You just booked your first safari to Africa and now wonder what to pack and what to wear on safari? Let’s clear one thing up. You don’ have to go head-to-toe-khaki or spend a lot of money to buy a complete new safari wardrobe. You will probably have most of the clothes you can wear on safari already hanging in your wardrobe. So relax and don’t stress too much on what to wear on safari. However, we have some practical tips to help you out.

Comfortable

Just pack light weight breathable clothes that you feel comfortable in, such as a fleece jacket, cotton shirts and shorts and comfortable walking shoes. It’s the best to wear layers on a safari, so you can adjust as the temperatures change. The mornings and evenings can be cold in Africa and during the day it can be quite hot. Layers are the solution.

Colours

As for the colour of your safari clothes there is not strict dress code. We suggest to stick to a bit more neutral shades like beige, brown and green. If you go on a walking safari it’s more important to wear neutral colours than if you sit in a safari vehicle most of the time. In Tanzania you have biting Tsetse flies that are attracted to blue and black, so you may want to avoid these colours during your safari in one of the national parks.

Pack light

Most travellers tend to overpack. Just keep it simple and pack light for your safari. Most lodges and camps offer laundry services and the luggage you can bring on safari vehicles or smaller planes is limited anyway.

Clothes
  • 2x shorts
  • 4x t-shirts
  • 2x long sleeve shirts
  • 2x pairs of pants
  • 1x raincoat
  • 1x fleece jacket / warm sweater
  • 4x pairs of socks
  • Underwear
  • 1x sun hat
  • 2x blouse or dress/skirt (dinner time)
  • 1x swimsuit
  • 1x small daypack (daily trips)
Footwear
  • Comfortable walking shoes: sneakers or hiking shoes.
  • Sandals or flip flops: when you go for a swim or relax at your lodge/tented camp.
Other things to bring on safari

Sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent with deet, anti- diarrheal medications, hand sanitizer, aspirin (painkiller), headlamp and a small waterproof bag to protect valuable electronics against dust and rain.

For more information about what to wear on safari contact us.