safari travel & style guide

wear this there: what to pack for safari and everything else you should know before your trip

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when i was first planning my outfits for safari i took a little trip to rei and spent like $1,000 on things i didn’t actually need (thank god for their generous return policy). fun fact about me: i always freak out before every trip and order a million things, i usually don’t need and then return half of them and the other half doesn’t show up in time, so it’s generally always a disaster zone until the moment i hop on that uber heading to the airport and can finally relax about packing, because, well, there’s not really any turning back at that point. that’s sort of why i started this blog, to hopefully prevent you from all of the stress i put myself through. long story long, i’ll go ahead and tell you now, no, you don’t need three pairs of waterproof, upf protection, sweat wicking, cargo, zip-off pants in different colors. you’re not hiking kilimanjaro (well you might be, but this style guide is not for that). you are literally just sitting in a car for hours a day (in the best way possible of course).

dressing for safari is actually a lot like dressing for work, just trade in your heels/loafers for some hiking boots and throw on a safari chic hat and you’re ready to roll. seriously, the easiest recipe for a safari outfit, is a pair of khaki pants and a button down. just like your classic corporate job uniform, except make it fashion (meets steve irwin). so read on for all of the details on what to pack for safari and avoid wearing zip off pants.

breaking from my usual long winded blogs where i talk a lot about our trip and experience (which, sidenote, was one of the most incredible, if not the most incredible, trips i’ve ever taken in my entire life) this time i’ll just focus on exactly everything you need to know about going on safari and packing for safari. we did our safari in the masai mara in kenya. so this post is particularly helpful for masai mara and serengeti (which are actually the same park just split by the borders of kenya and tanzania). this guide should still work for safari in any park though.

i’ll start with faq’s (or at least all the questions i had, which were a lot):

1. for how long should you go on safari?

we went for 4 days. i could have stayed for a week or even longer because i loved it so much, but 4 still felt like enough. we saw the big five and pretty much every other african animal i know about from the lion king, so i felt complete. some people get “safari fatigue” and 3-5 days is usually the recommended amount of time.

2.  where should you stay on safari?

this question is very hard to answer, as it depends on a variety of factors; budget, location, personal comfort necessities, where you are flying into, etc. first determine your budget and personal comfort necessities. some people are fine with a less glamorous safari experience and some people want to go all out. either way, going on safari is usually not cheap, so make sure you know ahead of time exactly how much you are able to spend. note: safari lodge pricing is almost always based on a per person per night charge. once you have a ballpark idea of your nightly budget per person, start researching based on that. i looked at tripadvisor, booking.com, conde nast traveler, telegraph, tripsavvy, and many small blogs as well. once i narrowed it down a bit, i looked at instagram, reviews on all of the major booking sites, and factored in travel time from the nearest airstrip. most safari lodge websites will tell you how long it takes to get from the camp to the nearest airstrip.

we ended up choosing entumoto safari camp, a boutique luxury camp in a conservancy just on the outskirts of the masai mara national reserve ( we flew into nairobi and then took a bush plane to the closest airstrip). i was drawn to entumoto from website photos and reviews, but also the price. it seemed like such an amazing deal for a luxury safari camp, i was almost afraid it was too good to be true. but it turned out to be even more amazing than i dreamed. everything about entumoto safari camp was basically perfect. it was not the highest-end lodge out there, but it was intimate, personalized, and luxuriously rustic. it still felt indulgent without being over the top. our guide, abraham, a masai elder, was one of the most amazing human beings i have ever met while traveling, plus he was so knowledgeable about the land, culture, and animals and seemed to always know how to find even the most elusive of creatures. beyond, abraham, the entire staff was incredible! we truly enjoyed every moment there!

additionally, the camp is dedicated to sustainability and giving back to the masai culture and land. they’ve recently installed solar power energy grids as well as a drip irrigation system for their onsite organic garden, that helps conserve water and increase production of the local organic goods they use for the meals you, as a guest, enjoy. their commitment to ethical tourism in kenya is one of the most important reasons i chose entumoto and the connections i made with the staff, who i now call my friends, is why i will keep going back. also, it’s gorgeous. (no this is not sponsored in any sort of way). here is my full trip advisor review if you want to learn more about the camp.

(ok, turns out i’m still being long winded… there’s just so much to share!)

3. do i need vaccinations, and if so, when should i get them and how/where?

yes, most likely you will need vaccinations for traveling to most countries in africa. we went to kenya and tanzania and i had to get 5 different immunizations. important to note: if you are flying into tanzania from kenya then they require you to have a yellow fever vaccine in order to enter the country. you should start your vaccines at least 4-6 weeks before your trip, but each country and vaccines vary, so make sure you look into this at least 10 weeks out so you’re prepared and can schedule an appointment. we went to passport health. they have offices nationwide in the u.s. and were very knowledgeable, helpful, and reasonably priced. they were able to advise exactly what vaccines were needed for going to each country and made me feel a lot more confident in making sure i was protected. i highly recommend them. also note, the price of vaccines can add up quickly, so make sure to calculate this into your overall budget. mine roughly cost around $600, but i hadn’t been to africa or s.e. asia before, so i had to get everything. my boyfriend’s vaccines only cost around $350 because he mostly just needed boosters. you’ll need to take your immunization pamphlet with you on your trip to prove you’ve had some of these vaccinations in order to enter certain countries.

4. do i need a visa?

most likely, yes. we got ours online through the embassy, but there are multiple websites. you can also get one upon arrival at the airport, however, i’ve heard this can take a lot of time depending how busy they are. make sure to bring some copies of passport size photos along with your passport if you do this.

5. will there be bugs?

yes, there are bugs, but as noted above, i literally didn’t see any in the masai mara and didn’t get any mosquito bites. it’s pretty high elevation there and relatively dry, so this is part of the reason. kruger is lower elevation and more buggy. you should still bring deet no matter where you go (try to only spray on your clothes not directly onto skin) or another type of strong bug spray and i still recommend malaria medication. it did seem slightly unnecessary for our time on the masai mara, but we definitely needed it for when we went to zanzibar. bottom line, better safe than sorry right?!  one unfortunate side effect of some malaria medicine is indigestion/diarrhea. i know this is not a very glamorous topic, but it’s real life. so definitely bring pepto bismol/tums and maybe even ask your doctor ahead of time for anything else they recommend, as it can be quite unfortunate to experience this while on a game drive.

6. what if i want to bring more clothes than what fits in the 15 kg weight limit for the safari planes?

if you’re going elsewhere, such as zanzibar or the seychelles post safari, you’ll likely want to bring more clothes for that leg of your trip. we went to zanzibar after our safari for some relaxing days on the  beach – which was amazing by the way. we stayed in pongwe and the beach was the most insane, gorgeous beach i’ve ever seen. check out my full blog on zanzibar here!

anyway, i was able to fit all of my clothes for safari and the beach into one bag and hand luggage under 15 kgs. sometimes i still can’t believe that’s true, but it is. so, if you follow my packing guide, you’ll be fine. but if you want more options, then there are solutions.

• if you are flying in and out of the same city, such as nairobi, and have time in between your flight from nairobi to your beach destination, then most hotels will store your luggage for you. so say you bring two bags (one for safari and one for beach) and you fly into nairobi and stay there for a night before heading to the bush, you can ask your hotel to store your beach luggage for you until you return from safari. your itinerary would , of course have to allow you to have enough time to go back to the hotel to pick it up before your flight out.
• or most airports have luggage lockers where you can store your bags. so this is an option, but make sure you double check ahead of time because some of the smaller airports might not offer this.
• also important to note, not all bush planes have such strict weight limits. it largely depends on where you are and your resort/lodge etc. so most importantly, talk to your safari lodge ahead of time and they can help guide you on the restrictions.

one other note: the airplanes to the major beach airports are usually bigger than the bush planes, so you don’t need to worry about the super strict weight limits for that leg of the trip.

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7. you may be thinking, this all sounds like so much work, should i just book through a travel agent?

when i first started planning our trip, i seriously was tempted to get a travel agent because it all felt overwhelming, but honestly, it’s totally doable on your own and you’ll save yourself a good amount of money if you’re willing to put in a little work.  

8. customs: how long do i need to plan for customs at airports?

we flew from nairobi, kenya to the keekarok airsrtrip out of wilson airport. we got there pretty early (i think two hours ahead of time and had a lot of time to kill). i’d say you’d be fine with an hour and a half just to be safe.

then, post safari we flew back into nairobi and directly out to stone town in zanzibar. this was another easy flight customs wise and did not need a ton of time before our flight (one and half hours should be plenty).

flying out of nairobi back to the u.s. was a completely different story. the security getting into the nairobi airport is pretty crazy. there were four different security checks. 1: driving into the airport you have to exit your taxi/uber and go through a metal detector situation while your car is searched. 2: upon entering the airport they have baggage x-ray scans. 3: the standard passport and security checkpoint we’re all used to. 4: at the gate we had to go through one final security check.

so needless to say, get there EARLY. we almost missed our flight. i would recommend at least 3 hours maybe even 4 to be safe.

9. getting around nairobi.

uber is available in nairobi and felt safe but the maps don’t work very well, so we got lost multiple times while in ubers. our taxi also got lost on the way to the airport… like whattt???? he was literally pulling over on the highway asking people for directions (majorly stressful). maybe this is just a general problem in nairobi? or we had bad luck? either way, i recommend budgeting extra time for getting around.

ok, that’s all i can think of, but if you have any specific questions, please feel free to leave a comment here or reach out to me on instagram @wear_this_there. i’d be so happy to help out any way i can!!

alright, now to the safari packing list!

here is everything you need to pack for safari with a breakdown of different options at every price point. in parenthesis i’ve included the qty you should bring. again, my trip was for 4 days. note: most camps offer laundry service, so keep this in mind.

images in shopping galleries are arranged from high to low price point.

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complete safari packing list:

hiking boots (0- 1 pair)

you don’t necessarily need hiking boots, unless you’ll be partaking in a walking safari, but even then, you could use sturdy tennis shoes. if i’m being honest, i brought mine mostly to look the “safari part”  – but they were great and comfy and i was happy i had them. i recommend a very breathable pair, nothing too heavy. i also wanted a waterproof pair because we were technically going toward the end of the rainy season, but it actually only rained for like 15 minutes one day. so it’s really up to if you want to bring a pair of these. if you do, i recommend wearing them on the plane, so they don’t contribute to your luggage weight, which is restricted to only 15 kg including hand luggage.

sandals (1 pair)

you need some comfy shoes for when you’re in camp. For sandals, I recommend a comfy pair of casual slides with a slightly thicker sole, just as long as they aren’t cardboard thin in case you step on a bramble or something. Also, you should only wear your sandals during the daytime when you can see where you’re walking and can watch out for any tiny critters. If you’re headed to the beach post safari, you might want to pick a pair that will work for that too. I did bring 2 pairs of sandals (the tan leather tevas below for camp) and a very thin/lightweight pair of white slides for the beach (both of these and my tennis shoes fit in my bag and I was underweight – note: I wore my hiking boots on the plane).

tennis shoes ( 1 pair)

as noted above you can just bring tennis shoes instead of the hiking boots, especially if you’re not going during rainy season. i wore my tennis shoes around camp at night. in total i brought 2 pairs of sandals, 1 pair of tennis shoes, and 1 pair of hiking boots and everything fit in my duffel and was underweight for the flight. i would not bring a pair of white canvas shoes (i.e. supergas or chucks), because those will get dirty from all of the dust, but you could get away with white leather. i include some dad shoes, but only bring these if you’re not bringing hiking boots and can wear them on the plane, otherwise they take up too much room in your bag.

white button-up (1)

this is a must bring item for any safari. it’s looks the part, plus is so versatile and good for layering. If you get a longer one it can double as swim cover up for the pool at camp or the beach if you’re heading there after your safari. it goes with everything. i would wear mine over a tank top or lightweight tee and under a vest or flannel for the cold mornings. but as the sun rises you’re going to want to peel off those layers.

green button-up (0-1 choose between green or chambray)

so i basically just brought a bunch of button-ups for safari. sorry in advance for my lack of creativity. but they seriously were perfect for the trip. great for layering, like noted above and looked cute with the pants i brought and recommend below. as you’ll notice, i brought almost all neutrals. one, because they are easy to mix and match and two, because i had read that bright colors (especially red) scare the animals. post safari, i’ve realized this is just a myth or a truth that is no longer true… our masai guide wore red everyday and we saw alllll the animals and got quite close to them in fact.

striped button-up (1)

another button-up, but patterned!

chambray (0-1 choose between green or chambray)

chambray shirts are a classic that were perhaps overdone in 2012 but are now making a comeback (sort of, i might be making that up) but they look good on safari and that’s that.

t-shirts (2-3)

bring t-shirts for layering. i brought three (could’ve gotten away with just two). If you get hot easily, you might want to bring a sweat wicking athletic one. i brought one of those and two cotton ones and those were fine for me as well. i wore these under my button-ups on morning drives and then usually late morning it would be hot enough that i would take off the button-up and just go with the tee. i recommend v-necks for layering but crew is fine too. i include both athletic options with tech material and upf and just simple cotton options, which worked fine for me.

tank tops (2)

read what i wrote about t-shirts above and apply it to tank tops. these are good for layering for the afternoon drives when it’s hotter out. i brought two.

shorts (1)

i didn’t bring cute shorts (just an athletic running pair), but i so wish i did! in my head, i thought i shouldn’t wear shorts much because the protection on my legs was needed (mostly for bugs and walking in the bush), but i kid you not, i did not see a SINGLE bug on our entire safari trip and we only did one bush walk, the rest of the time you are just sitting in a car for hours and really don’t need pants). shorts would be best worn on the afternoon game drives, as the early mornings are very cold.

romper/jumpsuit (1)

i debated including a romper/jumpsuit, but it’s a pretty cute look for safari. maybe not the most versatile and a pain in the ass to go to the bathroom in, which would be an even bigger annoyance out in the bush when you’re “marking your territory” in the wilderness, but if you’re willing to sacrifice for fashion, then here are some cute options! rompers for afternoon drive, bring a jacket in case you stay out until sundown. jumpsuits for early morning game drives.

green pants (1-2: either 2 green and 1 khaki pair or 2 khaki and 1 green pair)

a cheap pair of pants from h&m will do just fine, or you can buy a trendy pair from revolve that would look cute for work or a night out with a crop top post safair. green pants are the perfect safari look. i brought two pairs: one slightly thicker pair for colder morning game drives and one lightweight pair for full day game drives. just make sure that what you bring is breathable, don’t  bring anything that is a heavy denim or thick khaki fabric.

khakis (1-2: either 2 green and 1 khaki pair or 2 khaki and 1 green pair)

i just brought one pair of these. fun fact: they were actually a pair of work slacks from banana republic i already had. i ordered a cuter pair a la the options i outline below but they didn’t arrive in time. i literally always wait until the last minute to order things for trips and normally have a breakdown the day before i’m leaving when i realize some things might not arrive in time. does anyone else do this? … anyway, i wore them twice, once with a white button down and once with a green button down and they worked out very well for me.

camp outfits (1)

while you’re out in the bush, you’re probably going to want to be somewhat practically dressed. but let’s be honest, that can get old. so go ahead and spice things up at camp if you dare! (why am i talking like an 80 year old woman?… it is 3 am – my only excuse) anyway, here are some cute options to wear while you’re lounging around, sipping on wine and reading a book in between game drives or out for a beautiful sundowner. most people in camp will probably still be in their practical outfits, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do you and look fabulous. note: evenings do tend to get cold, so bring a blanket from camp (most camps provide these masai blankets when you venture out) or your fleece to put on post photo sesh if you take a chill. (not sure why i said “take a chill” is that a british phrase? the british love safaris).

dresses (1)

safari is often a once in a lifetime experience, so, by all means, you should definitely bring one fabulous dress with you for a candlelit dinner at camp. (in a tragic turn of events, my dress was also delayed, along with my cute safari pants, so i had to settle for a jumpsuit i already had which was fine, but i did not get that amazing photo i dreamed about). so it looks like safari will have to be at least a twice-in-a-lifetime experience for me.

vest (1)

i debated bringing a vest with me, but ended up being so glad i did. they’re nice to have for the mornings and evenings, when it’s chilly out and bonus: i love how they look on safari!

fleece (1)

you definitely need to bring a lightweight jacket for the mornings and evening. a fleece is perfect. here are some options. i brought my patagonia better sweater and it is the perfect weight. i would layer it with my vest on colder days.

rain coat (0-1)

i brought a raincoat but never used it, even though we went during the end of rainy season. So, it’s up to you if you want one just in case or not. a lot of camps have rain ponchos and umbrellas for guests to use.

swimsuit (1)

most camps and all luxury camps will have a pool. there’s nothing better than taking a dip in the middle of a hot day in africa. here are some cute suits that i think are perfect for safari.

swim cover-up (1)

you’ll also want a coverup for camp when heading to and from the pool. a fun pair of wide leg pants is a great option, or you can use a longer white button up as a cover up and double time for game drives!

scarf/handkerchief (2)

scarves/handkerchiefs tied around your neck with a button-up or a simple tee are so safari chic. plus, it gets really dusty driving around out in the bush, so they’re nice to have to wrap around your face to filter out the dust.

hat with chin strap (1-2)

a rugged fedora instantly makes you look more like indiana jones and who doesn’t want that adventure hero vibe for a trip to africa. surprisingly (or maybe not… it was to me) it gets super windy driving around in the safari vehicles (ours was wide open – no glass windows). so it’s important to have a hat with a tie (chin strap) so your hat doesn’t blow off.

sunglasses (2)

as already mentioned it gets super windy and dusty on game drives. my eyes were so red and irritated by the end of the trip. luckily for you, shield sunglasses are having a serious moment and are the perfect solution for protecting your eyes (i so wish i had brought some). the bigger the sunglasses the better for safari. here are some of my top picks. also, bring hydrating eye drops with you (note: i will be doing a specific post on toiletries you need for safari in the next couple of days).

duffle bag (1)

most bush planes (what you have to take from the more major airports out into the nature reserves where the safari camps are) have very strict luggage policies since they are so small. a lot of them do not allow hard-sided bags with wheels so you have to bring a large soft-sided duffel or backpack. additionally, most have strict weight limits of 15 kg INCLUDING your hand luggage (i.e. small backpack or large purse – i recommend just taking a day back no purse necessary). this weight limit seriously stressed me out. but it ended up being fine. i was able to fit everything i’ve mentioned above plus my outfits for our beach trip to zanzibar post-safari. so, if you follow my packing list you should be fine (note: i will be doing a simplified safari packing checklist in a few days). also, as i always recommend wear your heaviest layers on the plane. i took a 60 L capacity duffle. i first packed everything into a 40 L (the grey herschel duffel listed below) and everything fit, but it was a tight squeeze and i knew we would want to buy some things there.

day pack (1)

as noted above, there is really no reason you need to bring a large purse to africa. i brought a small rei day pack and a very small cloth clutch for any of my purse needs (which weren’t many). the day pack is perfect to carry all of your essentials on the international flight and keep under your seat, plus once on safari, i brought it in the vehicle with me everyday to hold some necessities (hand wipes, kleenex, extra charger, etc.) and to stash my extra layers once it got hot out.

socks

3-4 pairs preferably sweat-wicking, quick dry, and breathable

underwear

remember they offer laundry service

pajamas

you just need a lightweight pair

chargers / adapters

make sure to check which adapters you need for the countries

you’re visiting

sunscreen(carry on size)

the sun is very strong

bug spray (carry on size)

for extra protection, just in case

chapstick with spf

it’s very dry/ sun is strong

lotion (carry on size)

your camp will have some but nice to have extra as it’s very dry

head lamp

we didn’t need ours as our camp provided flashlights, but check ahead of time or bring it just in case

toiletries

click here for my detailed post on exactly what toiletries and makeup you should bring on safari

eye drops / artificial tears

your eyes will get really irritated from the wind, dust and dryness

sanitary hand wipes

nice to have both on the plane and game drives

hand sanitizer

good to have this in addition to the hand wipes

kleenex

but camp will also provide, so up to you

noise cancelling headphones

good to have for the long haul flights

travel pillow

good for long haul flights

portable battery pack for phone

good to have for long game drives so your phone doesn’t die and you miss capturing that amazing moment in the mara

dslr camera / lenses

we brought our nikon d5600 dslr and one smaller zoom lens but not a huge telephoto lens and it was fine for us. although there were a couple of times when i wish we had one, but most of the time our guide got so close to the animals that we didn’t even need a zoom at all. you can also get add on lenses for your iphone/samsung (including a telephoto one), which is a great option for less serious photographers and much lighter weight!

binoculars

some camps provide these, but if not, they’re really nice to have

and that’s a wrap on everything you need to know and what to pack for safari! don’t forget to check out my detailed toiletries packing guide for safari here. and again, feel free to reach out to me with any questions. you can comment below or message me on instagram @wear_this_there.