Essential Knowledge: African Safari Packing Guide

When traveling on an African safari, the season, destination, and itinerary dictate how and what you should pack. While general lists like The Ultimate Odysseys Unlimited Packing List provide a helpful base, more specific advice can better guide you in making the best packing decisions for your journey. So, we’ve put all our best advice in this safari packing guide – from the type of clothing you should wear to the type of bag you should carry. 

After you’ve read through our guide, head over to our Ultimate Packing List to build your custom, itemized packing list. (Be sure to scroll down to the “Supplemental Packing List for Safari Tours” section, as well.)

General Packing Advice

With so many variables at play – from season and climate to cultural norms, your itinerary, and personal preferences – we can’t tell you exactly what to pack. However, we do have suggestions, based on our own travel experiences and expertise. Therefore, we recommend that you use this as a general guide and choose what advice applies best to you and your trip.

You may find our online travel supply store, My Odysseys Outfitter, a helpful resource. To find a collection of recommended products for your trip, simply click on “Shop by Destination” and choose your destination from the drop-down menu.

Luggage Restrictions for Odysseys Unlimited Tours

Several of our Africa tours have strict luggage weight requirements. Please note, for the below tours, it is not an option to pay for excess weight or baggage. 

Africa’s Wildlife and Southern Africa Odyssey: Because we use smaller planes on this tour, the total weight of your checked luggage cannot exceed 44 lbs. (20 kgs) per person and the total weight of your carry-on cannot exceed 11 lbs. (5 kgs), regardless of any higher weight limits permitted by any of the other airlines on which you will be traveling, including your international flight and any domestic connecting flights. 

Tanzania Adventure and Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania: Because of extremely limited space on our safari vehicles (in which we also travel between lodges) and strict weight limits on the internal flights on these tours, only one piece of checked luggage per person will be allowed. This piece must be a soft-sided (collapsible) duffel-type bag and weigh no more than 33 lbs. when fully packed. Additionally, for both tours, one carry-on bag is allowed per person, which must be no more than 15 lbs. when packed and no more than 43” total dimensions (length plus width plus height). Because you will keep this carry-on with you in the main compartment of the safari vehicles, you will be most comfortable utilizing a small, soft-sided bag as your carry-on bag. If your luggage does not meet these requirements:

• Tanzania Adventure: You may be asked to leave behind some items at the airstrip(s), prior to our flight(s) to/from Zanzibar.
• Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania: Your luggage will be securely stored in Nairobi for the duration of your tour (you will have to purchase the appropriate luggage while in Nairobi); you then will be able to reclaim your original luggage on Day 14 when the group returns to Nairobi. 

If you are traveling on one of these Odysseys tours, a more detailed luggage restriction reminder will be available on your My Odyssey guest portal.

Clothing

Pack for comfort. The outdoor nature of safari tours lends itself to a limited wardrobe of very casual attire; in general, no formal clothes are necessary and would only take up limited, valuable luggage space. Be sure to include:

• Comfortable walking shoes or lightweight trail shoes – broken in pre-departure
• Shorts and t-shirts
• Long-sleeved shirts and pants for cooler mornings and evenings
• Layers that are easy to remove and store in a day pack
  • Safari-goers often utilize convertible zip-off pants that can be worn as either long pants or shorts
• Wide-brimmed hat
• Bathing suit

Be prepared for changing weather conditions. In many African safari destinations (such as the Serengeti, Masai Mara, Ngorongoro, etc.), temperatures vary widely depending on the season and time of day. In addition to the above, you should pack:

• A sweater or fleece
• A lightweight waterproof windbreaker
• A rain jacket

We recommend visiting www.accuweather.com before your departure to check the weather forecast for your trip.

Pack light. Packing light is always a good idea, but especially for safari trips. On Odysseys tours, strict luggage requirements limit the total weight of your checked bag to 33–44 lbs. and your carry-on bag to 11–15 lbs. (depending on the tour). So, prioritize packing:

• Items you can mix and match, including earth-toned (beige, tan, brown, olive green, etc.) clothing, which blends into the bush and hides dust well 
  • Avoid white clothing, which stains easily; camouflage, which is forbidden in Zimbabwe; and black, purple, and blue fabrics, which are known to attract tsetse flies.
  • Patterned and/or brightly colored clothing is acceptable for wearing around lodges and hotels. 

Note that many hotels offer laundry service for a fee (if you are reserved on one of our tours, check your Accommodations List in your My Odyssey portal for details).

Research cultural norms. In general, safari tours require simple, plain, casual attire, as described above. However, depending on your destination and itinerary, you may wish to keep the following in mind:

• At some religious sites, shorts are forbidden, and it may be appropriate for guests to remove hats and sunglasses before entering.
• Since parts of Africa have a large Muslim population, at some destinations, you may wish to dress modestly by ensuring your shoulders and knees are covered. 

On Odysseys tours, if we recommend special clothing items for your itinerary, they will be listed in the “What to Pack” section of your General Information document in your My Odyssey portal (available upon making a reservation).

Bags & Accessories

Bring a compact, lightweight, comfortable backpack to use as a day pack. A small backpack or sling backpack are great options to store anything you may need while on safari. Just keep in mind that you don’t want your backpack to be too large or heavy, as safari vehicles typically have limited storage space and you’ll want your day pack to be easily accessible.

Wear a sun hat, sunglasses, and a mask, scarf, or buff on game drives. Polarized sunglasses provide optimal visibility by minimizing glare, which is especially useful for safaris. Additionally, bring a mask, scarf, or buff to cover your mouth and nose during dusty game drives.

Store cash, cards, and IDs in a money belt worn under your clothing. This not only keeps you from dropping or misplacing your credit cards, cash, IDs, etc., but also protects them from potential pickpockets when sightseeing in cities.

Medical Supplies

Build a mini first-aid kit. We recommend including:

• Antiseptic ointment
• Over-the-counter painkillers
• Hand sanitizer
• Alcohol wipes 
• Antibacterial towelettes
• Bandages
• Pepto-Bismol® or TUMS® and an anti-diarrheal like IMODIUM® in case of stomach issues
• Anti-itch cream in case of bug bites
• Anti-nausea medicine in case of motion sickness

Protect yourself from insect-born illnesses with 25–30% DEET insect repellant. Long socks can also help reduce bug bites on your ankles and lower legs.

Use broad-spectrum 50+ SPF sunscreen all day, every day. Reapply every few hours to ensure maximum protection.

Avoid contact lenses during game drives. Dust from the safari roads may aggravate your eyes if you wear contact lenses. Use prescription eyeglasses – or, even better, prescription sunglasses – instead.

Be aware of medication and/or medical supply regulations. Always check your destination’s regulations on importing controlled substances, prescription medications, and/or medical supplies (such as CPAP machines, syringes, etc.). To be safe, keep prescription and over-the-counter medication in their original packaging.

Get required prescriptions and/or vaccinations at least two months before your trip. Several African nations require travelers entering from yellow fever–endemic countries (such as Kenya) to receive the yellow fever vaccine. Additionally, malaria and dengue fever are prevalent in many African safari destinations, so your doctor may wish to prescribe anti-malarial medication. If you are traveling with Odysseys Unlimited, check your General Information document in your My Odyssey portal for more information on required and recommended prescriptions and/or vaccinations.

What NOT to Bring

Do not travel with CBD or THC products. The legality of cannabis products and enforcement of cannabis-related laws varies depending on location. Laws can also change without notice. It’s safest to leave cannabis products at home.

Do not bring expensive or sentimental items. You don’t want to ruin your vacation by worrying about losing valuable jewelry, watches, camera equipment, or other expensive belongings.

We hope this information is helpful to you as you prepare for your safari adventure. For more advice, check out our blog posts about packing by clicking here.