Spain now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index.
09.12.2023 - 07:25 / lonelyplanet.com
In this series, Lonely Planet’s team of writers and editors answer your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. When it came to a question about a 4WD self-drive safari in Africa, we knew Namibia-based guidebook writer Mary Fitzpatrick would have the answer.
Question: "I'm interested in a 4WD self-drive safari in Africa, I think I have a shortlist of Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania, but I would like more detailed, first-hand information before I commit to a particular country."
Mary Fitzpatrick: A self-drive safari in Southern and/or East Africa promises to be full of adventure and life-changing encounters. Think of spotting elephants at dawn on a wildlife drive. Sitting in front of a campfire at sunset. Or arriving at a remote village where curious, laughing, local children will surround you, wondering where you are going.
A 4WD African safari is also a big undertaking. If it’s your first visit to the continent, or you’re traveling solo, first consider joining an organized safari. You can then do a self-drive safari on a later visit. If you decide to stick with self-drive plans, travel with at least one other person and start easy. Focus on one country first. Those you’ve mentioned are large and exploring any of them in depth would require a two- to three-week itinerary. If you do decide to cross borders, pick geographically proximate pairings.
Of the three countries you mention, Botswana has more of a self-drive safari culture. Fully-equipped 4WD rentals are easy to find in Gaborone and other major towns. You can also pick up wheels near larger tourist sights. Indeed, many locals will see the country this way. You will still need to be well prepared for remote driving and camping. Experience in both off-road and bush driving is helpful too. Expect some long, empty stretches between the more popular destinations.
It is also possible to organize self-drive rentals in Kenya and Tanzania. Both are wonderfully rewarding but they can be costly. Most visitors will opt for an organized safari instead. However, there are some benefits to hiring a 4WD in either country. Their roads are less isolated, especially around major parks. There are more facilities en route, too – even if it's only small villages and shops selling basics.
Another fourth alternative to consider is Namibia. With good roads, well-equipped campsites and reasonably priced rental vehicles, it is one of the easiest Southern African countries to explore via a self-drive tour. If you want to visit more than one country, start in Namibia, head east into Botswana, and finish up with a visit to Victoria Falls on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border.
If you do decide to cross any borders, ensure your vehicle and any
Spain now has the world’s most powerful passport, according to a new index.
The allure of an African safari is unrivalled, offering the opprtunity to spend time in the natural habitat of animals many of us know only from children’s storybooks or television. But it can be hard to feel immersed in the wildness of your surroundings when you’re in a queue with dozens of other vehicles on a game drive.
In the chilly predawn hour of late July, the peak time for a winter safari in Botswana, I sink deeper into the seat of our electric Land Cruiser, bundled in layers of scarves, blankets, and jackets. We’re on the move. A predator, the elusive African leopard, was spotted near our lodge the night before. While tracking this large nocturnal cat will ultimately prove difficult, I have already witnessed a different rare sight on this trip: a crew of all-woman guides known as the Chobe Angels, the first in Africa and the only such team in Botswana, where women still represent less than 5% of all safari guides.
If you have your eyes set on island-hopping throughout the Lamu Archipelago or venturing on some of the most thrilling wildlife safaris in the New Year, we have good news for you: travel to Kenya is about to get a little bit easier.
Visitors to Kenya will no longer need a visa to enter the East African nation starting in January, President William Ruto announced on Tuesday.
With its expansive views, vast national parks and small towns that offer a glimpse into local life and culture, Kenya is the perfect place to take a road trip.
Go2Africa recently announced what purports to be the world’s most expensive wildlife safari. For $690,000, a family of four will visit six African countries (including Kenya, South Africa and the Seychelles) over 24 days. The luxurious accommodations range from tented safari camps to beachfront villas, and remote wellness retreats. The package also includes hot air balloon rides, gorilla trekking—even a personal film crew to document the journey.
Anantara has announced Anantara Kafue River Tented Camp, a new resort indevelopment on the banks of the Kafue River in Africa.
Pelicans preen and glide. Jacana birds, precise as ballerinas, point their improbably elongated toes. Pied kingfishers flit in and out of their lakeside nest holes, saddle-billed storks patrol the grassy banks and skimmers speed across the silver-blue water, scooping up beakfuls mid-flight. Everywhere I look, there are birds in abundance. The safari boat is the perfect platform from which to watch: open-sided, smooth and near-silent.
Kenya is not generally considered an expensive place to travel, but its developed tourist industry means prices can be a little higher than other African countries.
Before you book that dream safari trip to the Masai Mara, start planning beach time in Mombasa or working out which of Nairobi’s cool bars you want to enjoy a cold beer at, make sure you’ve got your visa to visit Kenya figured out.
The first-ever Botswana Tourism Investment Summit will be held in the country’s capital, Gaborone, from today, the 23rd to the 24th November 2023. This event organized by the International Tourism and Investment Corporation (ITIC) in partnership with World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation, aims at promoting Botswana as a land of untapped tourism potentials to becoming a major conduit for foreign investment flows to the country. Furthermore, Botswana’s project developers will be connected to investors. Bankable projects in quest of investments will be highlighted through presentations. In addition, the ITIC and BTO teams are preparing up to assist the different parties in brokering joint-ventures, partnership agreements or in entering the shareholding capital of these exciting strategic moves focused on high returns.