Kenya Safari - Things To Consider When Planning A Self Drive Safari..

Self drive safari are a popular option in many vacation destinations including Africa. This type of holiday can be a great value for money when perfectly designed. The beauty of self-drive safari lies in the flexibility. You are able to choose your date of departure and the routing can be tailor-made to suit your needs. You get the freedom to explore your chosen destination at your own pace. It is almost a do-it-yourself type of vacation, save for the fact that you might still need someone reliable to assist, especially if you are first-time traveler to your destination.

Self drive Kenya Safari

Without any doubt, within the East and Southern Africa, the operation of self-drive safari is most advanced in the Republic of South Africa. The country boasts a good network of well-maintained roads and an excellent spread of inns and lodges. The other countries enjoy some degree of confidence when it comes to operating self-drive safari, but they have to play catch up game with South Africa.

At the risk of sounding unfair, I dare say that, although it is rated as one of the top safari destinations, Kenya still faces minor challenges with the self-drive alternative. For some reason, this type of safari has not been able to take off in Kenya. In fact, some travel agents and safari operators will advise you – the first time visitor - against self-drive safari in the whole of East Africa! But apart for the fact that safari operators have not promoted it as a viable option to the traditional escorted safari, there seems to be a good reason for this cautionary approach.

Top on the list of reasons is the condition of the roads, followed by safety and security concerns.

The road network connecting the various attractions is very good. But the condition of most of these road is bad, to say the least. Even the roads connecting some of the major towns are in a bad shape. The traffic on the major roads and highways can be heavy and haphazard. The drivers of public service vehicles, who also share this roads, pose great danger by driving recklessly, without regard to traffic rules.

Does this mean self-drive safari is a ‘no-go’ zone in Kenya?

No. You will still enjoy a self-drive safari in Kenya, as long as you get to know in advance what to expect, design a good itinerary and prepare well for the safari.

In principle, any itinerary that can be done as an escorted safari can be done on a self-drive basis.

For those seeking to drive themselves into the national parks and game reserves, get ready for long driving hours on unpaved, rough roads – or muddy, if it is wet. This can be fun as long as you do not get stuck in the middle of the park. The good news is that with the mobile telephone network covering most of Kenya, help will be just a phone call way.

Generally, the wettest months in Kenya will be April, May and part of June. If you must travel during this season, you have no options when choosing the type of vehicle. You are limited to ‘off-road’ vehicles, sometimes called 4WD. These are better equipped for wet conditions.

You accommodation needs

The major towns in Kenya offer acceptable standards of hotel services. But the farther you move away from the major towns, the lower the standards get. However, as you enter the national parks and game reserves, services gets better.

If you want a specific type of accommodation, or would like to stay in a particular lodge within the parks, please book in advance. This way you avoid the possible disappointment that comes with finding that the facility booked up. Keep this in mind especially if you intend to travel to Kenya during the high travel seasons – generally between July and October. You can get around this challenge by contacting the lodge directly to secure your accommodation space, or by booking through an established booking agent.

Your safety and security concerns while on self-drive safari in Kenya

While on your self-drive safari, take general precautions that will ensure a trouble-free vacation. Always keep the vehicle locked when unattended. Lock the doors at all times. Do not leave luggage or valuables visible in the vehicle. Do not give lifts to strangers and hitchhikers.

Get wise and enjoy your self-drive safari in Kenya!

If you intend to visit Kenya for the first time and would like to try the self-drive option, your first task would be to make contact with a Kenya safari travel specialist, who will listen to your needs and give you practical suggestions to come up with the best itinerary. As you engage your appointed travel specialist, the checklist below will guide you on what to get done:

About the author of this article:

solomon okila is the editor of african voyages travel journal, which is part of africanvoyages tours and safaris. if you need more information on african safaris or hotels and lodges please visit our website today!

Kenya Safari Mombasa : Gedi Ruins

When travelling through Kenya, you can’t ignore the marvellous national parks and game reserves, inhabited by countless fascinating animals. The mosaic of wildlife inside Kenya’s borders is what makes this country a famous tourist destination. However, Kenya has another, equally enchanting side: the coast. Donned with paradise-like beaches, it’s a wonderful leisurely end to an active holiday. But if you look just a little bit beyond the beach, you will find a rich coastal culture that goes back a thousand years.


After enjoying a Safari in interior Kenya, the coastal town of Mombasa is a wonderful place to exhale with a cocktail in hand. But Mombasa also has a rich history where centuries of trade and all kinds of cultural influences have shaped the Swahili culture, including the national language of Kenya, appropriately called Swahili. The language reflects Kenya’s colourful history; it incorporates words from Arabic, Portuguese and even German origin. Swahili is now spoken all over East Africa, and even as far as the Congo.


A walk through Mombasa Old Town reveals the heart of the Swahili culture. The narrow streets can hardly accommodate cars, but all the more people and donkeys. The high houses provide shade from the scorching Mombasa sun; the heavy wooden doors are beautifully carved and inscribed with Arabic text from the Koran; Islam is the dominant religion alongside the Kenyan coast. On the veranda’s, old men in traditional Muslim attire chat the day away sharing a pot of spicy coffee.


At the edge of Old Town, facing Mombasa bay, stands Fort Jesus; built by the Portuguese who conquered the city in the 16th Century. They held on to the fort until the British colonialists turned it into a prison. The fort is open for viewing; inside is a museum narrating the history of the fort and its occupants. The canons used to keep attackers at bay still proudly stand facing the sea.


Travelling alongside the Kenyan coast, there are countless other reminders of the cultures that once ruled the entire coastline. A must-see is the ruins of Gedi, an Arab-African settlement built in the 14th Century. There are many such ruins on the North coast of Kenya, all the way into modern day Somalia, but Gedi is one of the very few that have been maintained as a public historical site open for viewing.


The town has fascinated archaeologists since its discovery. Gedi seemed to have been a wealthy, thriving town, given the precious artefacts that were dug up including Ming China porcelain and countless other objects indicating Gedi’s wealth. However, there is no official historical record of Gedi, which makes the place all the more intriguing.The name Gedi is a Galla word meaning "precious". The Galla were a nomadic people from Somalia, who conquered all settlements on the Northern Kenyan coast in the 17th century and who baptised Gedi and ruled it until the late 19th century. They then lost their position of power to the Arabs, who reoccupied their original territories.


The historic site is on the Mombasa-Malindi road, sixty-five miles from Mombasa and ten miles from Malindi. Gedi is a fascinating place to visit, more so because the ruins are up to today shrouded in mystery; the actual reasons for its foundation, as well as its destruction, are not known. Surrounded by modern-day villages built of wood, mud and stone with all the hustle and bustle of the local inhabitants, Gedi is an oasis of peace; overgrown with all kinds of trees, plants and flowers. There are friendly and well-informed local guides available at a small fee, but the map of Gedi is self-explanatory, and you can easily discover the city by yourself.


The ruins are clearly indicated, identified by their architectural style, such as the mosques, or the artefacts that were found in or near the structures; names like ‘The house of the Iron Lamp’, ‘The house of the Ivory Box’, ‘The house of the Scissors’, ‘The house of the Venetian Bead’ fuel the imagination. In the silence that now enfolds the once thriving town, you can hear the echoes of the voices of centuries ago. While walking through the ruins, it takes only a little imagination to see the veiled women walking through the streets, hear the children play at the water well and sit with the Sultan while he receives trade delegations. In the museum built adjacent to the ruins, the found artefacts are exhibited alongside an overview of coastal Swahili culture.


The structures at Gedi include 8 mosques, more than a dozen houses, a palace and an Amfi-theatre-cum-law-court. Gedi was surrounded by a wall, and it seems like the city was deserted, then later reoccupied, because there is a second wall built at a later date that encircles a smaller part of the town. This wall incorporated some of the walls of existing houses. The artefacts that were found in the ruins, such as Chinese porcelain and Venetian glass, indicate that Gedi was a wealthy city that traded with Portugal, Italy, China, India and the Arab world; which makes its absence in official historic records all the more intriguing.


There are several theories to the downfall of Gedi. Some say the river changed its course, so the water wells dried up, forcing the inhabitants to move. Others theorize that the Portuguese brought the deadly Black Plague, with no known cure, wiping out the population. A dispute or invasion that caused the inhabitants to fled or evacuate is another theory. But whatever it may be that caused Gedi to fall, its ruins are strong reminders of how powerful it once was, and how it influenced a culture that exists to this day.


For more information on Gedi Ruins, call the museum in Watamu on telephone number 042-32065 or call the National Museums of Kenya headquarters in Nairobi: 020-374213 .


Entrance fee for tourists is 200 Kenya Shillings; Under 16’s pay only 100 Shillings. For locals and residents the price varies from 20 to 60 Shillings. Please confirm with your local guide as prices my vary.


Yvonne Oerlemans
Coverconcepts Ltd
Momabsa Excursion and Beach Holidays Information