Guide To Packing For An East Africa Safari
Guide To Packing For An East Africa Safari : When traveling to East Africa’s destinations for a safari experience, you need to know what to pack. After having your flights and lodges booked, have all the visa requirements and getting the necessary jabs, now the next step is having your packing list sorted to get ready for the vast open plains and waiting herds.
Packing for your safari in East Africa can be dauting, while packing you have to prepare for every eventuality during the dusty days out on game drives and evenings at your safari lodge. If you are planning to take charter flight, you are restricted to a single, soft – sided bag weighing a maximum of 15 kg.
Here are the recommendations to guide you when packing for an East African Safari
SAFARI BAGS
Pack in a soft – sided bag that is if you are travelling on charter flights between safari destinations in East Africa, the planes have limited luggage space so bags get squashed into the hold or even behind the rear seats on very small planes.
A limit of 15 kgs is strictly adhered to, if your bag is too heavy. You might be forced to repack and leave some items behind or have your bag flown on another plane at your own extra expanse which is a considerable expense.
Also, you are allowed one piece of carry – on luggage which must be small enough to fit on your lap. I would recommend a daypack which can then also be taken in the game drive vehicles and packed with items you might need on your safari such as your camera, binoculars, sunblock and a warm top.
Tips
- Pack in an over – the – shoulder or duffel bag
- Put your camera in your carry-on day pack
CLOTHES FOR YOUR SAFARI
It is important to have a suitable safari clothing
There are some colors to avoid while on an East African safari, neutral colors are more recommended for an East African Safari as they blend into the environment and are great for hiding dust.
Bright colors and white are not recommended as they make you more conspicuous to animals.
Since you will spend hours on a game drive vehicle, ensure that you pack loose-fitting, comfortable clothing and don’t worry much about evening attires as even luxury lodges and tented camps in East Africa have a casual dress code.
Also, you don’t need many clothes on an East African safari as most lodges have a next- day laundry service, so you can wash and wear items numerous times.
Packing List
3-4 short-sleeve or t-shirts
2 pairs of shorts
2 long-sleeve shirts (for protection from both sun and mosquitoes)
2 pairs of cotton trousers or light pants
1 light jacket or fleece
1 wide-brim hat with an under-chin tie (to stop it being blown off in open-top vehicles)
Comfortable walking shoes
Lightweight sandals or flip flops (for wearing around the camp)
Swimwear (for camps and lodges with a pool)
Cotton socks and underwear
Buff or, scarf or bandana (good for dust)
Sunglasses with polarized lenses (the glare can be intense)
Top Tips
Pick neutral tones like khaki, stone and brown
Avoid dark blue and black during the day as tsetse flies are attracted to darker shades
Think in layers as it can be a chilly start on those dawn game drives
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
When traveling around East Africa’s wildlife destinations, light aircrafts are widely used for transfers between national parks and reserve. While on a game viewing safari, you need to carry some essentials such as camera with an extra camera battery to capture some of the thrilling sightings.
Although most of the lodges and camps can take credit cards, bring cash too so that you can tip your safari guide and driver or pay for items when souvenir shopping at the local markets and villages.
Packing list
Passport + a copy (keep in separate bags)
Yellow fever certificate
Camera, battery, extra battery and plenty of memory cards
Chargers (for camera and phone) and a power adaptor
High-factor sunscreen (get unscented to avoid attracting insects)
Lip balm
Mosquito repellent
Malaria prophylaxis
Personal first-aid kit (headache pills, antihistamine cream etc)
Good binoculars (at least 8 x 30 magnification)
Small torch
Toiletries (remember the lodges will have shampoos, soaps etc)
A pack of wet wipes or hand sanitizer
Cash for tips (including driver and guide)
