It’s always mixed reactions when it comes to issues of taking either a self-drive or a guided tour. In any way a road trip to East Africa is one of the most rewarding in various aspects. But the experiences also looks at how one is opting to explore this rich adventure spot. The East African region is a hub for great African adventures particularly in relation to nature.
After a decision to explore this sun setting side of adventures, you would be thinking what would be the best style to explore the great African adventures. For a self-drive mode, you face real nature by yourself, and a guided tour you encounter nature under a lead.
A self-drive road trip means to hire a 4×4 safari customized vehicle, then drive at your own pace. And a guided tour remains for noble travelers who don’t wish for road engagements but only seat and driven around like as real boss.
Both experiences are worthy to consider for a tour in East Africa. What is then your preferred way to use when exploring the region, we are discussing the benefits of the self-drive along guided tour benefits.
A tour to East Africa exposes to prodigious natural wonders. When opting for nature and mostly wildlife, the region is the richest among any other spot to consider.
Either on a self-drive or a guided tour here means watching tens of thousands of wildebeest crossing between the corridors Maasai Mara and Serengeti. Trekking the world’s remaining mountain gorillas in either Rwanda or Uganda, climbing Africa’s first, second, third and fourth highest mountains. Watching the big five games, several wildlife species, rafting on the world’s longest rivers source, boat cruise on Africa’s fresh largest fresh water lake among so many considerations.
The East African region consists mainly of 4 countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. However, the formation of the East African community has extended the boundary and today the community consist of 7 countries and the other 3 are Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There is a single East African tourist visa which operates in 3 countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. The visa costs $100 and valid for 90 days, it’s ideal for a tour throughout the three countries. The single East African tourist visa has great facilitated unlimited tours within the region.
Self-drive in East Africa
Seated behind the wheels and deciding every turning point of your journey is an amazing side of exploring the region. East Africa settles into the shadows of West and East African Rift. However, features a gently sloping landscape and plateaus in some areas.
We mean hire a strong safari customized 4×4 vehicle and take a self-guided trip to your selected end points. After securing a 4×4 safari vehicle, then the rest to do on your journey remains at your own. Here you face and feel all the joy and embarrassments along your safari.
Road conditions are generally not rude that one can access almost any of their admired tourist destination. However, when taking either a self-drive or a guided tour in East Africa the 4×4 safari customized is more recommendable to any area. And should remembers roads especially to most tourist destinations misbehave during rainy seasons.
So many adventurous travelers have opted to take a self-guided road trip especially to unfamiliar destinations. It’s the joy of some travelers searching and finding routes of driving using different location finders. Though some places are remote that network is limited to enable using your locators like Google Maps, GPS, and any other tool.
Self-drive to Uganda and Rwanda is very possible and easy, a self-drive to Kenya is more possible and a self-drive to Tanzania is possible. All this depends on which can of trip you have organized, some countries like Rwanda and Uganda are smaller with geographical size and driving throughout them is easier even to first timers. And Kenya and Tanzania are considerably large in size and a self-drive is still possible for adventurous travelers.
With the self-drive trip travelers enjoy the freedom of driving privately at your own pace. This keeps you a enjoying your adventures on none fixed schedule for flexibility issue.
The self-drive road trip is cheaper on the side of expenses, some of the expenses are bypassed among these include; driver, and operators rates which keeps you enjoying your drive at a lowered costs.
Issues of a self-drive tour
Though self-drive is more enjoying, but it’s somehow challenging with various tasks that are considered. When got stuck in remote areas rescue may delay which makes your traveling time challenged. Traffic behavior as well is very challenging especially when driving in Uganda and Kenya where the traffic flow is influenced by huge corruption rate.
Guided tours in East Africa
Seat and travel around like a real boss while relaxed. This is a vintage way of exploring most adventurous destinations and the most used in East Africa. There’re several certified tour operators who have taken up to handle all the needs of travelers.
Traveling on a guided tour, travelers are only limited to explore what was agreed upon on the fixed travel plan. This is most perfect traveling mode as far as time cautiousness and value for money is concerned.
A guided tours are convenient, where expert guides lead you with all the background information of destinations. These are generally all-inclusive travel packages where travelers have to pay for everything on the package and seat and relax, then expertized guides drive and take them around.
Guided tours are perfect for grown up travelers, and family trips. Guided tours still can extend to all groups of travelers who don’t want to engage into matters of self-drives and for travelers who are going into new destinations.
A guided tour is the best when to understand the in-depth knowledge of destinations. Operators use only well and highly trained tour guides equipped with knowledge of destinations. The guides keep engaging you with facts about places you’re visiting.
Issues of a Guided Trip
No freedom of traveling off the planed schedule. So, a guided tour keeps you fixed and royal to the agreed plan. There is no chance of flexibility, however, some of the operators still on the same program can balance your time and take a moment off the planned program. Which may be dangerous and unacceptable.
A guided tour is very expensive, remember all things concerning the trip have to be catered for. Not like a self-drive where some of the costs are bypassed. With a guided tour there is limited space to run off any cost. This is the most expensive traveling program, however it’s the most used traveling mode.
Conclusion;
A self-drive VS a guided tour, there are benefits of taking either or. For a relaxed traveling mode, then should consider a guided tour. But when seeking for something adventurous, the best option should be a self-drive mode.
