Self drive in Kenya and beyond is one of the safest under-taking you can perform in a life time. By planning a 4×4 off road safari in Kenya, you can easily use 4×4 car rental for adventure and glamour at a go.
Your ideal exploration is made possible and enjoyable by you trusting the right car rental companies to provide all your services for the trip. Starting with your preferred 4×4 vehicle, booking permits for different activities, camping equipment and so much more.
It is guaranteed safety when you choose to indulge in a self drive Kenya adventure as long as you get to follow what ever it takes to be set from following the traffic rules, the driving side, congestion management in some areas in the country, then you are good to go.
Important documents to ensure a safe self drive in Kenya
Safety doesn’t only encompass having a vehicle in a good mechanical condition but also involves having the right documentation as you rent a cheap 4×4 vehicle for an off-road safari in Kenya.
Valid passport: It is important to have a valid passport as a foreigner so as not to be in trouble with law enforcers. One, in addition must have a visa to ensure they legally entered the country.
Valid driver’s license: It is incumbent of a visitor intending to do a self drive in Kenya to have their home-country’s driver’s license. In addition, they must have acquired a valid international passport for temporary use during their stay in Kenya.
Valid National ID: A visitor must have a valid national ID from their country to confirm true citizenship of their country of origin.
Tips for a safe self drive in Kenya
Cash: Enjoyment comes even as you purchase things from the local community so endeavour to carry some cash with you for fuel and other minimal purchases you would like to make along the way.
GPS: It is very important to keep GPS is on when you are areas where network is favourable during your safari. However, for remote areas, endeavour to use offline maps for easy route navigation.
Car conditions: The visitor should ensure the car is in good condition when it is delivered to them by a company representative. Such as checking for tyre pressure, brake fluid, coolant among others to ensure its smooth running. When you book a trip with a trusted company, it is guaranteed safety for our cars are very well maintained.
Driving at night: During a self drive or off-road safari, there are remote areas in Kenya that have no street lights and so a visitor can have tough time to navigate to their destination. There fore is advisable not to drive at night, especially when doing a self drive, for safety purposes.
Road conditions: The roads in Kenya are very different, some good, some moderate and others rough and with inevitable potholes. Good roads are normally found in the country’s major cities. However, during rains, some roads are flood so visitors need to be ware of the muddy roads that become slippery and hard to navigate.
Wild life encounters: when a visitor intends to drive in areas with animals as tourist attractions, they are always likely to have encounters with lions, elephants, buffalos and other mammals. So, the tourists must keep a good distance from the animals for safety and also follow the park guidelines.
Speed limits: As you embark on a self-drive safari in Kenya, you must know that different roads in Kenya have different speed limits and it is highly safe to flow them to ensure a successful trip. For example,
In national parks: 25-40km/h
On high ways: 80km/h
Towns: 40km/h
In addition, visitors doing self drive need to be ware of pedestrians and motor cycles that are very many and some do not know how follow traffic lights and emerge from any where.
Cars for a safe self drive in Kenya
Hiace safari van
This long vehicle can be rented from any 4×4 car rental company as it is suitable for self drive for those in large numbers. It has a diesel engine for balance and power efficiency. It has a transmission of 9-12 km/l. Its fuel economy is highly influenced by one’s driving style, the weight of load carried and terrain.
It has a seating capacity of up to 14 persons, making it a good alternative for those intending to explore Kenya in an enjoyable manner.
This is another alternative for those families that want friends to come along to adventuring in Kenya. A land cruiser hard top has seating capacity of 5-12 persons depending on the model and can be rented at
This hard top has a fuel consumption of 10-14 litres per 100 kilometres depending on the engine and driving conditions. It further has a fuel capacity of 90-130 litres depending on the model.
Toyota RAV4
This compact SUV is highly recommended for families intending to have a self-drive adventure in Kenya. The engine makes it have the best fuel consumption of 1 litre per 10-11 kilometres. Has a seating capacity of four for the two door models and 5 for the four-door model.
The vehicle has fully reclining front bucket seats and a versatile split rear bench seat that can fold forward for extra cargo space.
This is a 4×4 is highly recommended for a self drive in Kenya with a fuel consumption capacity of 1/8km with a capacity of 90 litres and a high ground clearance that makes it easy to navigate rough terrain commonly found in national parks, with out the under carriage of the vehicle getting damaged.