Driving yourself in Kenya is a fantastic experience. The freedom you feel while tearing along the national parks in your car and seeing giraffes and zebras along the side of the road is unparalleled. But where is the best place to rent a car in Kenya? And should you opt for a 4X4 car or can you also get by with a smaller car? In this article you can read all the tips.
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Car rental in Kenya, do you choose a 4X4 or a smaller car?
The first question you ask yourself when you want to rent a car in Kenya is whether you want to go for a 4X4 or a “normal” car. The advantage of a 4X4 is that in some national parks you can drive yourself and thus do a self drive safari. In addition, of course, you go off road a little easier.
A 4X4 in Kenya is not necessarily necessary but fun
Our conclusion after traveling in Kenya for 3.5 weeks is that a 4X4 is not necessarily necessary. We chose to book organized safaris with a guide. But touring with a 4×4 in Kenya does add a little extra to the experience. Especially a 4X4 with rooftop tent, which allows you to stand free at campsites and public places, is an unforgettable experience in Kenya.
It is important to realize that a 4X4 (with rooftop tent) is quite a bit more expensive than a normal car. Whereas you can rent a normal, small car for a longer period starting from $30 per day, a 4X4 with rooftent will cost you at least $100 per day. On the other hand, you don’t need accommodation, because you can spend the night in your rooftent.
If you only want to travel from place to place, and thus don’t want to do self-drive safaris, a normal car will suffice. The roads in Kenya are generally fine. Occasionally some potholes in the road, but you can easily drive around them. So a 4X4 is not a must, but if you have the budget it is certainly fun to travel through Kenya with this car.
Self drive safari in Kenya
For a self drive safari in Kenya, it does make sense to travel with a 4X4. We did a self-drive safari in Lake Nakuru, near Lake Naivasha. We had a small Nissan Micra that almost fell apart. In Lake Nakuru there are no big predators so this was still possible, but other national parks you may not enter if you want to do a self-drive safari in Kenya without a 4X4.
Where to rent a normal car in Kenya?
Our advice to rent a car in Kenya is to do so with Sunnycars. Sunnycars is one of the largest car rental platforms in the world. The reason why we always rave about Sunnycars is because you are always fully insured when you rent a car through them.
So you no longer need to buy separate insurance when you pick up the car. If anything happens along the way, you can contact customer service. They then take it up with you and the car rental company. You will always have peace of mind because you are fully insured.
On the Sunnycars website, you can instantly see the different types of cars and the cost of renting a car in Kenya.
Is it safe to rent a car in Kenya and drive yourself?
Yes, as far as we are concerned, it is definitely safe to drive your own car in Kenya. So as far as damages and accidents are concerned, we are always comfortable that insurance is included with Sunnycars and we don’t worry about it.
Furthermore, it is not recommended to drive a car in Kenya after dark. This is because wild animals can just cross the road, people often walk along the highway without lights and there can be potholes in the asphalt. You really can’t see this in advance and in the dark an accident is in a small corner. During the day, however, it is perfectly safe to drive yourself in Kenya.
What is the traffic like in Kenya?
Traffic in Kenya can be quite chaotic. Especially in Nairobi, driving by yourself in the city center is not pleasant. Buses, crossing people, cars overtaking each other right and left, honking, anything goes here. Outside of Nairobi, it is fine to drive yourself.
Often there is one long road you drive on. The only thing we found difficult was overtaking. This is because you are often stuck behind a truck driving not much faster than 50 kilometers per hour. Because there is only one lane you have to overtake via the other side of the road, where there are oncoming traffic. But at the same time, you cannot see far ahead because you are behind a large truck. The roads in Kenya are also not always well maintained, so on some paved roads you still have to swing a lot to avoid all the potholes.
You will soon find that Kenyans are not afraid of anything and just overtake. Do not imitate this and overtake only when you are sure you can and feel confident enough. As long as you keep listening to your gut while driving in Kenya, you will be fine. By the way, in Kenya they drive on the left side of the road, so for us that takes some time getting used to, but you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Still don’t want to rent a car in Kenya? Choose public transport
Still not comfortable renting a car in Kenya or driving yourself? No problem, just travel by public transport! Public transport in Kenya is well organized, small minivans (matatu’s) drive everywhere from city to city. On the big and busy routes there are also coaches and you even have a good train connection in Kenya. Read everything you need to know about public transport in Kenya here.
