Enjoying Road Trips: Part 1: Questions to ask

My family has lived in Kampala since I was four months old, so Kampala is where I consider my base to be. However, I did my Medical School in Mbarara, internship in Gulu, and have worked in Tororo, Jinja and Katakwi. I’ve done bus trips for study and pleasure to Nairobi, Moshi, Dar-es-Salaam, Bagamwoyo and  Mombasa. The project I’m currently working on covers 48 districts, most of which I have visited a number of times over the past two years. I therefore consider myself something of a guru in road trips.

With Kampala based companies opening upcountry offices more people are finding themselves in jobs that require frequent upcountry trips, usually by road. For many, the idea of a road trip is still daunting. But worry not; I believe the past 15years on the road have taught me some things, so allow me to share with you tips and tricks to make those upcountry road trips as pleasant as a stroll to the neighbourhood grocery store.  

Like most things in life, preparation is key to an enjoyable road trip. There will be the occasional emergency dash upcountry, but hopefully this is the exception, not the norm. Hopefully you will have early warning of an upcoming trip that allows you ample time to prepare adequately for it.

So, in preparation for our upcoming road trip of which we’ve been informed well in advance, here are some questions to ask ourselves:

-What is the purpose of trip? This might sound like a no-brainer, but you will be surprised. Knowing the purpose of the trip helps you to plan what kind of clothes and non-clothing items to carry. A visit to an upcountry regional site might require formal clothes if there is a ceremony planned or more casual field garb. You might need specific equipment either for a presentation or to replenish or replace field supplies, without which  you will have travelled so far for nothing. 

-What is the weather at my destination? Uganda is beautiful in its diversity. One corner of the country could be blistering hot and another not so far away is freezing. Find out the prevalent weather conditions, and the expected weather for the period that you plan to be there. I’ve seen people shivering for a week in Mbarara simply because they came from Kampala during the dry season. During my last trip to Mbale, I found that I had too many warm clothes since I had packed based on past experience, not checking the expected weather for that week. Some apps like AccuWeather and The Weather Channel are very helpful in this regard.

-What facilities are available at my destination? Find out about guest houses or hotels, and services offered (bed only, meals, bed and breakfast, laundry) eating places, banks, ATMs and anything else that you might need to make your stay comfortable. 

-How far away is my destination and for how long might I be in transit? This helps you plan what time to depart and what you might need during the trip, such as food, water or bathroom breaks. On my part, I prefer to arrive at a place with at least an hour of daylight remaining. That means when traveling to Jinja from Kampala, I am comfortable leaving at 4pm, but traveling to Mbale or Mbarara, I want to leave by midday or latest 2pm. Hand in hand with that, I find it more prudent to allow more travel time to a place I have not been before. If using public means, one needs to factor in the time lost in waiting for the vehicle to fill as well as stops to drop off and pick up passengers.

-For how long am I at that destination? You do not want to run out of clean clothes because you are at this place longer than you had prepared for. I try to have at least one extra change of clothes beyond the number of days planned, just in case. Getting to know the facilities at your destination beforehand can also inform you whether you could access laundry services when needed.

-What is my means of transport? A lot depends on whether you are using public or private means of transport. If using public means, you probably want to travel light, and expect an extended transit period with very little control over stops. If you are using private means you might have more liberty with how much luggage you can carry and more control over the frequency and duration of stops.

-What are my needs? Consider things like: how frequently do you need to eat? How much do you need to drink? How well do you hold your water? How strong is your stomach? Do you get car sick? You do not want to be the one constantly asking for a stop to buy a snack or a drink. If your stomach is on the more sensitive side, you might want to have prepacked snacks and drinks and leave the roadside chicken for those with combined harvester stomachs. An upset stomach definitely makes for the worst road trip experience.

-Who am I traveling with? If you are traveling in a group, it helps to know who your companions are beforehand. I have been on trips before where some 30 minutes into the trip a call is received that someone has been left behind, simply because they didn’t communicate earlier that they were part of the group. It also helps to plan beforehand in case some members of the group need special consideration such as  traveling with a child, needing extra leg room or needing special stops.

-Who do I know at the destination? This could help with things such as pick-up from the taxi/bus park, booking for accommodation, having a meal waiting for you or simply a person to keep track of your journey. You might not know anyone in that area, but you can leverage relational capital to have a friend of a friend be your destination contact. I have done this on several occassions and it makes for very smooth landing.  

What other questions do you think are necessary to ask oneself in preparation for a road trip? Please let me know in the comments below.
In Part 2, we will see what to do with the answers we have got to these many questions.