How It Works

Booking Process

  • Want to start planning your self-drive safari? To get in touch with us, we offer two options:

    1. Introductory Call
      We offer both telephone and video appointments. During our call we will listen to your requirements and answer any questions you may have, after which we will start preparing your expedition itinerary.

    2. Expedition Enquiry
      Complete this form, including all required fields and any additional information you wish to share with us. Once received, we will contact you via email and start preparing a suitable expedition itinerary for you.

  • We calculate the price of your self-drive safari based on your choice of vehicle, travel dates (high vs. low season), number of participants and accommodations, which range from Premium, Deluxe and Standard, to our very own Tented Camps.

    Your travel dates are determined by the type of self-drive safari you select. You can choose between:

    • Escorted: for each group trip we offer a selection of scheduled departure dates for you to join.

    • Un-Escorted: when do you want to travel? We will plan a travel itinerary especially for you.

  • Decide what type of self-drive safari you are interested in. We offer two types for customers to choose from:

    • Escorted are group trips led by our founders, Richard and Kristin, supported by their on-the-ground expedition crews and travel specialists located in our regional offices in Kigali, Kampala and Nairobi. Our escorted trips are specially designed to offer you as much independence or group interaction as you require.

    • Un-escorted are led by you, supported remotely by our regional office teams. We plan an itinerary especially for you, make all accommodation bookings, and create a mapped out route for you to follow.

  • If you prefer not to drive the vehicle yourself, we can arrange a chauffeured service where our driver drives your vehicle throughout the expedition.

  • For each self-drive safari itinerary, we offer the choice of Premium, Deluxe and Standard accommodations, in addition to Drive Into The Wild’s truly mobile Tented Camps across East Africa.

    When we create your itinerary, it will include descriptions of all your accommodation choices. In the meantime, have a look at a sample of our popular accommodations.

    Please note, in some destinations not all of the above listed accommodation categories will be available, in which case we will suggest the best alternative accommodation option for you.

  • To explore the very best of East Africa’s spectacular wildlife, landscapes, activities, people, culture and history, Drive Into The Wild offers its customers the choice of three categories of vehicle to drive.

Arrival In Country

  • When you have booked your self-drive safari with us, we will make arrangements to pick you up upon arrival at the airport and transfer you to the hotel of your choice.

    We recommend arriving in country one day before the begin of your expedition, in order for you to attend the vehicle briefing, do a test drive and meet the team.

  • We contract with a large variety of accommodation providers in all the cities where our customers will be flying into.

    We can offer you an extensive list of Premium, Deluxe and Standard properties to choose from.

  • To ensure the smooth running of your self-drive safari, we prefer for our customers to participate in a vehicle briefing and test drive before the trip commences. This will give you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the vehicle and get used to its handling on and off road.

  • The type of self-drive safari you have booked will determine which Drive Into The Wild team you are allocated to:

    • With an escorted expedition, you will meet other customers who will travel in the same group as you. As you will be driving, or will be driven, in your own vehicle, our escorted trips are specially designed to offer you as much independence or group interaction as you require.

    • If you are travelling on an un-escorted expedition, you will meet our office team who will be supporting you remotely during your trip.

  • Prior to the start of your self-drive safari, you will receive an in-depth briefing from the Drive Into The Wild team:

    • For our escorted expeditions, we will conduct a group-style briefing to discuss all aspects of your trip with other participating customers.

    • If un-escorted, we will conduct a private briefing to discuss your itinerary, accommodations and the route map.

  • We will send you our recommendations during the expedition planning process, either via our Introductory Call or the Expedition Enquiry correspondence.

On The Road

  • Our Booking Terms stipulate that all customers must abide by the road laws in each country they travel through whilst on a self-drive safari with Drive Into The Wild. Any traffic violations received, will require the customer to pay the fines direct to the respective authorities.

    Continued violations of the road laws whilst on expedition, will result in the customer having to return the vehicle to us and not being allowed to complete their expedition with Drive Into The Wild.

  • We provide a specialist self-drive service and at times our itineraries do require long driving days in order to explore off-the-beaten path destinations. All our itineraries list the approximate driving times for each day, although it’s possible these may fluctuate due to unforeseen circumstances such as road works or traffic congestion.

    We spend a minimum of 2 nights in each destination, which gives our customers time to relax and recuperate, enjoy the property facilities, participate in activities and prepare for the next driving day.

    On the days where long drives are required, we leave at 8am in the morning, drive for 2 - 3 hours, stop for a 2 hour lunch-break, and continue for another 2 - 3 hours in the afternoon before reaching our destination.

  • If travelling on one of our escorted self-drive safaris, we will drive in convoy throughout the duration of the trip apart from in the national parks where customers can drive independently from the group.

    Typically, our escorted self-drive safaris are comprised of five passenger vehicles and two Drive Into The Wild support vehicles. One support vehicle travels at the front of the convoy and the other at the rear with the passenger vehicles situated in-between.

    We do this for three key reasons:

    • Our lead vehicle at the front of the convoy navigates the group, thereby removing all the complexities of our customers having to navigate themselves.

    • Our lead vehicle ensures the group abides by all the road laws, avoids pot holes, handles police checks and facilitates border crossings.

    • Our support vehicle at the rear acts in a similar capacity to the lead vehicle. It also transports the mobile kitchen and additional equipment for Drive Into The Wild’s very own mobile Tented Camps.

    If you are travelling on an un-escorted self-drive safari, you will not be accompanied by the Drive Into The Wild support vehicles whilst on the road. Instead, our office teams will support you in a remote capacity.

  • All passenger and support vehicles travelling as part of our escorted self-drive safaris are equipped with walkie-talkies. These enable our lead and support vehicles to communicate with the passenger vehicles, and to alert them of road and traffic conditions whilst in transit.

  • We are all the custodians of the national parks we visit. Whilst driving through the parks it is crucially important that everyone adheres to regulations for both their personal safety and the preservation of all wildlife:

    • Entrance Fees: all vehicles entering national parks are required to pay an entrance fee, which our customers will pay themselves.

    • Park Hours: typically, the parks operate from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Therefore, all driving and activities need to be completed during this timeframe.

    • Speed Limits: all customers must adhere to designated speed limits within the parks. Failure to comply could attract immediate fines by the park authorities.

    • No Littering: it is imperative that all visitors refrain from littering within the national parks.

    • No Stopping: for the safety of wildlife and our customers, unnecessary stops within the park are strictly prohibited.

    • Restricted Driving Areas: vehicles are not permitted to deviate from designated roads and pathways in the parks. Any unauthorized diversions could attract immediate fines by the park authorities.

    • No Feeding Wildlife: the feeding of the wildlife within the parks is strictly prohibited.

  • Our fleet of modern SUV vehicles are in excellent condition. They are very well maintained and no older than 3 years since the date of manufacture.

    Whilst on a self-drive safari, the vehicles will be serviced at regular mileage intervals, to ensure they remain in good running order for the remainder of the trip:

    • If travelling on an escorted expedition, we will service your vehicle on your behalf.

    • If on an un-escorted expedition, we will provide you with details of designated garages where the service can be completed.

Accommodations

  • When choosing accommodations in East Africa, Drive Into The Wild can suggest a wide range of properties where guests can stay.

    We conduct regular site inspections in every destination to ensure all properties and suppliers featured in our itineraries adhere to and maintain the service levels as expected by our customers.

    Please note the following:

    • If travelling as part of an escorted self-drive safari, you will upon arrival in the national parks be taken to our tented camp, or guided to your lodge for check-in. With the latter option, you will join up with the group again when we leave the national park.

    • If travelling on an un-escorted self-drive safari, we will make all accommodation bookings for you. You will navigate your own way to all the lodges and camps using the mapped out route we provide you with.

  • On non-driving days, when you are in-destination, there are two meal plans available:

    • in national parks all meals are provided by our tented camp or your chosen lodge on a full-board basis, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are planning an all-day game drive, enquire if it is possible to arrange for a pack lunch rather than retuning to your accommodation for a meal.

    • in cities, towns and beach resorts, lunch and dinner are not provided by your accommodation. This is because typically there are a selection of restaurants on offer and customers prefer to make their own meal arrangements.

    On driving days, when you transfer from one destination to the next, your accommodations will provide breakfast and dinner. You will be expected to make your own lunch arrangement enroute.

  • Drive Into The Wild’s spacious canvas tents (660 x 300 x 210 cm) feature 2 rooms and offer plenty of living space inside each tent. With a 2+ meter internal standing height you can stand up comfortably. At a height of 46 cm off the ground, our king size beds and bed linen will remind you of your own bed at home.

    Each tent has it’s own ensuite bathroom, including a shower, flush toilet and washbasin. The tent’s second room, the living space area, is comprised of a table and chairs.

  • Each escorted self-drive safari includes the services of our mobile kitchen, with our chef preparing tasty dishes for when you’re in camp.

    With our un-escorted self-drive safaris you are expected to take care of your own food arrangements whilst in camp.

  • There are two types of game drives:

    • Self-drive: you will drive your vehicle independently and will be responsible for selecting the route and duration of each game drive.

    • Lodge game drive: using their vehicle and driver, the lodge manages all game drives. Unless you opt for a private game drive, you will most likely share the vehicle with other guests staying at the lodge, and therefore your driver will determine the route and duration.

  • For all our self-drive safaris, all persons travelling must have comprehensive travel insurance including cover for all activities which they will or may engage in whilst on the tour. This insurance must include an appropriate level of cover for cancellation, delays, loss of luggage and personal belongings, medical expenses, injury, death, emergency repatriation (including but not limited to medical care, pandemic, war, civil unrest) and personal liability claims. Drive Into The Wild cannot be held responsible if travellers purchase an inadequate insurance policy. Details of the insurer, policy number and emergency/next of kin contact(s) must be provided to Drive Into The Wild during the booking process. We are entitled to refuse to allow travellers to commence their tour if we are not reasonably satisfied that they have the required travel insurance.

    Travellers should read their insurance policy details carefully and carry a copy of their policy with them whilst on their tour. It is the traveller's responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover they purchase is suitable and adequate for their particular needs and for the tour arrangements they are undertaking. If in doubt whether an activity is covered, travellers should contact their travel insurance company for clarification.

    Health protocols and travel regulations are subject to change and may be updated at any time before or during your journey. At all times, travellers are responsible for their own health and wellbeing and must comply with all rules, regulations, laws and requirements imposed.

    From our 3 regional offices in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, Drive Into The Wild continuously monitors all our expedition routes to ensure they are safe to visit. We recommend checking and monitoring the latest travel advice provided by your local government, including country-specific recommendations for your chosen destination(s).

Drive Into The Wild’s escorted expeditions are specially designed to offer you as much independence or group interaction as you require.