Travel Tips

Things Not to Do with a Rental Car in Kenya

Renting a car is such a common part of the travel experience that you’d think the process would be straightforward and transparent yet somehow it is anything but. Many travelers aren’t sure how to rent a car without making a few common mistakes.

Do I need to buy additional insurance? What about paying to refuel the car? I hear horror stories about phony damage claims; should I be worried? No one is around to inspect the car with me; is that OK? Can I drive into another country? Do I need all the extras they offer me at the rental counter? These questions come up pretty much every time someone rents a car. Again, anything but straightforward.

Among all your options, there are some things you don’t need to do, or even should not do, when renting a car in Kenya; 

Read carefully the car rental agreement

Before you sign a contract, read it thoroughly. If you don’t understand something, just ask for explanation. This is a hackneyed advice, but still useful.

The advertised price is not always the final one

It is a favourite trick of many rental companies to advertise a car rental just for less money. The price usually includes the renting only and forgets about taxes, fees or insurance. What seemed to be a very advantageous price at first becomes eventually an extremely disadvantageous one.

Mileage may be limited

Some car rental companies limit the distance that can be driven. You’ll have to pay a lot more for exceeding the limit.

Where you can drive the borrowed car?

Rental conditions at some car rental companies clearly indicate where you can drive the car. Usually, it is forbidden to cross borders to other countries (Sudan, Congo). Offered cars usually have a built-in GPS locator hidden inside and you’ll be most certainly fined for infringement of this condition.

Buy fuel at the gas station

Refuel the car somewhere close to the renting company before you return it. You can still arrive with an empty tank but buying gas from the renting company is much more expensive.

You’ll pay a penalty for returning the car late

If you don’t manage to return the car on time, you’ll pay an extra fee for the next day.

Second and third driver at extra cost

If you’re planning a long trip with more than one driver, be sure to mention him/her in the contract. The fee for an extra driver per day. I recommend paying the fee since problems caused by the unveiling of this fraud are not worth the price.

Are you travelling with a baby?

If a child of less than two years of age travels with you, don’t forget about the child seat. In most of the states there is a law according to which children under the age of 12 have to sit on the back seat

Not inspecting the car upon departure

Another potentially huge mistake that you can make at the car rental company is not to inspect the rented car before hitting the road. You should always check the vehicle for any signs of internal or external damages before leaving the car rental company. Look for any signs of potential problems busted headlights, loose bumpers, visible scratches, strange noises, etc.

You can even take some photos or a video inspection of the vehicle so you can easily make a “before-after” comparison upon returning the rented car. Otherwise, you might end up responsible for all the damages found upon returning the car (including damages you didn’t necessarily make) and the car rental company will charge you for that.

Ignoring Potential Offers for Upgrades

In the past, I’ve recommended reserving a low-priced car and then inquiring about upgrades at the rental desk. This works best at busy times when the garage is running low on its cheapest vehicles, and may offer you free or very affordable upgrades to a larger car class due to inventory management issues.

In most cases, the desk agent has considerable discretion in setting upgrade rates, so if he or she asks if you are interested in a larger car, respond that it depends on the price; you might find yourself in a bigger and better car at minimal additional cost.

Your Credit Card Covers the Rest

Anything your own car insurance does not cover, it is likely that your credit card will. In some cases the credit card coverage is as good as or better than your auto insurance; in others it is intended to be secondary insurance to help cover anything your auto insurance does not.

Of course, you will need to pay for your car rental using that card; just having a qualifying credit card does not give you any protection.

Conclusion

And then there’s the thing you do not want to do at all, ever. To save you some time, money (and trouble), we’ve made a list of things not to do when renting a car. Contact Kenya car rental to avoid all the above mistakes.

What to Pack for Gorilla Trekking in East Africa

Gorilla trekking is Africa’s most exciting tourist activity and is currently the most expensive safari in Africa. Mountain gorillas are human like creatures that inhabit the Virunga ranges of Central and East Africa. These apes occupy Virunga massif shared between Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.

For visitors who are interested in experiencing these majestic gorillas, they can visit Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda, Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga national park in Congo. Many visitors who want to encounter the gorillas for the first time always have a lot of questions including what to carry when trekking the gorillas in any of these destinations.

This copy will help to answer these questions. It is true that trekking gorillas in the jungle requires a lot of preparations.

Gorilla trekking permit.

Trekkers should not be excited and end up not carrying gorilla permits during the actual day of trekking. In all the gorilla destinations; Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo trekkers are required to present the permits to the park headquarters before proceeding to briefing and to the jungle.

Local currency

It is important to have the local currency of the country by the trekkers, because as they will trek they can meet different people like guides, waitresses, waiters, and local residents who can perform some cultural dances, porters among others. This means you as the trekker you can offer tips with the local currency to the porters, when buying souvenirs and other minor reasons.

Bottled water and some snacks

Gorilla trekking is an adventure that needs the trekkers to be physically fit, and this means it needs enough drinking water and some energy giving snacks to fairly remain strong and be able to finish the trekking. Some of the packed energy snacks can be nuts or dried fruits to can be the trekkers energetic.

Some of the clothing and shoes that are required for gorilla include;

Long sleeved Shirts

These gorilla sites have tropical rainforest and because the trekking is in the morning, trekkers will definitely encounter the coldness and the misty from the thick forest. It is therefore very vital for trekkers to put on long sleeved shirts or Sweater to offer warm during the chill morning. While in the forest this long sleeved shirt or T-shirt can protect the trekker’s arms from falling branches or insects. In most cases this is in relation to the seasons when you want to trek. The short sleeved is recommended when its warm and trekkers are relaxing around the lodges or cottages

Long trousers or pants and wool socks.

As visitors trek in the forest, there are chances that they can encounter thick vines, Scratchy brush, and falling tree branches these are the reasons why long pants or trousers are important to safeguard the legs of the trekkers. These trousers can also allow free movement during the hike in the forest because the legs are covered. If trekkers add the socks it is the perfect deal for the gorilla experience. The trekkers will be advised by the tour guides to tack in the trousers or the pants in to the socks before hitting the jungle in search of the giant mountain gorillas.

Rain Jackets.

With the nature of the jungle, rain is expected any time of the day so no matter of the season. This rain jacket is important because it can help protect the trekkers from rain water while deep in search of the humble mountain gorillas in the natural environment.

Cold weather gloves 

The gorilla adventure will take trekkers to thick forests while in the jungle, where they will either get a trail or non but the trekkers will clear a way to pass through. There are points where trekkers will have no option but to grab tree branches using their hands yet some of the trees are harmful to human therefore the gloves can protect trekkers from this harm.

Hiking boots:

Gorilla activities are far different from game drives in savannah areas. Gorilla trekking involves hiking in the jungle, on steep slopes and thick forest while searching for the gorillas. This is so challenging in terms of navigation through the vines, slippery rocks, mud and many other hard attributes of the jungle.

The features of the jungle need hiking boots that are light and water proof so that the experience can’t be a disappointment.

Medicine and Toiletries

Given that each person understands him/herself better than someone else, because of the change in weather, environment and food among others it is common that trekkers can be attacked by Malaria. Therefore it is recommended that trekkers should carry malaria pills along with them during gorilla trekking.

The recommended repellent is the DEET. A vital toiletry is a toilet paper which is crucial to every trekker whether man or woman. This paper can help because there are no toilets in the forest expect in the park headquarters. Use the plastic bag to carry these small items.

Camera

Use the one hour given to you maximally by getting the best images and interact with the gorillas in different ways. It is for lifetime experience that a camera shouldn’t miss in your carry on items when embarking on a gorilla tour. Trek with a camera and make sure the battery can sustain you if not go with extra batteries to replace the run out power as you take as many as possible images of the gorillas.

Camera should not have any flashlight and if it has trekkers are advised to turn it off during the trekking. For the bird lovers carry along the pair of binoculars to watch the birds as you trek the gorillas.

Some of the items that one can also put in to the list of things to park during gorilla trekking include; sunglasses, hat, walking stick, first aid kit, waterproof day pack for document but some of these can be got from the park headquarters.