Each competition car raises money and then donates that money to Rhino Ark, they have to raise a minimum amount to take part in the event – this money goes to Rhino Ark. If you would like to help support a car please DONATE NOW
Yes, the venue and access to it tends to be on harsh terrain. Some 4WD experience would be ideal.
There is a competition speed limit of 40kph on the competing cars and they are penalised if they exceed this.
No, the idea is that the competition cars drive as little as possible on any roads and tracks.
There is a medical facility and doctors to assist with any medical emergencies that may arise during the course of the event.
A Memorandum of Understanding is signed between the rightful landowners/management with landowner agreement and Rhino Charge officials, a copy of which can be availed on request. It is also necessary to attach to this MoU a copy of the conservancy/community minutes of a meeting confirming the agreement to hold the event which must be attended and recorded by all interested parties.
The Rhino Charge is a nationally recognised event and receives wide local and international press coverage and exposure, this exposure helps with exposure and awareness for the area and helps to promote tourism and recreational activities. In addition, we promote the sale of traditional beadwork and local crafts and encourage the women's groups to sell their products at the entry gate. We assist with the provision of a tent and direct the visitors past these displays. Furthermore, the visitors do purchase sheep and goats from the local community for nyama choma.
The funds which are raised for the community come through what we call the LAF (LandOwners Access Fee) or vehicle access voucher. Every vehicle which enters the event must have purchased a vehicle access voucher and they are given a sticker as proof of payment. Payment is made through the online booking system using either MPESA or VISA. The visitors print out their vouchers and present that on arrival and in exchange are given the LAF sticker which they must display on the windscreen of the vehicle. The administration and management of this system are coordinated and run by Rhino Charge volunteers.
The rates per vehicle are KES 12,000/- per vehicle with 6 or less seats, KES 15,000/- for vehicles with 7 or more seats, and KES 15,000/- for any trucks.
The total amount raised will depend on the number of vehicles that come to the event, so the amounts cannot be known for sure, but this is usually between KES 4,000,000/- and KES 4,500,000/-.
The conservancy board along with the community will need to have agreed on what the funds raised will be used for and declare this to Rhino Ark before the monies are disbursed. Rhino Ark / Charge prefer that these funds are used for activities which benefit the area or community at large rather than individuals.
Proof of a negative PCR test from a Government recognised laboratory is required within 96 hours of your arrival at the event.
You will be exempted from a PCR test if you have had a covid vaccine including the 2nd dose. Proof of vaccination is required please send a copy to [email protected] by the 26th May 2023 or bring a copy to the venue.
Children under 12 on the date of entry to the venue are exempt from a PCR test. Proof of age is required.
If there are any suspected cases upon arrival the person’s temperature will be taken and if it is above 37.5 degrees the person will be required to undergo rapid tests which must be paid for at the person's own cost.
The Rhino Charge is an annual off-road competition held in Kenya in which the entrants are required to visit 13 points (Checkpoints) while travelling the shortest possible distance across difficult, trackless terrain, where speed is not a necessity. The event is organised in order to raise funds for the conservation activities of the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust.
The event was conceived in 1989 to raise funds for the construction of the Aberdare Electric Fence. Rhino Ark founder Ken Kuhle, Rally Enthusiasts Rob Combes and Brian Haworth mooted the idea of an off-road event to support the fencing project carried out by the then recently established Rhino Ark Charitable Trust. The Trust was committed to saving the dwindling Rhino population in the Aberdare National Park, as well as mitigating human-wildlife conflicts around the National Park.
For more information, please visit www.rhinocharge.co.ke
No.
Tickets, accommodation packages, and vehicle access vouchers for the Rhino Charge are ONLY available for purchase through the Rhino Charge Ticketing Portal.
Please do NOT attempt to come to the venue if you have not purchased the said items in advance, as you will not be granted access to the venue. Strictly no exceptions!
The Rhino Charge Ticketing Portal is the official and only website through which spectators who want to come to the Rhino Charge must book and pay for:
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT:
Please note that there are strictly no exceptions and until you have paid for your entry ticket, your vehicle pass (LAF) and accommodation you do not have entry to the Rhino Charge.
Please note that the Rhino Charge ticket sales will close at midnight on 24 May 2024! Should tickets sell out before this date, the sales will close once all tickets are sold out.
The venue for the Rhino Charge is kept secret until a few days before the event. Only emails that have registered and purchased tickets will receive the details of this years venue.
From 2015 onwards, anyone who wants to come to the Rhino Charge has to purchase a ticket. This has become necessary due to the growing popularity of the event which has put the host communities and their land under increasing environmental pressure. By introducing a ticketing system, the organisers aim to make the Spectator Camp more attractive to responsible spectators by improving the spectators’ experience as well as improving the administration of the event.
Please note that the Rhino Charge ticket sales will close at midnight on 24 May 2024! Should tickets sell out before this date, the sales will close once all tickets are sold out.
Payments on the Rhino Charge ticketing portal can be made through:
Tickets for the Rhino Charge are available at the following rates:
0 – 5 years = free entry
6 – 11 years = KES 2,000/-
12 years and above = KES 4,000/-
Please note that tickets are not transferable or refundable.
The Rhino Charge ticketing system works like an airline ticketing system. This means that tickets are personalised and linked to your I.D. and only the person who has booked and paid for their ticket will be allowed to enter the venue. For this reason tickets are not transferable or refundable.
Yes, you MUST bring your I.D. to the Rhino Charge venue, the same one you used to make the booking; otherwise you will not be allowed to enter the venue. This is necessary to make sure that:
Please note that all children must also bring their I.D./Passport to the venue.
No. Each adult must create their own Rhino Charge Account. Only a dependant, i.e. a child under 18 years old can be added to an individual/adult booking. Please note that a maximum of 3 children can be added per individual/adult spectator booking. To make an individual/adult booking you must be over 18 years. The BURDEN OF PROOF FOR THE AGE OF A CHILD (anyone under 18 years) IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADULT WHO MADE THE BOOKING TO PROVIDE (i.e. copy of birth certificate/passport).
Yes. Each adult must create their own Rhino Charge Account. Children under 18 years of age can be added to an individual/adult booking. Please note that a maximum of 3 children can be added per individual/adult booking. The BURDEN OF PROOF FOR THE AGE OF A CHILD (anyone under 18 years) IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADULT WHO MADE THE BOOKING TO PROVIDE (i.e. copy of birth certificate/passport).
Please note that all children coming to the event need to be registered under their parent/guardian's profile in the ticketing system and must bring their I.D./Passport to the venue.
The Vehicle Pass, known as the Landowner Access Fee (LAF) was implemented to benefit the local host community of the Rhino Charge and the fee goes directly to the community. The money is then used for community projects, such as the construction of a school classrooms or the installation of a borehole.
All Vehicles entering the Rhino Charge venue are required to purchase a Vehicle Pass - Landowner Access Fee (LAF) stickers at a rate of:
Please note that the Vehicle Pass (LAF) sticker MUST be displayed on the windscreen of any car that enters the Rhino Charge venue. If any vehicle is discovered not displaying a sticker, they will be fined twice the normal LAF. The LAF can be purchased only through the online ticketing system. The voucher which you will receive will allow you to collect your LAF sticker at the entrance to the Rhino Charge venue. Please note that the LAF is not refundable.
When a Vehicle Pass (LAF) is purchased online through this ticketing system, the system will issue a LAF voucher which is linked to the PERSON who made this booking (i.e. name & ID will be required to redeem the voucher for the LAF sticker) and not to a VEHICLE in case the vehicle needs to be changed, due to a breakdown or any other reason. Please make sure that person who made the booking comes to the Rhino Charge with their ID and the voucher to redeem the LAF voucher at the entrance. Please note that the LAF is not refundable.
If an ADDITIONAL vehicle pass is required after the ticketing portal has closed it can be purchased at the venue at 150% of the cost LAFs purchased through the ticketing portal. Purchases can ONLY be made in cash/MPESA.
Yes. You will not be allowed to enter the Rhino Charge venue if you have not booked your accommodation through the ticketing portal with one of the accredited camp operators.
| RHINO CHARGE 2-night packages |
Bunduz Budget |
Bunduz Economy |
|
A tent for 2 people - self-drive |
18,000 | 24,500 |
|
A tent for 1 person - self-drive |
20,000 | 26,500 |
|
A tent for 2 people - transport included |
26,000 | 32,500 |
|
A tent for 1 person - transport included |
29,500 | 36,000 |
| Self Camping | 12,000 | |
All options listed above are rates per person, full board, for a 2-night package.
| RHINO CHARGE 3-night packages |
Bunduz Budget |
Bunduz Economy |
|
A tent for 2 people - self-drive |
24,000 | 30,500 |
|
A tent for 1 person - self-drive |
26,000 | 32,500 |
|
A tent for 2 people - transport included |
32,000 | 38,500 |
|
A tent for 1 person - transport included |
35,500 | 42,000 |
All options listed above are rates per person, full board, for a 3-night package. The accommodation rates are payable as follows:
0 – 5 years = free of charge
6 – 11 years = pay 75% of adult price
12 years and above = pay full price
Any cancellations or refunds are done directly through the camp operator of your choice and yourself with the following refund policy applying to ALL accommodation bookings;
Disclaimer: Please note that the Rhino Charge does not assume any liability for the timeliness, correctness, completeness or quality of the information provided by the accredited camp operators. Furthermore, the Rhino Charge is not responsible for the content of external websites of the accredited camp operators. The Rhino Charge is not responsible for the quality of the tents, the food quality, or other services provided by the accredited camp operator. Further, the Rhino Charge does not accept any liability for failure to provide the services contracted or any of them due to circumstances beyond our control.
The following camp operators are the accredited camp operators for the Rhino Charge:
These accredited camp operators have gone through a tendering process and were selected as the Rhino Charge accredited camp operators out of all the applications which were received within the given deadline.
Yes, private camping gear is allowed and self-camping options are available where spectators can bring their own gear and equipment. Please note that a self-camping option must also be purchased through the Rhino Charge ticketing system. You will not be allowed to camp at the Rhino Charge if you have not booked your camping spot through an accredited camp operator.
Camping is only allowed in the areas designated to the accredited camp operator whom you have booked your camping spot through. You may not camp outside these designated areas. Should you be caught camping in any other place this can result in immediate removal from the venue. These measures have been put into place for your safety and to reduce the environmental pressure put on to the Rhino Charge venue and the host community.
Yes. As you have booked your accommodation through an accredited camp operator you will be provided with both toilet and shower facilities. For more details, please check with the camp operator of your choice.
Spectators that have purchased a 3-night package are allowed to enter the venue between 08:00hrs and 18:00hrs on the 30th May 2024 ONLY. Spectators that have purchased a 2-night package are allowed to enter the venue between 08:00hrs and 18:00hrs on the 31st June 2024 ONLY. Please refer to the dates and times indicated on your accommodation booking. Please note that NOBODY will be allowed to enter the venue after 18:00hrs (6 pm) on any given day and there is no admission on Charge Day (1 June). This is for your safety.
Yes. The General Rules of the event can be found at the Camping Do’s & Don’ts section.
The tendering process for the Rhino Charge is closed. To be added to the list for consideration as a camp operator in future events interested companies must express their interest to the Rhino Charge Committee via email: [email protected]
More information will then be sent to you via e-mail. Please note that the tender will be sent out newly each year, therefore camp operators can apply to become accredited camp operators each year.
In case you are facing any difficulties with the Ticketing System, please send an email to: [email protected]
Rhino Ark is a charitable trust registered as a Charity in Kenya, UK (Charity No. 1047083) and USA (with IRC 501 (c) 3 Status). Founded in 1988 the trust responded to the grave crisis facing Kenya’s Black Rhino population in the Aberdare ecosystem. The Rhino were under severe threat from rampant poaching for their highly valued horn. Rhino Ark’s initial aim was to build a fence along sections of the Aberdare National Park on its Eastern Salient where rhino were being mercilessly poached. The Salient borders directly onto farming land. Wildlife was able to maraud at night into the farms bordering the park, destroying crops, creating fear and loss of both revenue and on occasions, lives. This situation fuelled an already volatile community which saw no value in protecting either the wildlife or the forest habitat. Poachers had easy access.
Rhino Ark’s formation was specifically to assist the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to finance a protective fence around the Salient area which has the highest concentration of wildlife in the Aberdares. The initial project idea subsequently evolved into a much more ambitious task of encircling the entire Aberdare Conservation Area with a game proof fence. The fence, strong enough to resist elephant pressure, is powered by electricity to keep wildlife within and curb illegal log extraction, snaring, poaching of wildlife (especially rhino and the rare and elusive bongo) from without. The fence construction work started in 1989 and completed on 28 August 2009. On 12 March 2010 the fence was formally commissioned by the former President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. Mwai Kibaki.
Construction of the fence has brought harmony between wildlife and farmers around the Aberdare Conservation Area. The farmers now enjoy peaceful sleep at night without fear of land, crop and house destruction. Over the years, Rhino Ark’s work has evolved towards seeking sustainable, long term solutions to the conservation challenges facing mountain forest ecosystems, and other areas of important biodiversity under threat.
In December 2010, Rhino Ark announced its formal commitment to supporting conservation of other mountain forest ecosystems. The initial areas of focus are Mount Kenya and Mau Mount Eburu.
For more information on the Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust please visit: www.rhinoark.org
The new booking portal aims at limiting the further growth of the event - not just in regard to spectators, but across the board - to allow for better administration and principally to ensure that the event remains environmentally friendly, safe and sustainable.
Please note that the limited tickets are reserved for SPECTATORS only.
© 2024. Rhino Ark. All Rights Reserved.