Self drive tour packages in Rwanda

We have put together 4×4 self drive routes to get you started on a journey of self-discovery and adventure with our self-drive 4×4 vehicles!

4x4 Self Drive Road Trips In Rwanda

Self Drive Highlights Of Amboseli

Variety of lodgings for all budgets and preferences
Great wildlife viewing
Great birding
Great elephant sightings
Clear views of Kilimanjaro on some days
4 of the Big 5 are here

Self Drive Packages to Consider

Activities in Amboseli National Park Kenya

Wildlife Watching

The park’s permanent swamps of Enkongo Narok, Olokenya and longiye create a marshy belt across the middle of the park; this is where you will encounter most wildlife. Elephants love to wallow around in the muddy waters and you have a good chance of seeing hippos around the edge. For really close-up elephant encounters, Sinet Causeway, which crosses Enkongo Narok near (Normatior) Observation Hill, is often good; climb Normatior for excellent views. The surrounding grasslands are home to grazing antelope, zebras, and wildebeest, with spotted hyenas, cheetahs, and lions sometimes lurking nearby; there’s a reasonably reliable hyena den signposted northeast of the Hill, which all the guides know about.

Birdlife is especially rich in these swamps when the migrants arrive in November. If you are taking the road that runs east across the park to Kimana Gate, watch for giraffes in the acacia woodlands; this is the best place inside the park for giraffe-spotting. We’ve also had excellent luck out here with cheetahs and lions. Some years back, Ol Tukai Lodge was the only place offering night drives to guests staying at the lodge only.

sights of Maasai Mara

Rhino Ridge & Paradise Plains

Rhino Ridge is a good place to see black-backed jackals, as they’re known to use the old termitaria here for den sites. Lookout Hill is worth a detour as it offers phenomenal views over the seasonal Olpunyaia swamp. You may also get lucky and spot one of the few black rhinos that inhabit the reserve anywhere between Lookout Hill and Rhino Ridge and in the vicinity of Roan Hill.

To see lions, the Marsh Pride near Musiara Swamp and the Ridge Pride near Rhino Ridge both starred in the BBC’s Big Cat Diary so they (as celebrities) are fairly easy to find.

Cheetahs are far more elusive but are sometimes found hunting gazelles on the Paradise Plains.

Mara River

Pods of hippos can be found in any of the major rivers, with the largest and most permanent concentrations occurring in the Mara River. The river is also home to huge Nile crocodiles and is the scene where wildebeest make their fateful crossing during the migration. The New Mara Bridge in the south is the only all-weather crossing point and another great place to see hippos.

Accommodation in Amboseli National Park Kenya

Despite being on almost every Kenyan itinerary, there’s a real lack of midrange accommodation in Amboseli, and almost everything here is either top-end luxury or budget simplicity. Whether you plan to camp and cook for yourself or enjoy pampering in a fancy lodge, you’ll find something suitable here.

Most accommodation is outside the park, but there are three lodges inside.

Amboseli Serena Lodge

A classically elegant property in Amboseli, the Serena is comprised of fiery-red adobe cottages, some of the rooms overlook the wildlife-rich Enkongo Narok swamp and are fringed by lush tropical gardens of blooming flowers and manicured shrubs. There are no Kilimanjaro views from the lodge. Service is excellent, as is the swimming pool and wi-fi connection.

Ol Tukai lodge

Lying at the heart of Amboseli, on the edge of a dense acacia forest, Ol Tukai is a splendidly refined lodge with soaring makuti (thatched roofs of palm leaves) and tranquil gardens defined by towering trees. Accommodation is in chalets, which are brought to life with vibrant zebra prints. The split-level bar has a sweeping Kili view and a pervading atmosphere of peace and luxury.

Kibo Safari Camp

Around 2km from Kimana Gate, Kibo Safari Camp gives you the experience of a tented camp without asking the prohibitive fees of the lodges inside the park proper; you can be inside the park soon after sunrise. The 72 tents and expansive grounds are beautifully kept and there are astonishing views of Kilimanjaro to be had, as well as a good restaurant serving high-quality buffet meals.

Tawi lodge

Set on its own private 24sq-km conservancy close to Kimana Gate and with its own airstrip, Tawi Lodge is our pick of the places southeast of the park. You’ve got the choice of going into Amboseli or exploring Tawi’s own wildlife-rich area, while the cottages are refined, beautifully furnished and most come with fine Kili views. There’s even an on-site spa, and night drives are possible.