Is it safe to rent a car and drive in Keyna?
Renting a car and self-driving in Kenya should give you little cause for concern beyond the usual and preparations and cautions you should exercise when renting a car anywhere else in Africa. Outside of major towns and cities, road conditions can be very poor, but planning your journey and hiring the right car will see safe passage across this beautiful country.
If you want to explore Kenya fully and see all that this amazing country has to offer then hiring a car to travel around is a great option. Avis and Europcar are both well represented in Kenya providing a car rental service reminiscent of car rental all over the world.
Most popular location to hire a car in Kenya
Kenya Mini Guide
Kenya is a country of incredible natural beauty in which mankind is thought to have originated as a species. Kenya is famous for its fantastic game parks where you can see wild animals such as lions, elephants and wildebeest. The latter animals migrate en masse every year across Kenya from Maasai Mara to the Serengeti – an unforgettable sight if you are lucky enough to witness it. If you hope to experience this amazing act of nature book your accommodation well ahead of time and consider renting a hot air balloon which is the best way to see the wildebeest.
The eastern African country of Kenya is bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It is possible to drive into Uganda via the Busia border, Ethiopia via the Moyale border and Tanzania via the Namanga border. If you do a long cross border drive make sure you plan your journey carefully as some parts of the northern desert of Kenya can be dangerous due to bandits. The roads are often in bad condition and there are few signs making it easy to get lost, but if you are looking for an adventure then consider hiring a jeep to deal with the dirt tracks and bush. You may also wish to request the optional extra of having GPS as this can be very useful in Kenya. Kenya is a developing country of varying degrees and some people in Kenya may even still be relatively unused to seeing white people.
Most people flying into Kenya will come into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is in the capital Nairobi. Picking up your Rhino rental car from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport you can be in Nairobi’s main business district within half an hour.
The national carrier is Kenya Airways on which you can fly to major cities in Africa such as Harare in Zimbabwe, Cairo in Egypt, Johannesburg in South Africa and Accra in Ghana. Air Kenya also has routes to international destinations like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Mumbai in India and Amsterdam in Holland. Other airlines which operate out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Qatar Airways.
If you are flying to Mombasa you will arrive at Moi International Airport where you can also collect a Rhino hire car, while Eldoret airport deals with cargo planes and local flights. For low cost flights within Kenya and the region try the Fly540 airline.
Facts about Kenya
- The country of Kenya is named after Mount Kenya which is a well known landmark and also second among Africa's highest mountain peaks.
- Kenya's climate varies from tropical around the coastal areas to arid in the north and northeast of the country.
- Kenya boasts many wildlife reserves such as the Masai Mara which is home to many different species, some endangered.
- The currency in Kenya is the Kenyan shilling (KES).
- The official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English.
Climate in Kenya - When to Visit?
Hot and dry is a fair description of the climate in Kenya, however it's actually usually a little cooler in the peak summer months from June to September.
Month
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Average °C
20
21
21
22
21
20
19
18
18
19
21
20
Minimum °C
14
14
13
15
15
14
13
12
12
12
14
15
Maximum °C
25
27
28
28
26
25
24
23
24
26
27
25
Sunshine (hours)
7
8
9
8
5
5
6
7
7
8
7
6
Rain (cm)
7
7
4
8
12
12
1
1
3
2
3
15