Your first self-drive safari in Kenya

Driving yourself through Kenya is easier than most people expect and harder than the brochures suggest. Here is what we cover in every briefing.

Don’t drive after dark

This is the one rule we never bend. Outside Nairobi, roads have no lights, people and animals walk on them, and potholes appear out of nowhere. Plan every day so you reach camp by 18:00. Our route plans already include that buffer.

Park roads are slow

Distances on the map lie. 60 km inside the Mara can take three hours, especially after rain. Engage 4×4 before you need it, not when you are already stuck.

Fuel and cash

Fill up whenever the tank is half empty. Narok is the last reliable fuel stop before the Mara. Park fees are paid by card or M-Pesa at the gate, but keep some shillings for small shops and tips.

Wildlife etiquette

Stay on the tracks, keep a respectful distance and never get out of the car outside marked areas. Rangers fine drivers who go off-road, and they are right to.

If something breaks

Every car has a satellite phone option, two spare wheels and a recovery kit. Call us first. Most problems are solved on the phone, and if not, we send someone from the nearest partner garage.

The rest you will learn on day one. By day three, most of our guests drive the park roads like locals.