Khori

I am going on a private safari in Kenya Setp. '07. My adult son who is going with me
is quite tall. My question is, what type vehicle do you think we would be most comfortable in; a long wheel based 4x4 or a minibus with a pop up roof? Most of our in travel will be by road.

I anxiously await your replies as I will very shortly be finalizing my itinerary. The type vehicle used will have an impact on the total cost of the safari.

Thank you

Lucia78

I think a 4x4 Landcruiser HANDS DOWN. If he's very tall, you may want to request one that has removal roof panels (opposed to pop-up roof).

dssxxxx

I may be worng, but aren't most of the vehicles in Kenya.....minivans? I did not see many, if any, Land Rovers/Land Cruisers on my last safari.

kimburu

I'm thinking about driving along with my head sticking out above the roof. Certainly one way to get a suntan.
(Sorry that's not a serious response)

A good minivan will actually give you more headroom but you might want to check how many rows of seats there are and whether the seats can be slid back or reclined at all (this varies unfortunately). However, he surely knows himself whether an ordinary 4x4 would give him sufficient headroom on very bumpy roads. Kenyans are not particuarly short people and I don't think the cars they produce in Africa are "mini-versions" (although some are very old and so smaller than equivalent new models). If you're going to places where off road driving is allowed (like the western Mara) it's worth ensuring you have 4WD

kimburu

.... whether you choose a minivan or an ordinary 4x4. If you will be there during a wet season a minivan is probably going to have more trouble getting around.

Finally, in the interests of full disclosure, a landcruiser is going to make you feel "cool" as you will stand out from the crowd in Kenya, but it will significantly reduce your bargaining power if shopkeepers see your vehicle. C'est la vie ;-)

aby

Hi Khori

i'm 6'4" and never had a problem with the vans (both Toyota & Nissan)

whether 4X4 or van, i definitely prefer "pop-up" without it hours in the African sun can be really hard...

aby

Lucia78

There are mainly minivans in Kenya---because they are cheap. But I think it's more comfortable to travel in a Landcruiser, and they are superior to minivans in terms of ability to traverse difficult roads. Personally I think the minivans bounce around a lot...and wouldn't be comfortable on the long-drive to the Mara.

We had a vehicle that had removal roof panels and I liked it, because we could sit on top of the vehicle when watching the wildbeests crossing...

Lucia78

By the way, the reason I suggested removal roof panels if he's really tall..isn't so his head could stick out the top while driving along....it's because if standing and you have a pop-up roof, it is feasible that his head could hit the top of the pop-up roof

stakerk

If you can afford it, fly don't drive (Air Kenya or Safarilink.

Khori

I checked with my son and he is only 6 feet tall. I'm 5'21/2" so to me he appears quite tall. I checked an earlier thread and they had mentioned that in Kenya, the minivans/buses seem to be the norm.

As for flying within the country, neither my son nor I like small aircraft. We did muster up enough courage to take a flight from Nairobi to Mombasa.

Thank you for everyone's input. Since opinions appear to be divided, I think we will use the minibus. It will also save us quite a bit of money.