanks, 15% of the primary tank is the maximum.  The driver should always leave 5 to 10 liters of fuel in the reserve and this can be determined by the fuel light coming. When you drive on an empty tank, it is likely to damage the engine and more so stop functioning.

There is also a question asked by many drivers,” is it possible to put more fuel beyond the tank capacity?”

This is totally wrong; one should always put the maximum fuel capacity as indicated on the tank. You cannot simply put 60 liters of fuel into a 50 fuel capacity tank. The tank also needs the right volume of fuel to let the free flow of fuel into the engine. If it is floated, there will be no space for aeration and thus leading to vapor locking and in the end damaging the engine.

Distance driven when the fuel light on

The fuel light coming on situation has ever happened to almost every driver of an automobile. Though different driver react different; as there are those that simply panic and rush to the next fuel gas station while others simply drive on. In real sense, when the fuel light comes one, it means that the fuel has reached the reserve level which is around 10%-15% of the full tank, there is no need to panic. One can still drive on for about 5kms. However, it is not good to drive on a dry tank as this weakens the engine since it could be taking in less fuel than the usual one.

Cars require for critical care to operate for a long time. Drivers make mistakes that damage the cars. These  automobiles have become part of us since they ease the movement of people and goods from one place to another.

But cars are not immortal, they have a lifespan and they need to be taken care of to do a good job for the travelers. There have been arguments and debates of how to prolong the life of your car or maintain it in a proper state.

Different views have been aired by travelers though the results have been far from convincing to all car users. Every traveler has his/her opinion about keeping the car alive and in proper state.

As we have previously state there are no clears solutions of keeping the car in its proper state for a long time but here are some of the mistakes car users do to damage the car.

Using Cheap Quality Gas/Fuel

There are different kinds of fuel sold at the gas stations. For instance for the cars that have engines that operate on petrol gas, they can use the common petrol and V Power gas. But these two kinds of gas vary in quality and price.

The V power gas is of good quality and high price so the drivers choose the common petrol which at times damages the engine faster. There are also incidents where petrol stations sell cheap gas, these cheap stations normally add foreign components in the fuel that damage to the car engines. It is best to buy fuel at reputable stations like Shell and Total

Using Inappropriate Parts

Like any operating machine, some of the car parts get damaged or worn out while driving or in case of an accident and they need replacement. Some drivers make a mistake and replace them with cheap inappropriate ones.

In the due course the main car parts like the engine, gear box and lighting system get damaged. It is best to replace worn out part or damage ones with genuine or exact replicas.

Heavy Foot On The Brakes

Brakes are one of the parts of the car that get easily worn out if not handled well. Any driver should steadily press on the brakes. Exacting too much weight on the brakes, makes them worn out easily and damaging them.

Improper Alignment Of The wheels

Wheel alignment is one of most important task to do on a car. When the wheels are not balanced well, they damages lots of parts of the car like the tires, ball joints and the zs. It is commendable to take your car regularly to the wheel alignment machine to fix the wheel imbalances.

Taking Long to Service The Car

Servicing of the car is all about checking and making some amendments in the operating/engine system of the car and this should be done regularly since the fluids (oil, water, coolant and hydraulic) eventually get finished when the car is into use for some time.

On the contrary some people just drive without taking the car for service at the right time. The car must be serviced when it covers about 5000km of mileage.

Resting Hand On The Gear Shifter

This applies to the manual car where the gear shifter is often used. Due to the over use of the gears they get worn out easily if you mistakenly prolong holding the stick.

You should avoid resting hands on the shifter to avoid the transmission components troubles.

Accelerating In Cold Engine

Some people a mistake of starting the car at full acceleration which is normally called accelerating in cold engine. You should first allow the engine to get some combustion or heat up for a little while before you setoff in full acceleration.

Driving Car Without Fuel

One of the prime causes of damaging the car life is driving the car on very little fuel. Some people drive the car till the fuel light starts blinking. Remember the car operates at its full strength when there is enough fuel.

Carelessly Driving Through The Potholes

One of the causes of damaging the suspension of the car is driving the car in raged and pothole roads. Some drivers make this mistake and drive the car reckless through the potholes thus causing the damaging of the car suspension. This eventually reduces the life of the car.

Dull Driving

When the car is not driven regularly, there will be a downward in its life. For instance, some parts may get rusty and also the battery dies out if it is not put into use.

Not washing it regularly

The cleanness of the car also matters to its life. Many onlookers look at the appearance of the car. However some car users tend not to clean their cars and then dust takes its toll all over the car. The dust blocks the aeration system and also leaves stains on the car which makes the car look not appealing.

The above advice is so helpful for travelers who hire out cars for long term rentals in Uganda. It is great to adhere to these tips to keep the car in shape. When you return the car in good condition, you will have a great relationship with the Uganda car rental service provider.

Car overheats is a very common problem in Africa (Uganda) because of the hot weather we experience and old vehicles that we drive.  Over heart of a car is a very challenging and disturbing problem as this may result into the engine failure of the car or even explosion of it. It must be addressed immediately if detected.

Many people hire cars in Uganda for self drive safari but don’t know what to do when the car overheats. This problem is likely to offer to very many travellers who hire cars to visit places like the national park due to the fact the national parks in Uganda are located in the far remote areas. Henceforth driving a long distance, the car is likely to heat at any time if precautions are not undertaken.

We bring to you remedies to use when the car overheats;

Turn the air conditioner off

Every system in the car is attached to the engine so when you realize that the car is overheating immediately turn off the air conditioner system since it regulates temperature. Let the car operate on the usual temperature around it. By also taking off the air conditioner, the engine is relived of the loads of work it is doing. You should open the windows to hasten the process.

Switch on The Heater And Blower

If the heating persist after switching off the air conditioner then turn on the heater and the blower. It looks weird but this normally allows the heat to get away from the engine to inside the car. It will get hotter inside the car but it will save your engine from blowing out.

Burn The Engine While In Idle

This is also another creepy decision but it works as well. When the temperatures of the car raise while in traffic, get the gear into park or neutral and press the gas pedal slowly.  This act speeds up the fun and the water pump, pulling more air and water through the radiator. Both the water and air circulation aid the cooling off the engine.

Stop Driving And Wait

It is best to stop driving the car and park it in a safe place if you detect the engine is about to boil over. Open the bonnet of the car but don’t open the radiator cap since the coolant or water in it is very hot and might get on to your hands thus burning you up. Wait till for some good time and pour water if you want the engine to get back to the normal temperatures.

Precaution tips

Why would you wait for the car to start heating up and then come up with remedies to stop. It is best for you to try to come up with measures to avoid it from overheating.

First the traveller must make sure that the car is serviced well. It has all the necessary fluids for example oil, hydraulic fluid, coolant and water

The driver should always check the coolant or water levels in the radiator regularly especially those on a self drive safari. Long distances normally burn out the water in the radiator.

While driving the car for long distances, ensure that you have some stop overs after every 100kms. With the stop over, the engines gets some relive from burning.

There are many things that can be done on any Ugandan road trip since Uganda is blessed with lots of attractions to enjoy while on a road trip. The things to do in Uganda are some of the most unique and famous to do in world.

You can enjoy a lot in the country including the snow-capped mountains of the moon, boat cruises, Lake Bunyonyi and its views, mountain gorillas and many more.

Even though Uganda is mostly known for mountain gorilla trekking, it’s a very unique safari destination with small bit of everything to offer. This is the main reason why many people prove that Uganda is the pearl of Africa.

1. Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi impenetrable national park in Uganda; Half of the population of gorillas resides in Uganda, this is something not to be missed.Over 400 gorillas, 11 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi and 1 group in Mgahinga Gorilla national park. The mountain gorillas are on the must do and see list of most tourists to Uganda. Alongside gorilla trekking, you can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, interactive cultural walks with the Batwa people as well as birding.
2. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda; You can enjoy a one day Ngamba safari, 2 days chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest. The trekking is also done in Murchison falls and also in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park as well as Kibale national park.Kibale Forest is believed to have the highest number of the primates in Africa. The park has got 13 primate species, including the rare red colombus, L’Hoest’s monkeys.

   You can spend an hour observing man’s closest relatives. You might consider spending more time with the chimps with the habituation experience. This is a whole day habituation experience and can be done in Kibale National Park.

3. Murchison falls national park boat cruises and the game drives, visit top of the waterfalls, Zziwa Rhino sanctuary and Budongo Forest walk; the park is in north of Uganda is so amazing.This national offers one of the best all round safari experiences in Uganda. You get to hike down the cliffs of the Murchison falls for the incredible views of the Nile as it explodes through a narrow rocky gap in the gorge, to extend on wards on its long journey to the Mediterranean.

   There is also the Nile cruise to the falls with wildlife in abundance on the shores is so remarkable. Get to visit Ziwa Rhino reserve and also do chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest.

4. The tree climbing lions of Ishasha plains and a game drive; there are only two places in the whole world to find the tree climbing lions, these Ishasha plains is one of them and other tree climbing lions found in Tanzania. You can track them on a stand-alone safari or a mixed safari with other places of interest.
5. Get to visit Kidepo valley National park for game safaris, scenic viewing, Karamajong pastoral communities as well as culture. This lost valley in the north east, along the Sudanese border, has the most wonderful scenery of any protected area in Uganda.There is the rolling, short grass savanna of the 1442 sq km Kidepo valley national park was named by CNN as one of the best national parks in Uganda.
6. Queen Elizabeth national park and Kazinga channel launch cruise; this is one of the most popular parks in Uganda filled with wildlife and birds. There also activities like chimpanzee tracking, the tree climbing lions, Kazinga channel where you can see the hippos and crocodiles as you cruise along the shores seeing viewing many birds and lots of wildlife.The volcanic craters  offer a magical sight as well as the Rwenzori mountains. This is a perfect park where 5 or 6 days, you can pay a visit to the mountain gorillas.
7. Lake Mburo National Park is another attraction that can’t be missed on any self-drive safari in Uganda. Get chance to see the big cape buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, impalas, elands, Topis, warthogs, on any game drive in the park.The many highlight of the park is the boat safari on the Lake with the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger, where you will see many hippos, crocodiles, see the eagles and many other animals. The park can easily be visited when you are coming from Kampala and you make a stopover to see a lots of wildlife.

The above six attractions can be enjoyed on any road trip in Uganda, however Uganda ; the pearl of Africa has got a lot to offer to those that visit it.

Though the number of manual transmission cars are gradually decreasing per year, some old school people or even people who love challenge still yearn to drive them.

It really takes some craft to drive a manual transmission. In Uganda, people who normally drive manual transmission cars are considered experts and many people would love to be attached to the attribute. Henceforth some people still rent them for  Uganda self-drive safaris.

By knowing the nature of the road transport system of Uganda, it really takes some work to drive a manual transmission car especially when you are visitor.

Here is a guide to drive a manual car for visitors or tourists in Uganda

Know Your Way Around

A manual transmission requires a diver to act by shifting the gears as per the driving situation is in. it is best for a driver to know and anticipate the situation he/she might get in while on the road other than being caught off guard. Manual car is driven by instincts and technical know-how.

Know where the pedals are

Most of the manual transmission cars the pedal are down, the gas pedal or accelerator on the right in the middle the brake and clutch on the left. The clutch helps in shifting gears and keeping the engine on especially when the gas pedal is not pressed.

The brakes are for stopping the car and the gas pedal or accelerator for the car movement. But the technicality on the clutch pedal is- some of the are hard to press while other are soft so one needs to find that balance while driving a manual car.

Starting the engine

Starting the manual transmission car engine is very tricky. Some experts say that the driver should first put the gear shift in neutral then the engine hits while pressing the clutch and put off your foot gradually on it as you get the other on the gas pedal as shift the gear to the number one.

The popular one is press the clutch and the brake as you get to gear number one then put your foot off the clutch pedal gradually as you press the gas pedal. When the car starts moving then put your foot completely off on the clutch pedal and then good to go.

Parking

Parking is one of the easiest thing to do while driving a manual transmission. All you have to do is; as you nearing to park the car get your foot on the clutch and the brake and then shift the gear to one. The car should always park in gear one.

Back pain is one of the most worrying problems people who drive cars face. This comes as a result poor sitting posture, bad seats and also sitting for long hours while driving. Back pain is really some discomfort that can even go for a lifetime. This is a major problem for long distance travelers since they spend long hours while seated.

Many people who rent cars in Uganda go for self drive safaris to different national parks that are located far away from the city. After the safari, many complain about back pain and here are the 5 tips to drive without back pain.

Have some breaks while driving

Driving a car for a long distance is a very hard task that comes with immerse fatigue for both the mental and physical faculties. It is advisable to take some refreshment breaks for 10-30 minutes. When having a break do some stretching of the limbs and the entire, have some drink and a bite. It is best if you take breaks after every two hours of driving.

Make some stretching as many times as possible

While the seated, the human body system is not at its full operation and thus leading to the contraction of most muscles in the body. Most of the times, muscle contractions come with body discomfort or pain. Therefore while driving get some time to stretch your muscles or body to avoid contraction thus avoiding back pain. You can even stretch in your car while in traffic jam. There are very many stretching ways when sitting.

Carry an ice pack with you

Ice is one of the best reliever of pain. When you place ice on a hurting place especially caused by body inner complications like muscle contraction and body malfunction, it relieves it instantly. It commendable to carry an ice pack in the trunk to treat yourself in case of body hurting problems like back pain arise.

Ensure that your car seat is in the correct position

As the car is driven, the seat is likely to shift its position over some period of time. Therefore, when getting to a self drive safari ensure that you put the seats in their right position or your favored position.

Getting the right position of the seat is one of the most effective remedy of preventing a back pain as most of the back problems come with bad seating posture.

The ideal seat position in car is the angle between the back of your seat and the base of your seat should be between 110-130 degrees.

A good seat position can help a traveler prevent more that 50% of back pain while traveling.

Do body exercise regularly

This is not something that should be tipped off to any human being. It is mandatory for every person to do some work out since the body needs some stretching to burn some fats and expand some muscle to be at full strength to operate well. If you do body exercises regularly, you are likely not to have body pain.