What exactly does a tour guide do?
A tour guide is an all in one.
He is your driver, your guide and the person who keeps everything running smoothly along the way. For you, that leaves one important task: enjoying the beauty around you.
Your tour guide coordinates your entire trip. And we really mean the entire trip, from the moment you are picked up to the moment you are dropped off at the airport. He drives you from A to B, takes you to your activities and is there to pick you up when they are finished.
Our tour guides are trained Ugandans who know the country like the back of their hand. They know the culture, nature and wildlife. They also know what is happening locally and have contacts in villages, towns and national parks. If something goes wrong, there is usually someone nearby who can help.
Imagine getting a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. Your guide knows what to do and where to find help. Or perhaps you are sitting at the lodge having breakfast. Your guide may already be speaking to a ranger, finding out where the lions were last seen so that you have the best chance of seeing them that day. You may not notice any of this happening. That is exactly the point. Everything simply runs smoothly in the background.
But a good tour guide does much more than organise the practical side of your trip. Think of him as a local friend showing you Uganda. He explains what you see, answers your questions and gives you the context that you would otherwise miss. And sometimes, he makes you look at something completely differently. You may find yourself thinking, “Oh, right. I hadn’t seen it that way before.”
The tour guide is a professional – he or she can take care of themselves.
“Won’t having a tour guide feel restrictive? Do we have to take care of him? Does he eat with us?’ These are some of questions we hear quite often. And they are understandable.
But having a guide does not mean having someone with you every minute of the day. You do not have to take care of him. And he will only eat with you if you invite him.
Professional tour guides have a very good sense of who they are traveling with and what the travelers’ needs are. They adapt to that. They can understand when someone needs space, but also when they actually need to offer a little more help.
For instance, if the tour guide is traveling with a young family, he will pay extra attention to the children: regarding the pace of travel and how long an activity lasts.
Regarding accommodation, most lodges have special separate accommodations for tour guides. And that is where they stay. Where guide accommodation is not available, they will stay in a nearby village or community. They are used to having their own space and are perfectly happy to withdraw for a while after a day of travelling.
So, you do not have to worry about making your tour guide comfortable or keeping him entertained. He is a professional and knows how to take care of himself.
At Choose Uganda Safaris, we only work with the very best tour guides.
We only work with a small group of professional, experienced tour guides. We know them personally and have worked with them for a long time. We pay them well and value their work. This ensures that the best, most professional people always accompany you. There are five things you can expect from our guides:
- They communicate easily.
- They are open and approachable.
- They treat people with respect.
- They are proud of Uganda.
- They are open-minded.
Can You drive Yourself in Uganda?
Yes, you can drive yourself in Uganda. But we would not recommend it. Not because you cannot manage the roads, but because you will get much more out of the country with a good local guide beside you. When you drive yourself, a lot of your attention goes into the road, directions and figuring things out along the way. You have to concentrate on where you are going instead of simply enjoying where you are. You may pass a beautiful place, a village or something interesting along the road without ever stopping to take a closer look.
With a tour guide, you can relax. Your guide knows the country and can take you beyond the obvious places. He can introduce you to local people; show you things you would probably drive past and help you understand what you are seeing. He is the link between you and everyday life in Uganda. And then there is the personal side. It regularly happens that visitors say goodbye to the tour guide with a lump in their throat. A very close friendship often develops in a short time.
In short: In short, a good tour guide makes your trip easier, more relaxed and much richer. You see more, understand more and have more time to enjoy Uganda. So, do you also want to go on an adventure through Uganda with a tour guide by your side? Let us know.
