Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in southwestern Uganda. It’s home to over 400 mountain gorillas, making it one of the best places in the world for gorilla trekking. With a car rental, you can easily get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and explore the area. The park also offers other activities such as bird watching, hiking, and cultural experiences.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Uganda. It’s located in southwestern Uganda and offers a diverse range of wildlife, including elephants, lions, hippos, and chimpanzees. With a car rental, you can easily drive through the park and see the wildlife up close. There are also boat tours available on the Kazinga Channel, which is home to a large concentration of hippos and crocodiles.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park – Lions

Murchison Falls National Park is located in northern Uganda and is known for its stunning waterfall. The park offers a range of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, and lions. With a rental car, you can easily explore the park and see the wildlife. The park also offers boat tours on the Nile River, which is a great way to see the wildlife and the waterfall.

Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi is a beautiful lake located in southwestern Uganda. It’s known for its stunning scenery and is a popular destination for swimming, kayaking, and hiking. With a car rental, you can easily get to Lake Bunyonyi and explore the area. There are also a number of resorts and lodges around the lake, making it a great place to stay.

Jinja

Jinja is a town located on the shores of Lake Victoria in eastern Uganda. It’s known as the adventure capital of Uganda and offers a range of activities such as white water rafting, bungee jumping, and kayaking. With a car rental, you can easily get to Jinja and explore the area. There are also a number of resorts and lodges in the area, making it a great place to stay.

Kibale National Park

Chimpanzees Kibale Forest National Park – Uganda

Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda and is known for its chimpanzee population. The park offers chimpanzee trekking, which is a great way to see these amazing primates up close. With a car rental, you can easily get to Kibale National Park and explore the area. The park also offers other activities such as bird watching, hiking, and cultural experiences.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Rwenzori Mountains National Park is located in western Uganda and is home to the Rwenzori Mountains, which are some of the highest mountains in Africa. The park offers a range of hiking and trekking opportunities, including the famous Rwenzori Mountains trek. With a car rental, you can easily get to the Rwenzori Mountains National Park and explore the area.

Sipi Falls

Sipi Falls is a series of three waterfalls located in eastern Uganda. The falls offer stunning views and are a popular destination for hiking and trekking.

All the above destinations can be visited on self-drive where you just have to rent a car from any of the car rental agencies in the country and enjoy a self-drive safari throughout the country. From as low as 45% per day you can hire a 4×4 and explore this amazing country and for those who would love to explore deep remote areas of the country, it is recommended to opt for a strong 4×4 like a Toyota Land cruiser V8, Nissan Patrol, and other strong SUVs.

What is a self-drive safari?

As the name implies, a self-drive safari places you in control of everything. You will drive yourself into the wild on a typically simple camping safari. In most eastern African national parks, the roads are often in poor condition, necessitating the use of a 4WD vehicle. If you opt to embark on this adventure independently with a 4WD, it is advisable to include a familiarization course in your plans. This course can serve as a refresher for those with prior experience or as a beginners’ training session for novices, ideally conducted in the same vehicle you intend to travel in.

Several rental companies provide 4×4 campers that are equipped with all the necessary amenities for complete self-sufficiency. These campers typically include a rooftop and/or ground tent or a pop-top with a sleeping area on the roof. Additionally, they are equipped with fridges, gas stoves, cutlery, sleeping bags, camp tables, and chairs. While the upfront costs for such vehicles can be a bit high (starting at approximately $110 per day and often higher), it is understood that you are paying for both transportation and accommodation in a single package. In these instances, the only additional expenses would be campsite and national park fees, as well as food, which can be purchased affordably at local supermarkets in most African countries.

Bad Roads in East Africa

A variety of car rental agencies, including Car Rental Kenya, 4×4 Uganda, 4×4 Self Drive Kenya, and 4×4 Tanzania, Drive Kenya offer these types of vehicles. An even more convenient option is 4×4 Self Drive Africa, which procures cars from these and other agencies and can handle campsite bookings and other arrangements on your behalf. It is worth noting that organizing self-drive safari is considerably cheap in Uganda and Kenya than in Tanzania.

For those seeking the best of both worlds in the upper end of the self-drive market, there are alternatives available. These options allow you to relish the excitement of off-road driving while indulging in the comfort of luxurious lodges and tented camps, all while someone else is doing all the arrangements. African Jungle Adventures Ltd stands out as the premier company providing this service.

What are the Advantages of Self-drive Safaris?

Imagine a scenario where you have diligently saved throughout your life for an extraordinary African safari experience. Finally, you are in Africa, encountering a lion pride with adorable cubs. You don’t mind sharing this awe-inspiring moment with fellow tourists in a safari vehicle. However, once the other tourists decide to move. While you wish to linger for another ten minutes, maybe even an hour longer, the guide starts the engine, and you’re reluctantly compelled to leave the lions behind. But on a self-drive safari, this predicament would never arise – you have complete control over when and where you go. This freedom permeates every aspect of your safari.

Land Rover Defender in National Park

Another significant advantage is the cost. In countries like Tanzania, where organized tours and safari lodges can be quite expensive, opting for a self-driving camping safari can be a cheap option.

What are the disadvantages of self-drive safaris?

To begin with, when it comes to a self-drive safari, you are solely responsible for navigation. While many companies offer sat navs to assist you and they always advise you to get a local sim card for easy communication and also use Google map for directions, it is crucial to be able to road paper maps and follow road signs. If any issues arise during your self-drive safari, you are the one tasked with handling them. This could involve coordinating repairs with the Rental Company or waiting for a replacement vehicle to be delivered. Additionally, it falls entirely upon you to ensure you carry sufficient supplies and a satellite phone in case of unforeseen emergencies. Consequently, this type of safari needs meticulous thought and preparation compared to an organized tour.

Unless you opt for luxurious lodges, a self-drive camping safari tends to be modest in terms of comfort. You will be responsible for cooking your meals, sleeping on thin mattresses or camp beds, and generally embracing a more rugged experience in the wilderness.

In the driver’s seat of an open-topped 4WD, a cheerful African safari guide is depicted.

All things considered, the majority of crime in Uganda happens in the urban centers which aren’t where most travelers and tourists will drive. In any case, it’s generally essential to take caution while driving in Uganda, most especially at night. Here are some of the problems you should put in mind when driving in Uganda.

Min busses

Most locals use these min buses as a way of transport to move around the country. These min van drivers are always careless in their way of driving they can overtake and swerve into your lane at a moment’s notice. They are known for running red lights and driving like crazy. So you should be careful when driving near them.

Windows

Your windows should always be up when driving in a traffic jam, at traffic lights, or when you have stopped completely. So when hiring a car for self-drive in Uganda make sure you make it clear that you want a vehicle with a working air conditioner.

Locked Doors

While driving in city centers where there are a lot of traffic jams, make sure you lock all your car doors. You should normalize hitting the center lock button to lock all the doors whenever you enter your vehicle. You should also lock your doors when away from the vehicle.

Valuables

It’s also advisable to keep your valuables like a laptop, camera, phone, and money out of sight, mostly at night and when parking your vehicle overnight better to remove all your valuables from the vehicle even if you parking in secure parking it’s not worthy to risk and am sure you would not love to walk out on a smashed window in the morning. Thieves can break your car window for just 20,000/= or a smartphone you left in the passenger seat.

Nighttime Driving

Driving at Night in Uganda

Driving in Uganda for the first time we recommend that if it’s not urgent or emergency it’s better you avoid driving at night. The reason why we would advise you to not drive at night is that the streets in Uganda don’t have street lights and they are not marked so there are high chances of getting lost in the city. With your back to the shower wall now, I drop to my knees and pull your lower body towards my open and waiting mouth.

Look Both Ways

This is also another important tip to keep in mind when you visit Uganda, it’s always vital to look both sides before crossing any road in Uganda. Don’t depend on the traffic lights to decide for you when to walk or stop because we have seen many motorcyclists and matatu drivers passing on the red lights and even common practice for motorcyclists to drive in a one-way lane, so in case you going for a walk on Ugandan streets you should keep that in mind.

Don’t Pick Up Hitchhikers

Yes, you have an extra seat in your 4×4 and want to act nice to the locals. In Uganda, it’s not worth taking the risk. Never pick hitchhikers most especially at night.

Parking space

Whenever you get a parking space, always choose a parking space with enough security and in most cases avoid those street parking spaces, especially at night. In case there is no parking garage around it’s better to choose a well-lit street to park. However, most places in the major cities have secure parking garages nearby.

People Everywhere

When driving in Uganda you have to be careful about the people. No matter how much the village is, there are also women, men, and children moving on the roadside. Always school kids walk from and to school every day and can carelessly enter the road. So you should be careful when driving on the road.

East Africa is a special adventure gem when it comes to African safaris. It is hard to encompass the African continent on an African safari without considering a stop at Serengeti National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, and now Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. East Africa has a diversity of wildlife and each of the East African countries has unique attractions to offer to tourists.

Though it has been said that Rwanda is the land of a thousand hills, there are experiences that remain unique to countries like Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Once you set out to explore the land of a thousand hills and beyond, one-way car rentals become an unavoidable option. Whether you are considering renting a car in Kampala and dropping it off in Nairobi Kigali or Dar-es-salaam, it is all possible once you consider the one-way rental option. For example, after trekking with the gorillas in Rwanda, you can consider another gorilla trek in Uganda, or proceed to Kenya and Tanzania for the Big Five, Wildebeest migration, unique cultures are many more, thus calling for a one-way car rental system whereby you hire a car in Kampala or Kigali and drop it off to Arusha, Nairobi or Dar-es-salaam.

What You Need To Know Before Renting a Car for one-way

There are about three things that you must take into consideration when hiring a car for one-way car rentals from Kigali Rwanda.

• Pick Up and Drop off Charges

Most one-way car rentals attract a pick-up and drop-off fee if not both. For instance, hiring a car in Kigali would not attract pick-up charges but dropping it off in Kampala or Nairobi will attract an extra fee.

The charges are unpredictable at the moment because of the ever-changing fuel rates. However, most of the established car rental agencies in East Africa usually charge between $200 and $1200 depending on where you are picking up and dropping off from. For instance, the fee to drop off to Dar differs from the fee for Nairobi drop off. Also, the fee depends on the type of vehicle you are hiring, based on the fact that the cars have different fuel consumption rates. The drop-off fee for a Prado TX might be lower than the land cruiser V8.

• The mechanical condition of the car

Land Cruiser GX – Best For East Africa Safari

Since most of the self-drive car hire business is usually conducted online before arrival, it might be hard to get an opportunity to check the car before your trip. However, you can stress out a few things that can easily be seen even without the help of a mechanic; that is the tires and the spare wheels

It is highly recommended that you test the Jack and the wheel spanner before setting off. However good the car is maintained, it is very easy to get a puncture and for that reason, the tire condition and the Jake should be your ultimate priority whenever you are picking up a car for one-way rentals.

• Comesa Insurance/ Local Insurance

When hiring a car for one-way rentals in Kigali, it is important to put the issue of insurance into consideration. Anyone traveling only within the borders of Rwanda will need Rwanda’s local third-party insurance and comprehensive insurance. But if you are to cross the border to countries like Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi among others, you will need comesa insurance or the local third-party insurance for whichever country you will be visiting.

The insurance price varies according to how long you are considering hiring and where you are buying it.

• Car Type

The road conditions in Rwanda are fairly better than the rest of East Africa. However, given the hilly nature of the Land of a Thousand Hills, petrol cars are more recommended than diesel cars.

The 5-door Rav4 is the best budget option for one-way rentals, unfortunately, most car rental agencies do not allow their Rav4s to go to some places or countries. For instance, most car rental agencies do not allow their Rav4s to go to Tanzania due to the poor nature of the road in most parks such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro conservation areas.

Therefore to be on the safe side, it is recommended to hire an all-terrain vehicle like a Land Cruiser Prado, Land Cruiser V8, Land Cruiser GX, Nissan Safari, or Nissan Patrol among others.

Land Cruiser V8 with Rooftop Tent – Best For East Africa Safari

• Mechanical Help

It is important to agree on how long it will take the car rental agency to offer you mechanical help so that you may agree about the damages in case of any delay. Failure to agree on the mechanical help time frame will leave you in a situation where you lose a full day without compensation since it is already anticipated in the contract it there might be mechanical breakdowns.

Given the fact that African self-drive safaris are often off-road trips, mechanical breakdowns are often inevitable. Getting to terms of when you are held accountable for mechanical breakdowns and when the car rental agency should be held accountable will save you a great deal during your one-way rental.

Most car rental companies have mechanics in different areas of East Africa where you are connected to have the vehicle checked and fixed. If it is a big problem that may take so long, the company can send you another vehicle (Terms and Conditions Apply).

• Sim Cards

For every country you visit, you are advised to buy a local sim card for internet / easy communication with the hotels and the car rental agency in case of anything. Sim cards are easily obtained at all borders and cities and cost less than $2.

In conclusion, it is much easier to find and book a 4×4 for a self-drive trip across East Africa on a one-way-rental basis. You can conveniently hire a 4×4 in Kigali, drive through Tanzania, Kenya, and end in Uganda. Click here to book a car

“I have experience driving in Africa”; is a common line that is often followed by asking for sand pads in the tropics. It is not as though you cannot use sand pads in the tropics but there is a total disconnect whenever someone assumes that they have a proper image of Africa after visiting South Africa!

Many travelers visit Uganda assuming that they will have a similar experience or close to what they had in South Africa or Namibia. To their dismay, they find out that both guided and self-drive Uganda safaris are relatively more expensive than South African safaris.

Uganda offers a better image of what African countries look like than South Africa or Namibia. Therefore before traveling to Uganda, it is always wise to bin your past experience in other African countries to explore the pearl on its own terms.

One of the best ways to explore Uganda is through a self-drive safari that demands you to hire a 4×4 car from a car rental agency. Uganda experiences both the rainy seasons and dry seasons. Therefore to better explore the country in the dry season, the following 4×4 essentials are key.

• Snorkel (Elevated Air intake)
  

  4×4 Land Cruiser with a Snorkel

The main purpose of the snorkel is to help the car take in cleaner air. But on top of taking in cleaner air; a snorkel is a handy tool whenever crossing streams during your self-drive safari.

Car rental agencies might recommend you always stay away from water but on a rainy day, many places flood, and the only available option is to find your way out. In such moments, the snorkel becomes an essential tool. The popular 4×4 cars with snorkels include the Land Cruiser GX, Land Cruiser V8, Nissan Patrol, Land Cruiser Hardtop, and sometimes the Prado Tx. To ensure that the rental car has a snorkel, we advise you to always ask the car hire agency to send you some pictures of the 4×4 you are intending to book before you make the final reservation.

• Tow Rope/Winch
  

An off-track self-drive safari always makes it inevitable for you to get stranded. Regardless of how strong your 4×4 might be, sometimes you will need the help of another car to pull you out of whichever place you were stranded in.

However, it is very important to note that most car rental rentals do not permit you to use their car for towing without their permission. Therefore unless someone is towing you, always seek permission from your car rental agency before towing anyone. In case you tow another vehicle without consent from the car rental agency and something bad happens, you are fully responsible. Another option is to rent a 4×4 with a winch. It is so much more helpful than a tow rope. The only challenge is that there are very few 4×4 in Uganda with Winches, they are hard to find, and when you find them, they are too expensive.

• Jumper Cables

Unlike manual cars that can be jump-started even when the battery runs flat, automatic cars always require the help of either another battery or external power to get going. It is in such a situation that jumper cables come in handy.

Whether your battery is flat because of poor car wiring or a faulty battery; the jumper cables always come in handy to help you jump-start your car.

• High-Lift Jack

Changing a Flat Tire

Car rental agencies in Uganda always provide cars with jacks but it is not common to get a car with a high lift Jack. On a rainy day, there is nothing as comfortable as changing to a spare wheel with a high lift jack unlike having a small heavy-duty jack that will always get you dirty.

It should be noted that some car rental agencies often ask for an extra fee to offer you a car with a high-lift Jack. However, the price always fits the comfort of using a high-lift jack. However note, the car rental agency should give you some briefing about using the High-Lift Jack because it is not common to everyone, and is hard to use if you are not briefed about its usage.

• Fix A Flat

It is exciting to receive a car with either new or nearly new tires. But this does not guarantee that you will not have a flat tire. It is very common to get nail piercing along the way leaving you with punctures.

Whether it is a nail piercing or a pin piercing, “fix a flat” comes in handy to stop your tires from experiencing any piercing-based punctures. However, some car rental agencies do not allow you to use “fix a flat” in their tires. Therefore, always inquire with the car rental agency whether “fix a flat” is allowed before confirming your booking with them.

• Eyes On The Road, Not Oncoming Cars

Heavy rains cause poor visibility on the road, this is not pleasant and can be dangerous if you lose your vision. To avoid this, look to the left-hand side of the road and follow the white marks/lines to keep you on track. If the glare gets too bad you can not see clearly, slow down but, don’t stop abruptly because you might cause an accident with the car behind.

• Drive Before Dark

Because you are driving in a foreign country, it is a good idea to plan your itinerary very well to avoid driving after dark. Things get worse if you drive at night under heavy rain in a foreign country because, if you get a problem or get stuck on the road, it is very hard to get assistance, secondly, heavy rain causes poor visibility, and this can lead to accidents.

In conclusion therefore with the above tips, you can easily and safely take and enjoy a self-drive Uganda safari in the rainy season. The wet season in Uganda is between the Months of March to May and September to December. This info is very essential when planning your next visit to Uganda.

Your well-being and easiness at the camping ground depend majorly on the gear and essential items packed for the safari. Choosing what to pack is not a simple task. It is about packing the most vital items and getting the right weight. The weight of the equipment and space to put them can be an issue, particularly during transit or even when engaging in some activities.

Follow these 5 simple packing tips for camping:

• Make a list

Coming up with a list of vital items is surely important and helpful while packing for your safari. Most importantly when it is the first to go on a camping expedition. Categorize the items in different sections like camping gear, clothing, cooking tools, personal items, and sanitary items

While packing, ensure to tick the items so that you don’t leave out something significant. If you have no clue what to pack for your safari, go online to look out for the ideal items for camping. Pick what is needed and cancel out what is unnecessary.

• Use clear plastic bins

It is wise to pack items separately into sections so you can spare time when you reach the camping ground. Plastic bags are important, it makes your work of finding anything you wish to use from the boxes easy.

Put label stickers at each plastic bin for example cooking tools (plates, pans, cups, glasses, and cutlery) camping gear (tent, mattresses, and sleeping bags), foods (canned foods, snacks, and so on) sanitary items (soap, jelly, sanitizer, insect repellents, etc.). Those are the groupings you may begin with.

• Check the weather forecast

Consider the time you will be going for your self-drive camping vacation in Uganda. The country has two climatic seasons, the dry spell and the wet one. The dry spell comprises January through Mid-March, June to mid-October, and December, and the wet season consists of April-May and November. Therefore, should pack items based on the climatic conditions to experience at the time of your trip.

Note that Uganda’s weather is one of the craziest in the world, no matter the season, it is warm during the day and relatively cold at night. So, bring one or two-layer clothes to wear during the day and a sweater for the night. You also have to carry a raincoat because it can rain anytime regardless of the climatic season.

• Plan your meals

Food is one of the most essential items to carry on your selfdrive camping safari. Life can become simple in the jungle if you plan your meals ahead and do the preparation work at home beforehand. Be sure to opt for easy-to-cook meals and to bring extra in case of an emergency. When packing snacks, remove carton packaging to save space.

• Smart packing of items in the rental car

When loading your camping items in the rental car, ensure to put the ones that you will need urgently last so that you can easily access them when you reach the camping ground.

Following the above tips, your camping vacation in Uganda will be convenient and remarkable.

Hiring a car in Kenya is one of the right things every traveler needs to put into consideration. Traveling in your comfort is every traveler’s desire and rental cars guarantee not only ultimate comfort but also safety, and privacy.

You need a rental car in Kenya whether you plan to go self-drive tour or guided safari in any part of the country. Kenya by far is a celebrated African safari destination for many reasons, firstly, its pristine National Parks, Reserves, and finest beaches. There is plenty to explore and experience in the Magical Kenya and how you plan to get there matters a lot.

Interestingly, there are several rental car companies or agencies in Kenya widely spread in Nairobi, Mombasa and across major towns. Every car hire company has a range of rental cars in Kenya, each of which, is ideal for a different purpose- driver-guided safaris, self-drive tours, city tours, business trips and others. Also, each car rental company hires out a car at its own rates.

Finding the ideal car hire agency or company with your dream car, however, has become one of the major challenges whether you are a first-time or repeat traveler. There are a couple of things you should put into consideration and this is why we have come up with a step-by-step guide to hiring a 4×4 car in Kenya.

• Go online

If you are searching for a car to hire in Kenya, first, go online, browse on the internet and a list of different car rental companies or agencies will be displayed. The important keywords to search/google should be rental cars in Kenya, rent a car Kenya or car hire Kenya or type in the exact type of vehicle you are looking for.

Once you have a list of car rental companies, have enough time to read through, check and compare their rates. After, you can inquire more from them and essentially, ensure that you find a reputable, trustworthy and reliable company to deal with. You can go through the past reviews- read what previous travelers commented about the same car hire company.

• Go further to request a quote

After figuring out the kind of car and company and you are fully satisfied with it, then next should make an inquiry. Fill in all the required details on the contact form or email the company using the provided email on the site. Alternatively, you can reach out to the reservation team by calling- make the best use of the telephone or mobile contacts provided on the website.

• Negotiate

Once the reservation team has received your request, the next step involves negotiating the final rate. Take note, the more days you are hiring a car in Kenya, the lower the rates. After you have finally concluded on the final rate, you will be sent an invoice and this will include all details like bank account for you to make a deposit.

• Deposit

The car hire company you finally agreed to deal with will send you bank account details for you to make payment. Normally, most car rental companies require a visitor hiring a car to make a 30%-50% deposit- but this varies from one company to another. The balance will be required on the day you arrive prior to being handed over the car keys.

• Confirm booking

After you have finally paid the deposit the car hire company requested of you via the provided details- bank wire transfer or pesapal, the reservation team will send to you a stamped and signed receipt. This is to confirm that you have booked a rental car in Kenya with them.

Other important tips

• Use a sanitized car

With coronavirus still in existence, make sure that the car you plan to use for your Kenya safari is sanitized. This is regardless of whether you are on a self-drive tour or renting a 4×4 with a driver/guide.

The car is fully serviced

When finding a car to hire, look for a fully serviced one. It should be at its best mechanical condition to ensure that you have a smooth Kenya road trip. Note, Kenya like most African safari destinations has its major tourist sites located in the remotest part of the country and landscape requires sturdy and mechanically serviced car.

• Comprehensive insurance

The rental car you plan to hire in Kenya should be comprehensively insured. Insurance covers a number of costs you perhaps never planned for and that is why you should inquire the car rental company before booking any.

Inquire about the fuel type the car uses

Before setting off for self-drive in Kenya, it is important to be certain about the fuel type that the particular vehicle you plan to go for a road trip uses. Different cars use different fuel type- diesel or petrol. Avoid getting confused while at the fuel station and essentially, you can remind the fuel attendant of the type of fuel your rental car uses.

• Rent a car with a driver

For first-time travelers or even repeat visitors on Kenya safaris, driving to a new destination comes with its challenges. First, you won’t be familiar with routes and to be safe on your Kenya road trip, we recommend that you hire a car with us plus a driver/guide. We have many professional driver guides with the best knowledge about Kenya safari destinations, routes and cultures.

Packing list for an African safari 2022

Valid documents

Like traveling to other countries in the world, most Sub-Saharan African states also require tourists on African safaris to have valid passports. The passports should be at least 6 months beyond the travel dates of a visitor in Africa. Other than passports, other essential documents worth obtaining or carrying for your African safari include a yellow fever certificate, COVID-19 vaccination certificates, e-tickets, travel insurance, and travel plan. Visas are among other essential documents visitors on an African safari should pay close attention to. Visas are needed because they are required if you are to have entry to most of the countries in Africa.

Cash

Most of the African countries have not transitioned from cash to modern technologies and most of the transactions are carried out using cash. While in the bush enjoying a wildlife safari in Africa, credit card machines are nowhere to be seen. ATMs are available in urban centers and to ease your transaction while in the destination you must exchange your dollars, pounds, and sterling for local currency. This can help you in case you want to purchase some small items such as drinks, toiletries, and others.

What to carry for 2 weeks African safari?

The main reason why most visitors travel to Africa is to enjoy game viewing or game drive/wildlife viewing and the popular destinations for game safaris include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and South Sudan among others. You immerse yourself into the wild to see a diversity of wildlife and this is what differentiates a typical African safari from the normal tours in other destinations. If you plan to undertake a 2-week wildlife or gorilla safari holiday in Africa, then the following items must be carried; insect repellent preferably DEET, 3 layering tanks/t-shirt, a duffel/soft-sided bag, a light scarf, a utility jacket, 1 to 2 long-sleeved shirts, 2 pairs of pants, toiletries, sunscreen, moisturizer, wide brim hat, first aid kit, USB flash drive, waterproof dry bag, good hiking shoes, and others.

Luggage & other essentials

When packing, be mindful of the weight as some destinations are strict on it especially if you plan to undertake bush flight safaris in places such as Masai Mara National Reserve or Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Most small planes require a specific weight size for example SafariLink or AirKenya are strict on weight to carry but they charge a small fee. We advise our clients to carry soft-sided luggage which makes it easier to be put in compartments.

Bric’s X-bag 22 folding duffel

This is essential for tourists who plan to embark on an African safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve. This is waterproof, sturdy, and classy. You can easily fold it down into a small zippered pouch making it easier to pack. If you heading to Tanzania or Kenya for an African safari holiday, try as much as you can to avoid plastic bags.

African safari clothing

Clothes should be left out on your packing list for an African safari. When choosing the attire to put on an African safari, you must be mindful of African culture- dress decently in a manner that doesn’t affect people’s culture. Respect for African culture is key. When packing be mindful of the weight airlines require and often, luggage of 15-30kgs is allowed while some aircraft only accept luggage of 12-15kgs. There are also laundry services offered at most lodges or hotels in most of the African safari destinations but at visitors’ cost. This means you don’t need to worry in case you want to change clothes any day. The preferred clothing for an African safari holiday includes long pants and long-sleeved shirts- these are essential in protecting you from insect bites or scratches while on walking safaris. Avoid shorts or skirts if you are heading for an African holiday- they are only good for game drives. When choosing clothes, avoid bright colors and find those that blend with the environment.

Safari footwear

There are many ways of exploring Africa- tourists can engage in walking safari or guided game viewing. If you are heading for walking, hiking, gorilla trekking or chimpanzee tracking, then we recommend sturdy hiking boots that should be waterproof.

Safari hat

Find a good safari hat that is wide enough to protect you from scorching sunshine while you enjoy your African safari. It should be covering your face and neck. You may also need swimsuits, and casual clothes, especially for tourists who plan to spend a night in luxury accommodation facilities with swimming pools.

Prescribed medicines/medical kit

Carry prescribed medication on your African safari just in case of any emergency. You need anti-malaria medicine, anti-diarrhea, and others. The medical kit or first aid kit always contains a variety of these plus bandages, plasters, and others.

Camera and other gadgets

A complete African safari is one that you return home when you have taken pictures. The pictures shall always keep reminding you of that incredible safari holiday you had in Africa and you can achieve this when you have the best camera. If you are heading for extraordinary primate adventures such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo or chimpanzee tracking, we recommend good cameras with no flashlight. You may also have a pair of binoculars- Africa is one of the world’s leading birding destinations and expects to see a diversity of bird species.

Waterproof bag

A waterproof bag large enough is essential to help you pack and protect your gadgets such as cameras. This is because rains in most of the African safari destinations are unpredictable and early preparation is essential.

Plug converters

Most safari lodges and hotels in Africa offer many universal plug adaptors for tourists to use while in their rooms or tents though you can also carry your own. The electric voltage in Africa is usually 220-240volt though this may differ from country to country with the plug type.

Then I went online to read about different interesting wildlife destinations in Africa and I come up with South Africa at the top of the list, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, and others. I decided to choose Kenya and Tanzania reason being it’s easy to visit them on one safari. As I was reading more about these countries, I come across the idea of self-drive safari whereby the tourist just needs to hire a safari vehicle from any car rental company and drive their own adventure through the two countries. I found this idea interesting and I had to discuss it with my daddy he allowed me to look for a good car rental agency in Kenya from where we can hire a safari vehicle from. Among the many car rental agencies we contacted, 4×4 Self Drive Kenya Ltd offered us a good deal on a Toyota Land Cruiser VX/V8 with a pop-up roof for wildlife watching in national parks.

Land Cruiser VX – V8 With Pop-up Roof Safari Vehicle

Stepping in Kenya for the first time and driving in Africa made me realize that going for a safari in Africa is really amazing as I have been always been imagining, actually I think it’s even better than real life.
Most people when they think about an African safari, what comes to their mind is a private game drive but there are a lot many different things to do when on a safari in Africa.

Despite how you go on safari in Africa, however, I think there are a few things worthy of knowing before you go for a safari.

Here are some of the things you should know and put in mind before traveling to Africa for a safari.

1. You will start early

Wildlife animals are not really like people, they are most active in the morning in the first light and again in the evening at the sunset. What’s more, this implies that you are expected to start your safari game drive early in the morning and then in the afternoon after lunch. In Kenya and Tanzania, our game drives would start at around 6:30 a.m. and return to the lodge at around 10:00 a.m. for a full breakfast.

This timing was really amazing because it’s like hitting two birds with one stone, we managed to see the beautiful sunrise in addition to the many animals which are more active in the morning. Even if you are not a morning person, try to force yourself to be one when you go on a safari in order to get the best from your African safari.

2. Every Game Drive is different on a safari

Afternoon Game Drive in Tanzania

Wanting to skip one of the morning game drives because you want to sleep a little longer will make you miss some things. No two game drives will at any point be similar because these animals are in their natural habitat and they move freely you will not at any point see the exact same thing in case you go on various game drives.

Don’t miss any game drive, when we were in Maasai Mara Game Reserve on one game drive we spotted two lions eating after a kill, herds of elephants grazing, and much other amazing wildlife and on another game drive, we got an amazing chance to spot pair of lions mating. So, every game drive on an African safari is different and it’s recommended to not get tempted to miss one because of any reason.

Furthermore, obviously the more national parks you visit, the more chances you’ll have for interesting sightings. In Serengeti National Park, for instance, we got a chance to have a bird’s view of the Serengeti plains in hot air balloons and get up close to herds of elephants.

3. You’re not guaranteed to see anything

Obviously, when it comes to an African safari, you are not guaranteed to see everything you want. All things considered; we are talking about wild animals in a huge national park without a fence or barriers to restrict the movement of the animals. So since these animals are in their natural habitat and are free to move anyhow, you’re not guaranteed to see everything and that is the reason why we also emphasize not missing any game drive while on the safari.

For example, I was really eager to see black rhinos in Maasai Mara Game Reserve, I managed to see all the big 5 animals minus the black rhinos until I went to Mkomazi National Park in Tanzania and finally managed to herds of Rhinos.

4. Choose well where to spend the night

Safari Lodge in Maasai Mara Game Reserve – Kenya

While the facts confirm that you have the same chances to see animals in national parks as anyone else there, where you choose to spend the night certainly can have an effect on your general safari experience.

For example, in case you choose to sleep outside the national park as a way to save some money on accommodation because lodges in national parks are always expensive, you will have to wake up a bit early for a morning game drive yet the person who slept in the national park will have enough sleep before he/she wake up for a morning game drive. Although it’s a bit expensive, it’s advisable to sleep in the national park in order to enjoy your game drive to the fullest because when you sleep in the national park there are chances of spotting animals in the lodge compound.

5. Trust your ranger

Try not to get discouraged, however, if you’ve been out on a game drive for some time and haven’t seen anything yet. The rangers who work in the parks (and particularly for the private game lodges) are very great at what they do. They communicate with other rangers in the park to find out where the best sightings are taking place.

A day-by-day self-drive gorilla trekking safari in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest National Park and in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park offers a chance to compare gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda. The arrangement of our 7-day self-drive gorilla trekking safari in East Africa started with looking for a good local car rental agency to hire a 4×4 safari vehicle that we can use to move around in the two counties. This trip started in Uganda at Entebbe International Airport where we met the agent from a car rental agency who offered us a Land Cruiser VX/V8 at 95$ per day. The trip end in Rwanda at Kigali International Airport where we met an agent from 4×4 Uganda Ltd and dropped the vehicle to catch our flight back home. This is a great opportunity to do gorilla trekking trice in Uganda and Rwanda when you have limited time in Africa, we also have short gorilla trips like the 3-day gorilla trekking safari in Uganda or Rwanda.

Picking the Safari Rental Car

The first day started with meeting a car rental agent at the Entebbe International Airport who delivered the vehicle to us and then we transferred to the southwestern part of the country to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park the home to the rare and engendered mountain Gorillas in Uganda. When we received the vehicle at the airport, we drove for something like 2hour and we got a stopover for photos and breakfast at the Equator in the village called Kayabwe, then we continued to Mbarara Town for lunch. After lunch, we continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park for relaxation as we waited for dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge.

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Gorilla Family in Bwindi Forest Uganda

The next day before 8:00 a.m., we had breakfast and got our packed lunch, gorilla trekking gears, and then transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park headquarters for a briefing from the ranger guide about how to behave when with the mountain gorillas in the jungle. After the briefing, we were accompanied by armed ranger guides and entered the forest to search for the mountain gorillas. We passed through the thick forest, slashing the undergrowth, and parting thick creepers in order to create the way. The tracking period was about 3hours but we were told by the ranger that sometimes it can be less or more and always depends on the movement of the gorillas in their natural habitat in search of food and shelter. Upon reaching the Gorillas, we got a full hour to spend with the gorillas we got a chance to watch them as they interact with each other, and communicated, and also took photographs and recorded videos. Then after this amazing experience, we returned to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi

On the third day, we left this amazing jungle and we drove about 75km to Lake Bunyonyi found between Kisoro and Kabale near Uganda and Rwanda border. The word Bunyonyi in the local language means little birds and therefore the lake got its name from the many birds that inhabit the area. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda and the second deepest in Africa. Upon our arrival at Bunyonyi Overland Camp, we relaxed and waited for lunch and after lunch, we took a canoe ride to the various islands found on this lake. After the canoe ride, we returned to the camp for dinner and overnight.

Lake Bunyonyi

The next day at Bunyonyi Overland Camp, we had a lot of activities from which we can choose, we had options like, visiting the local market in Kabale town, visiting the Bakiga cultural museum, there was another option of visiting the dairy farms and plantations and also there was an option to visit the Batwa community on one of the islands on the Lake Bunyonyi. But we decided to spend the whole day relaxing at Lake Bunyonyi Overland Camp as we spot different birds at the lake.

On the 5th day, we had to drive direct and cross the border to Rwanda through the Cyanika border and transfer to Volcanoes National Park the home to the rare and endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. En route, we visited the beautiful twin lakes for memorable photos before we proceed to the park for lunch and relaxation as we waited for dinner and overnight at Mountain Gorilla View Lodge.

Mountain Gorilla in Volcanoes National Park – Rwanda

Second Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park

The 6th day, was the day of doing gorilla trekking in Rwanda, we had to wake up early in the morning and transfer to the park headquarters of Volcanoes National Park with our gorilla trekking permits and gorilla trekking gear for registration and gorilla group allocation. At the park headquarters, we were shortly briefed about the gorilla trekking rule and regulations, and then we were accompanied by an armed guard and two ranger guides and then we entered the jungle in search of mountain gorillas. We hiked into the volcano Virunga hills and green valley for something like 3hours before we met the gorillas, the tracking activity is a bit tiresome but the encounter with these gentle giants makes you forget all the hardships you went through as you were searching for them. When we met the gorillas, we were given a full hour to spend with them gorillas and we got a chance to take photos and record videos. After this amazing experience with gorillas, we returned to the lodge for relaxation.

The last day was reserved for departure, we woke up at around 8:30 in the morning for breakfast at the lodge and then pack our luggage, and then hit the road and drove to Kigali the most beautiful city in Africa for a simple city tour, last-minute shopping and then transfer Kigali International Airport where we met the agent from 4×4 Uganda Ltd to receive the vehicle.