Deciding what to wear on a safari is easier said than done. The weather in Africa is nothing like the one you would expect. Most people think that this part of the world is constantly warm, if not unbearably hot. It’s important to know the difference since wearing the wrong clothing can completely ruin the trip, we are going to see some of the key things to be kin about while packing for that African safari.
What to wear and pack
- Temperature
Remember that game drives are usually timed to follow the lifestyle of animals, this means that the typical safari will have two game drives per day. One starting soon after sunrise, before the animals find a hiding spot from the afternoon heat and one in the late afternoon with some private game reserves allowing drives to linger on after dark. Thus when deciding what to wear on safari, it is important to wear layers.
- Small purses
There isn’t much space in a safari vehicle and each person has things /items they would like to bring along. Therefore we recommend you carry or pack a small waist or cross bag to keep some of your small items like your (phones, lip gloss, sunburns cream and a few dollars etc.).Keep it small in order to have comfort during your safari.
- Blend colours
While deciding what to wear for a safari, you need to set personal taste aside. During a game drive, it is important to blend in with the bush as much as possible. We recommend you wear neutral colours such as khaki, beige toupe or grey. This is so because black and dark blue are thought to attract the African tsetse flies, whereas predators identify red with wounded animals and with the amount of dust white is hardly recommended as it gets dirt very easily.
- Loose pants
Wear pants that leave some room to let the breeze in.out of the savannah, the loose pants will help to avoid any of the gross stickiness that comes with the sweating. It’s also gives you comfort during your safari.
- Closed toed shoes and gloves
These protect you from bug bites and also keep venomous ants and pesky mosquitoes from taking advantage of any exposed skin. And also make sure the boots are comfortable enough for hiking trials as the trails might be muddy and rocky therefore you don’t want to get injured because of uncomfortable shoes.
You will need gloves during nature walks, this will protect your hands from being pricked or cut with grass or plants that have thorns. Do not forget the insect repellent to be safe from itchy skin.
- Sunglasses & wide brimmed hats
Portions of every safari taken on foot or in the vehicle require sunglasses because long periods of time spent beneath the unrelenting sun may leave you with a headace.since shades may not be enough to ward off sunburn, in such extreme heat, there should be no questions about whether or not to wear sunscreen. Hats will amp up that protection while also keeping the sweat at bay.
Do not forget to always carry water to keep dehydrated.
- Style
Picking what to wear on a safari does not mean being a fashion victim or mocking Marly Streep in out Africa but being dressed for the occasion.(be comfortable, fresh during the day and warm at night)very important.
- Camouflage
In many African countries, these camouflage outfits are illegal therefore while packing make sure to consult your tour operator weather or not to pack it.however in Rwanda it is allowed to wear it unlike the other east African countries.
- Camera gear
A safari is always a photography extravaganza kind of trip. While packing do not forget to include a good DSLR camera, fully charged phone, a spare SD card in case the phone memory gets full,binoculars,power banks, chargers.
- The bag(luggage)
Picking the right bag for a trip is important. Always limit the number of things to carry and keep the weight and volume to a minimum.
NOTE; we do not recommend a hard suitcase as this occupies too much space and it is generally too heavy (something that has to be considered even on a luxury safari where there are occasional flights on small planes to move from one game reserve to the other.
- Day pack
A good day pack is fundamental on any trip. This is where you need to carry things like documents and whatever you may need during the day such as passports,ids,snacks,water,tissue,hand sanitizers, sunblock and that much needed extra layer of clothes for when the temperature drop at the end of the day.
