What You Need to Know if You are Planning For A Road Trip
A road trip can be exciting and fun as you can pick your own time to do it as well as your destination and your set of friends.
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1. Decide on the destination
Do not choose a far destination if it is your first road trip. Opt for a place that is just a few hours away from your town of residence; about a two-hour drive should do nicely.
If you are living in Nairobi for instance, you can drive up to Naivasha, Kitengela, Murang'a, Kiambu, Limuru as a starter. With more road trips, you can begin to test your limits by driving to Nanyuki, Nyeri, Meru, Kisumu, and ultimately Mombasa.
You will enjoy a nice drive to your destination, spend some time in a new place, and drive back home all in one day.
2. Choose the route you'll use
You need to choose a scenic and fast route to enhance your trip. Some drivers prefer to take a series of small roads to bypass the perennial traffic jams that impact major highways on a near-daily basis, especially in Kenya.
3. Choose your vehicle
Choose a suitable car that has a huge fuel capacity and can last for longer on a full tank. A long time ago only Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) were termed suitable for road trips but with the tarmacking of roads in almost every part of Kenya, ordinary cars can also be used for road trips, though mostly for small distances.
Make sure that you will have plenty of room for your passengers since you will be spending several hours inside the vehicle. A car with about seven seats should suffice.
4. Plan for stops
Road trips will be long and hard to maintain a constant journey for the entire duration, thus you must stop along the way.
Estimate how much distance you should cover for your journey before making a stop. One motorist told Viral Tea for instance that he stops for every 200 kilometers during a journey from Nairobi to Mombasa for refreshments, and makes an exception for toilet breaks.
You could also make it interesting by scheduling your stops where there are interesting sites such as the plethora of shops to choose from overlooking the Rift Valley.
5. Entertainment and food
Not unless you want to stress yourself looking for radio stations to tune in from, you might have to carry some form of entertainment along the way. Spotify has now made it easier for Kenyans to download playlists with their favorite music to listen to on the go.
Food is also a necessity, that is, if you want to stop after driving a long distance. You can carry pre-packed food to eat along the way or budget for it by stopping at a popular shop or supermarket.
In case you don't want to eat much along the way, carry water.
