Road notes from East Africa
Permits, park fees, seasons and road conditions for driving yourself through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.
East Africa Car Hire Insurance: CDW, Third-Party and What Your Policy Won't Cover
Hiring a 4x4 in East Africa involves several overlapping layers of insurance, each covering different risks. Understanding what each layer covers — and…
Diff Lock vs 4WD: When You Actually Need a Locking Differential in East Africa
Most East Africa hire vehicle hire conversations focus on 4x4 vs 2WD — whether you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle at all. Fewer conversations address the…
Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park: The Complete Self-Drive Route Guide
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most visited national park and one of the most biologically diverse in Africa — 95 mammal species, over 600 bird…
Uganda Car Hire With a Rooftop Tent: The Best Overlanding Packages in 2027
Uganda's national parks are some of the best destinations in Africa for rooftop tent overlanding. The combination of established public campsites inside parks…
Do You Need a Roof Tent for East Africa Self-Drive: Honest Assessment
Roof tents have become the default image of East Africa self-drive camping — a Land Cruiser parked on a bush campsite at dusk, the tent folded open on the…
Tanzania National Park Fees 2027/2028: What Every Self-Drive Visitor Pays
Tanzania's national park fees are among the highest in Africa for non-resident visitors — and for good reason. The country protects some of the most…
Nairobi to Tsavo East Self-Drive: The Mombasa Road Route and Gate Options
Tsavo is the largest national park complex in Kenya — Tsavo East and Tsavo West together cover 21,812 square kilometres, an area larger than Wales. Self-drive…
Kigali to Volcanoes National Park Self-Drive: The 2-Hour Road to Gorillas
The drive from Kigali to Volcanoes National Park is the most rewarding short drive in Rwanda — 110 kilometres of well-maintained highway through central…
Do You Need a 4x4 for Uganda Safari: Honest Answer by Park and Season
The question comes up on every Uganda self-drive planning call: do I actually need a proper 4x4, or will a high-clearance SUV do? The honest answer is that it…
Nairobi to Amboseli Self-Drive: Route, Fees and the Kilimanjaro View Strategy
Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya's most iconic destinations — a 392-square-kilometre savannah and swamp complex at the foot of Kilimanjaro where the…