You’ve booked your first safari adventure and the excitement is mounting as the departure date draws near. The only thing left to do before you go is pack, but that leads to the all-important question of what it is you need to bring. With roots in South Africa and years of experience and knowledge, we’ve put together a few packing tips to help you get ready for your vacation!

Safari packing list

No one wants to forget any of the essentials when packing for a vacation and knowing what to pack can be a bit daunting if you’ve never visited a specific country before. Follow these packing tips to make sure you have everything you need for your safari vacation:

Passport, travel insurance documents, visas, and e-tickets

Your passport, travel insurance documents and tickets are a make or break for any trip! Make sure you have all your travel documents and e-tickets printed out and packed with your passport. Check and triple check that it’s up-to-date and safely placed in your hand luggage! Buy a special waterproof carrier to store them in. This will ensure they are accessible and safely contained in one place. You can hold your carrier on its own, or zip it into your hand luggage (avoid having documents floating around in a backpack).

Prescription medication

Pack essentials into your hand luggage, in case your checked baggage goes astray (yes, it happens)! Ensure you have enough medication for the entire trip and add a little extra, just in case. The same applies to prescription glasses and sunglasses, we suggest packing an extra pair!

Camera, video, and binoculars

There are so many beautiful and amazing sights to see on safari so you’ll want to bring your camera and video to capture all the special moments. A pair of binoculars is also strongly recommended to help see those far away animals hiding in the bush.

Clothes and toiletries

Same day laundry services are standard in most lodges, so there is no need to pack heavily. Do include shirts or blouses (long sleeves help to protect from the sun and mosquitos), outfits for evening dining, warm fleeces, and jackets. A combination of long and short pants (long pants that zip off into shorts are an option too). A light compact raincoat will be handy if Cape Town is rainy and remember to pack neutral colors for the game drives. Also, socks! Always remember socks, shoes or boots – comfortable walking shoes are a must! Also consider gloves, a scarf, a beanie (ski hat), a baseball cap, and a pair of open sports sandals for general daytime use. A bathing suit will be used in the warmer hours of the day or for a late afternoon swim!

Phone, music, tablet, and laptop

While on your holiday, it’s ok to want to connect to the internet to share your awesome experiences with loved ones back home! Most of the lodges have Wifi, so that is not a problem at all. Remember to pack chargers for items like laptops, phones, tablets, and music devices. Keep in mind that the outlets in Africa are different, so ensure you have the correct adaptors. If you aren’t sure what adapters you need, pop us a message and we’ll help! Mostly importantly, bring a sense of adventure, and a sense of humor!

TOP TIP: With all the essentials packed, there are a few other little items that can be included in your packing list. A good flashlight is always a must, you can even opt for a headlamp, and it never hurts to have an interesting read while travelling, so don’t forget to pack a good book!

Prescription glasses, sunglasses, hat, and sunblock

You’ll be outdoors for the majority of the day when on safari, so don’t forget your hat, sunglasses, lip balm, and most importantly sunblock to offer some protection against the sun. If you wear prescription glasses it’s a good idea to bring two pairs in case something happens to the one.

Preventative pharmaceuticals

Preventative medications that will treat and prevent diarrhea, headaches, indigestion, sore throat are good to have handy. Include eye drops, anti-malaria tablets, sunscreen, insect repellent, hand sanitizer, and something to treat bites (antihistamine). These are worst-case scenario items that you probably won’t need but we prefer you to have them and not need them!

Securing your luggage

After all your bags have been packed it is a good idea to secure your suitcase! It will help you to enjoy the flight, knowing your belongings are safe. You can secure your luggage by using combination locks to fasten the zips together, zip ties are also useful, especially for all the small external pouches.

 

Travelling can be full of surprises, so don’t forget your sense of humour, patience, and common sense. If you haven’t yet booked your safari vacation, head over here to get in touch and learn more about their exclusive, tailor-made safaris to Southern Africa.