Self Drive Holidays

Take a rental car for the freedom to travel where you want and when you want….

Overview

Have you considered taking a self drive safari holiday in South Africa or Namibia? Perhaps friends have done it and told you how easy it is? We certainly believe it is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore these country. You experience beautiful landscapes and meet the people at your own pace.

But perhaps you are more hesitant? Concerned about the condition of the roads, the ease of car hire, or getting lost? Cedarberg Africa started way back in 1995 as self-drive experts for South Africa and Namibia. Thousands of our clients have happily enjoyed a self drive holiday for all or part of their holiday. So we’re here to explain that a self drive safari holiday is easy to enjoy in South Africa or Namibia…

Why Self-drive Holidays in South Africa?

  • Excellent value for money compared to having private transfers or a private guide. See our blog post on Easy self drive tours in South Africa for a comparison of self drive vs private tours.
  • Flexibility – no set daily plan. You can do what you like when you like. All that’s booked for you is your accommodation. So you can get up late if you wish. Or stay longer at a place that grabs you.
  • Select what type of car group you want from compact to luxurious.
  • Driving is on the left, the roads are generally excellent and all the road signs are in English.
  • We provide detailed directions and a comprehensive travel itinerary outlining suggested routes & what to see in each area.
  • GPS or Data on the Go is always included in the rental car. The Data on the Go option gives 1MB of data per day.

South Africa self-drive

Naturally, we craft most of our self-drive holidays to South Africa to your personal needs, taking a detailed brief from you.

Using a specialist tour operator who books a lot of self-drive in South Africa also saves you plenty of time and money. We have all the directions to the hotels and lodges at our fingertips. We know which routes are the easiest and most picturesque. AND we know where GPS is not to be relied on. We also know how far people can comfortably travel in one day and still enjoy their holiday...

Best routes for Self Drive Safari Tours in South Africa?

Probably the routes that everyone finds easy are in the Cape province. You can settle into the country in Cape Town, then have a car delivered to your hotel when you are ready to start exploring around the Cape Peninsula, out to the Winelands. From there you can head north to the Cederberg and West Coast. Or east to the Whale Coast, the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape on a safari.

However there are many other parts of the country to explore. KwaZulu Natal is a perfect destination for self-drive as private touring is expensive there. Plus there's lots of variety. You can also head into more off the beaten track areas such as the Northern Cape, Namaqualand and the Kalahari, the Waterberg or even the northern Limpopo.

South Africa self-drive

Self-Drive Holidays in South Africa: It’s not “all or nothing”...

Of course it’s one thing enjoying a self drive holiday in the Cape or along the Garden Route. You may feel comfortable with that. But you may want road transfers elsewhere? Not a problem! Combining a little bit of self drive with private transfers and touring is a great way to have the best of all worlds.

Highlights

  • A self-drive holiday gives you the flexibility to enjoy the day as you want, unconstrained by a set itinerary… the freedom to travel at your own pace.
  • It’s the most affordable way to get around and see the country.
  • Driving is on the left in South Africa and Namibia, the road network is excellent and the signs are all in English.
  • We have several sample self-drive tours in South Africa and Namibia to whet your appetite.

The whole travel experience was excellent!

"We were very happy with the kind and professional way our travel request was dealt with. We received an outlined itinerary swiftly with an elaborate description that sounded very attractive. A couple of changes were made to adapt it somehow a little more to our wishes. The whole procedure was easy going and agreeable. A last minute change concerning our rental car was dealt with swiftly and smoothly. The whole travel experience was excellent! We all enjoyed our holiday very much. We would highly recommend booking with Cedarberg any time to family and friends and we hope to be able to book with them again in the future. " Mrs Fenagun, UK

Outstanding holiday

"The arrangements worked well. Many thanks for all the hard work. " Mr Bund, UK

WHAT AN AMAZING SAFARI! An outstanding job!

"WHAT AN AMAZING SAFARI! What an outstanding job you did! From the arrival of the guests to the end of the safari. I’ll speak on my behalf and let the other guests speak for themselves and give their own opinions. Let me just say the Safari amazing…., The team did an outstanding job, from the day of arrival at the airport with ground handlers to the drivers, to the departure day. Everything went smoothly and without this team, I do believe the experience would have been different. Africa is known for being slow, especially being punctual (as we call it, African time). The team changed all that. Everything ran according to the schedule and on time. They made us feel at ease, stress-free, and truly on vacation. It indeed made me feel proud of my country, proud to be a Kenyan, and proud of the people. There was UBUNTU all around, everywhere we went people were respectful, polite, and kind (apart from the one or two individuals who would hassle us to buy something and especially when they see Mzungu) and for that, I thank you, THOMAS, and the team. Excellent work. A hand of applause to Mari; Thank you to Mari, it all started with you. Thank you for planning and organizing the Safari it will forever be in our memories. The accommodation and the food were fantastic. Amboseli was stunning, although it would have been great to see Mt Kilimanjaro it was cloudy. Eka Hotel was great, and the breakfast was delicious. At the Keekorok, zebras visited us behind our cabins and could hear the call of the hippos. And finally, the Voyager hotel in Mombasa was fun and relaxing and the food was fantastic. Overall, the hospitality everywhere was fantastic. Couldn’t have asked for more. Lastly, a big thank you to my safari team (Resa, Anette, Pete, Jim, Pat, Sarah and Mike) for being seasoned travelers, easy going and went with the flow. The Safari wouldn’t have been the same without great travelers like you. I enjoyed spending time with you all. THANK YOU, GUYS. Sincerely, I thank you ALL. " Mrs Carol Ndungu
 

Ginny Russell

Co-founder & Director

Hi I'm Ginny, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience

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Did you know
  • Speed Limit in South Africa & Namibia120 km/hour on the highways
  • Cross BorderYou can drive between South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini & Botswana

Accommodation

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Exceeded our expectations

"From our first phone call, our requirements for the holiday were quickly and efficiently met and the overall standard of accommodation booked for us met and, in some cases, exceeded our expectations. All the transfers worked well and directions to our hotels were accurate and simple to follow. The information booklet supplied was very helpful. " Mr B Smith

Impeccable

"Just a quick note to let you know we have arrived home safely and Sari and myself had a wonderful time in South Africa and your planning was impeccable. Overall you have done a wonderful job . It is highly appreciated and we are sorry we did not get a chance to meet you in Cape Town. " Mrs Sara & Mr Andre, USA

Enjoyed the charm of the accommodation

"I want thank Mari for helping us create a vacation tour that worked for my husband son and myself. We got to see everything we would like to see that worked within our budget. " Mrs Janouska, USA

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