Car rental

Jolinaiko arranges tours with public transport as well as with private transport. If you can afford it, we advise you to consider private car rental for safety reasons, flexibility and comfort.

The following cars are available for our tours and can be rented with a driver:

1x Landrover Defender
1x Landrover Discovery
5x Nissan Patrol
1x Mitsubishi Pajero
1x Chevrolet Tracker
1x Toyota Sienna
2x Toyota Hiace mini-van
Toyota Coastal busses and large touring busses on request

For photos of these vehicles, see our Jolinaiko Vehicles photoalbum. See our pricelist for current prices for car rental.

Below are our answers to frequently asked questions considering car rental:

Q: Private transport or public transport?

A: Flexibility and comfort are the main advantages of travelling by private car. Reliable public transport companies with comfortable, modern buses do operate in Ghana and neighbouring countries. However, they run only between the main cities and do not stop in the little villages in between. Generally, the places of interest are located in the countryside and you will need to use local buses to reach your destination. Those buses are far less frequent, reliable and safe. Don't be surprised if you are sitting waiting in the bus for hours before it gets full and heads off to your destination.

Travelling by public transport can have a charm of its own, but there can be days you don't seem to get anywhere. The local buses are literally stuffed with people, many more than would be considered safe in for example Europe. There is very little or no private space and more often than not you cannot even shift your leg, or you will find yourself with a big bag or a child on your lap for hours. If someone has to get off somewhere, half the people in the bus have to get out to let the person through. On long trips, stops in between are rare, so be prepared and train your bladder. Needless to say, travelling this way can be exhausting if you don't have the right mindset and physical stamina.

Travelling by a private car is far less time-consuming and more comfortable. Adventurous travellers don't have to be afraid that travelling in a car means that your trip will be less exciting. In a car you can stop at places where public transport will pass through. You can reach villages and interesting places where a bus could never bring you.

All that said, travelling shoulder to shoulder with Ghanaians can be a lot of fun and you get an intimate view of Ghanaian life.

Q: Why do we need a driver and why can we not drive ourselves?

A: Renting a private car with a personal driver sounds very decadent for travellers from Western countries coming to Africa for adventure. They would like to drive themselves, which is strongly dissuaded. The main reason is your safety. This part of the world is known for frequent car accidents and it is very important to be familiar with all the unwritten rules a driver has to obey. Additionally, if something happens with the car, you as a visitor don't want to be held responsible for the costs involved.

Another reason is the African system where people stick much more to their particular profession or skill, and where everybody in the system makes use of one another by utilizing their services. This is an important driving force behind local economy. Renting a car and driver with Jolinaiko Eco Tours means that you bring some income to the driver's family, which could be used for daily food, school fees and other expenditures and investments. Even though Jolinaiko makes sure that the team is well paid, renting a car with or without driver does not make much difference in price since labour is not costly by Western standards. Finally, most of our drivers have a lot of knowledge of car mechanics, which means that they can solve technical problems if something breaks while on the road. They will also look after the car and your luggage when you get off for an excursion.

Q: Could the guide also be the driver?

A: For many years, we have been working with the same team of drivers and some have developed some guiding skills, and in that case, there is no need to arrange an extra guide. But having a car and a driving license is not as normal as in Western countries, so our professional guides who are also experienced drivers and the other way around are only a few (professional guides who are also drivers are Wisdom and Sammuel).

However, our driver-guides are serious about their work and would like to have a nice time with you during all the hours of driving. They are normally full of stories about the country and like to respond to your questions, and take you around as soon as you have arrived at your destination. You will notice that a driver hardly talks while driving, because he has to focus on the bad roads, the frequent potholes and the dangerously overtaking and often overloaded oncoming traffic. Driving in this part of the world is tiring and the driver will be glad to have his rest after arrival, and then, the guide will be full of energy to take you to the top of mountain Afadjatoe or for a safari to spot elephants or whatever type of excursion.

Q: What about insurance and accidents?

A: All cars - our own as well as the cars we rent - do have a local insurance. However, the financial refund in case of an accident is limited and insufficient according to Western standards. Jolinaiko Eco Tours of course tries to prevent an accident from happening by working with experienced drivers, good maintenance of its cars and by making sure that the drivers obey the rules and regulations composed by the company. However, we strongly advise you to get a comprehensive travel insurance in your home country.

Q: What about mechanical repairs and replacement?

A: Jolinaiko Eco Tours is responsible for the condition of the car. If there is a mechanic problem, the costs of mechanic repairs will be covered by Jolinaiko Eco Tours as well as replacement of the car if necessary.

Q: What kind of car should I rent?

A: We have several types of cars for rent, see the top of this page for an overview.

For current prices, see our pricelist.

You can find photos of the different cars we use on our tours in the rental car examples photoalbum.

Find a description of the different vehicles below:

Landrover Defender 4x4

The Landrover Defender is a suitable car for adventurous travellers, these cars are very powerful and suitable for the African landscape and road conditions. The car offers enough space for groups up to four people, incl. driver and guide. It’s the most affordable option, but the disadvantage is the lack of comfortable seating and the absence of air-conditioning.

Nissan Patrol 4x4

The Nissan Patrols are comfortable 4x4 vehicles including air-conditioning. They comfortably sit four people plus your driver. Most of our vehicles have an extra bench in the back, seating another two to three childre / people. Four of the five Nissan Patrols are the older sturdy type Nissan Patrol but extremely strong and suitable for the unpaved roads. Another advantage is that the older type vehicles rely on mechanical systems rather than electronics which is a great advantage taking into account the climate, dust and skills of car mechanics you find along the road. Luggage can be either be stored in the back of the car or alternatively on the roof rack.

Other vehicles we offer are the Landrover Discovery, Chevrolet Tracker and Toyota Sienna. The Landrover Discovery and the Chevrolet Tracker are comfortable smaller type 4x4 with air-conditioning. The Toyota Sienna is a sedan vehicle offering space for 6 passengers. These three vehicles are scheduled for tours with a decent roads along the way.

Toyota Hiace mini-van

The Toyota Hiace is a comfortable mini-van with air-conditioning for groups from 5 to 9 / 10 people. Although the car officially seats 15 people (incl. the driver and/ or guide), we recommend to use this vehicle for no more than 12 people (including the driver and guide). This in order to give everybody maximum comfort and enough leg space.

The mini-van has a roof rack which is large enough to store all the luggage, incl. a canvas cover which protects all goods against dust, rain and / or theft.

Toyota Coastal bus

The Toyota Coastal is a comfortable touring bus with air conditioning and microphone for groups of 10 people and above. The most comfortable seating capacity is no more than 20 people, where in addition to enough leg space for each traveller, there is also enough space for a day-pack for each traveller.

The bus has a roof rack which is large enough to store all the luggage, including a canvas cover which protects all goods against dust, rain and / or theft.

Q: What are the costs?

A: The total price for car rental in your tour depends on the type of car, duration of the tour, countries to visit and extras like air-conditioning. Also - if it's not our own car - we will have to negotiate a good total price with the owner/driver. We will make you an attractive offer as a part of a total travel proposal.

Current prices per day can be found in the prices section.

Q: What about fuel?

A: Fuel is not included in the mentioned prices. The car will come with a full tank and the client fills the tank in between and at the end of the tour. We will give an estimation of fuel consumption as part of the travel proposal.

Q: What about multiple-country tours?

A: Cars for multiple-country tours need a special certificate purchased at the border and a driver with an international driving license. The costs for this are included in the prices mentioned.