Guide To Hiring A 4×4 Self Drive Car In Kenya
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.
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.
