Many travelers nowadays prefer the flexibility of planning their own Safari itinerary, booking accommodation online and then hiring a vehicle for the tour. Nonetheless, car rental in Tanzania for your safari is best well thought through for obvious reasons. First, you want to ensure you rent a reliable and suitable vehicle at a good price, easier said than done, as safari vehicles are inherently subjected to higher wear and tear. Second, the vehicle supplier from whom you rent the car ought to be established, licensed and above board. Lastly, keep in mind that self drive car rental in Tanzania is not for everyone. The process and paperwork is involving and deposits are required to cover for damage, accident or theft. Standards of driving in Tanzania are vastly different to other parts of the world and roads are usually in poor state away from the main highways. Getting stuck, breaking down or risking an accident are not uncommon. The best option for many tourists is to hire a safari vehicle with a Driver-Guide included at a minor additional fee, as low as USD 25 per day, as this avoids you being responsible for damage, accidents or theft of the vehicle while offering the advantage of an expert Driver-Guide, making the trip stress free so you can sit back and enjoy the experience. Note also that self drive cars typically do not have a game viewing roof while proper Safari vehicles have these built in, making all the difference in viewing wildlife in the parks. Listed below are options for hiring a Vehicle with a Driver - Guide for your Serengeti or Tanzania Safari.
The other dominant type of Safari vehicle in Tanzania and East Africa is the 4x4 Landcruiser Safari Jeep. These are often Toyota Landcruiser Jeeps converted into Safari vehicles with the addition of pop up game viewing roofs [ front and main], safari customization, and addition og UHF radio calls and suitable seating. Some vehicles also come with air conditioning and electric cooler boxes. Safari Jeeps are more capable off road and marginally more comfortable as well over rougher sections of road, but will cost significantly more to hire than safari tour vans.
Seating varies from an optimal 6 passengers per vehicle to a maximum of 9 passengers with additional seats fixed into the vehicle to accommodate more people. It should be noted that there are 2 sub types of these vehicles, some that have closed sides, hence suitable for highway travel, and others that are open-sided, suitable for use only for game drives within various reserves and parks, meaning that they are stationed here permanently, and cannot be used for say travelling from Arusha to Serengeti. These open-sided jeeps are often a part of Fly-in Safaris, keeping in mind that not all lodges or camps have open-sided jeeps, as some still use closed vehicles even for their flying packages.
A Road in Serengeti National Park
A Landcruiser Safari Jeep during a game drive in Serengeti Tanzania
Serengeti Scenery
Safari game drive in Serengeti National Park
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