Things To Pack on Safari

Clothing in neutral colors: khaki, light brown/green, tan. Avoid bright colors & white for improved game viewing, especially when on foot. Not as important in a vehicle. Wearing “Hollywood style” and/or camouflage safari outfits. Normal, comfortable-fitting, neutral-colored clothes are what you need. Light, strong, breathable garments are ideal, especially the ones that have moisture-wicking properties, either synthetics or cotton.

Bright clothing should be avoided and white clothes will show up dust and dirt. Khaki, brown, and olive colors top the list. Red and white make you very conspicuous to the wildlife, especially on a walking safari. If you are going to be spending most of your time in the safari vehicle, then the colors don’t make that much of a difference.

Avoid dark blue or black clothes, especially in Eastern Africa. This is due to the tsetse fly which is attracted to dark colors and can give you a nasty bite as they feed on blood just like mosquitoes.

Safari destinations where the flies are commonly encountered are Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. You will rarely find them in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Something warm. Although the days in Africa can be hot the temperatures will sometimes drop sharply at night and in the early mornings. This is especially important if you are going to be traveling in an open-sided safari vehicle. Pack a jersey, pullover, or safari jacket.

Don’t go without a safari hat. Safari hats are essential to ward off the African sun and protect you from sunburn. Even a short exposure time is long enough to get burnt during the heat of the day.

Travel light. You will not need more than 2 or 3 comfortable short-sleeved safari shirts and the same amount of long-sleeved tops. There are laundry facilities available at most game reserves and parks in Africa unless you are going to be roughing it, either done by the lodge itself or self-serve. Also, pack 2 or 3 (each) comfortable shorts and long trousers. Long trousers and a long-sleeved safari shirt can be worn at night to stay warm and protect from mosquito bites. It’s an unfortunate fact today that suitcases do go missing on flights, generally through bad logistics in international hubs. Normally the luggage is only delayed and travelers get it all back, but this can take some time, especially if you are moving to a camp from an international airport.

That’s why it’s important to pack essential and valuable items in carry-on luggage when you board a flight including a set of safari clothing, otherwise, you will be left with only what you are wearing if your suitcase disappears.

Keep it simple. Most safari destinations have a very relaxed dress code for dinner so there is no need to pack a formal dress. Check with us, but in most cases, it just won’t be necessary. Don’t forget to bring sunglasses. You’re going to be spending a lot of time staring into the veld looking for wildlife, so a pair of polarizing shades will stand you in good stead and give your eyes a bit of a rest and keep the dust out on game drives if you are in an open vehicle.

Remember to layer. Africa is a continent of extremes, it can be cold in the morning and hot by midday. So it’s a good idea to wear cool garments as your first layer and then you can remove the warmer outer layers once things start heating up, as they almost always tend to do later in the day.