WWY have done differently/wish you would have packed for a safari?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Going on a safari in East Africa with college kids on spring break. If you have taken one recently, what do you wish you had done differently/wish you would have packed? Thinking both clothes as well as photography, electronics, etc.

Also interested in how you handled tips. Did you have a ton of local currency or did you tip in dollars?

And what am I missing?

When and where are you going? Are we talking high end lodge, glamping, hotels, a mix? I lived there for awhile and have done many kinds of safaris, and what I’d recommend would slightly change.

I agree that in general there is no need for special clothes; normal hiking clothes are fine, with emphasis on comfort. Many people don’t realize that they’ll be sedentary a lot of the day. I know people focus on colors but I’ve never noticed a difference re biting insects. I always liked to bring some nicer clothes (dresses) for dinner but it depends on what you’ll be doing and where.

You’re going to have a great time. Can’t wait until my kids are old enough for a family trip there.

[Anonymous]

Oh and tips in dollars would be very appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I went on a safari in Kenya and packed leather sneakers which had perforations. I thought they were a good idea to keep my feet cool but the red dust/ earth got in them a lot and I had to throw them out mid-trip.

So I'd get good walking shoes that didn't let the earth in so easily.

[Anonymous]

Bring sandals for dinner/room/lodge - it feels great to get out of hiking boots/sneakers after a long day. Bring layers - our family had scarfs that kept us warm in the early morning and kept dust off during the day. Agree on the need for sunglasses and binoculars for everyone. Hat helped keep women's hair less messy/knotted. Yes to dressier clothes for dinner and don't buy "safari clothes" - regular hiking gear is fine.

Have fun - it's such a unique experience.

[Anonymous]

Last 2 PPs have made great suggestions on footwear - TY.

Appreciate if folks are specific with their daytime footwear. Love if you share brand/model and if high/low top.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going on a safari in East Africa with college kids on spring break. If you have taken one recently, what do you wish you had done differently/wish you would have packed? Thinking both clothes as well as photography, electronics, etc.

Also interested in how you handled tips. Did you have a ton of local currency or did you tip in dollars?

And what am I missing?

When and where are you going? Are we talking high end lodge, glamping, hotels, a mix? I lived there for awhile and have done many kinds of safaris, and what I’d recommend would slightly change.

I agree that in general there is no need for special clothes; normal hiking clothes are fine, with emphasis on comfort. Many people don’t realize that they’ll be sedentary a lot of the day. I know people focus on colors but I’ve never noticed a difference re biting insects. I always liked to bring some nicer clothes (dresses) for dinner but it depends on what you’ll be doing and where.

You’re going to have a great time. Can’t wait until my kids are old enough for a family trip there.

We were really restricted by the size/weight of our luggage because of one bush flight so packing was tight. Good news was they did our laundry daily. I did not consider the above and wish I would have brought sneakers/exercise clothes to hit the treadmill during the midday break. Our routine was - up at 5:30am, morning snack, out at dawn, back for breakfast, free time/lunch/free time, afternoon tea, out for evening drive, back for dinner - so the only opportunity to change clothes was midday. We were at our safari location for 3 days (6 drives) and it was just the right amount of time at one spot. Next time I'd go to two locations.

I also sorted tips in advance, but I took local currency. We're not big camera people so we just used our phones for pictures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last 2 PPs have made great suggestions on footwear - TY.

Appreciate if folks are specific with their daytime footwear. Love if you share brand/model and if high/low top.

Thanks!

Half of us already had hiking boots and for our kids with growing feet I just ordered a couple of cheap pairs off Amazon. You don't walk that much in the shoes if you're only using them on safari (which my kids did).

[Anonymous]

You can wear normal sneakers. Or any basic boot from REI or LL Bean. In the evenings, flip flops or nicer sandals work.

[Anonymous]

We did a safari in South Africa in late October and had a bush flight so we were also super restricted on packing. I know SA is different from East Africa but in case helpful --

I wore my sneakers (Asics) for AM drives w long socks to keep my ankles warm from the wind while driving; birk sandals for PM drives that I've owned since being a teen (it was hot); and some flat sandals for around our room/lunches/etc (basically more elevated flip flops). I wore a baseball cap because I didn't want to do the whole "Out of Africa" cosplay look but wish I had a wider brim hat - when the sun get's going it's HOT.

Nobody dressed up or changed for dinner at our lodge (Londolozi) the entire time we were there - everyone went straight from the game drives to dinner - and it was a mix of DINKs in their 30s (us included) and 2 families with young kids.

For tips -- we found the tipping guide given to us by our TA felt stingy so just keep an eye out for that, I've read similar comments on Reddit / Tripadvisor. We ended up 2x most of the tips.

In Cape Town we tipped w/ local currency. At the lodge we tipped via credit card at the end of our stay because we had run out of local currency tipping in Cape Town. Not sure if that's an option for you - maybe check into that w your lodge?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did a safari in South Africa in late October and had a bush flight so we were also super restricted on packing. I know SA is different from East Africa but in case helpful --

I wore my sneakers (Asics) for AM drives w long socks to keep my ankles warm from the wind while driving; birk sandals for PM drives that I've owned since being a teen (it was hot); and some flat sandals for around our room/lunches/etc (basically more elevated flip flops). I wore a baseball cap because I didn't want to do the whole "Out of Africa" cosplay look but wish I had a wider brim hat - when the sun get's going it's HOT.

Nobody dressed up or changed for dinner at our lodge (Londolozi) the entire time we were there - everyone went straight from the game drives to dinner - and it was a mix of DINKs in their 30s (us included) and 2 families with young kids.

For tips -- we found the tipping guide given to us by our TA felt stingy so just keep an eye out for that, I've read similar comments on Reddit / Tripadvisor. We ended up 2x most of the tips.

In Cape Town we tipped w/ local currency. At the lodge we tipped via credit card at the end of our stay because we had run out of local currency tipping in Cape Town. Not sure if that's an option for you - maybe check into that w your lodge?

Thanks for insight that tip guide might be stingy.

I’ve spent a ton of time in South Africa as well as East Africa for work. While they are very different places, culturally and geographically, this very helpful. We are going to be at a mix of glamps and lodges.

TY!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Going on a safari in East Africa with college kids on spring break. If you have taken one recently, what do you wish you had done differently/wish you would have packed? Thinking both clothes as well as photography, electronics, etc.

Also interested in how you handled tips. Did you have a ton of local currency or did you tip in dollars?

And what am I missing?

When and where are you going? Are we talking high end lodge, glamping, hotels, a mix? I lived there for awhile and have done many kinds of safaris, and what I’d recommend would slightly change.

I agree that in general there is no need for special clothes; normal hiking clothes are fine, with emphasis on comfort. Many people don’t realize that they’ll be sedentary a lot of the day. I know people focus on colors but I’ve never noticed a difference re biting insects. I always liked to bring some nicer clothes (dresses) for dinner but it depends on what you’ll be doing and where.

You’re going to have a great time. Can’t wait until my kids are old enough for a family trip there.

We were really restricted by the size/weight of our luggage because of one bush flight so packing was tight. Good news was they did our laundry daily. I did not consider the above and wish I would have brought sneakers/exercise clothes to hit the treadmill during the midday break. Our routine was - up at 5:30am, morning snack, out at dawn, back for breakfast, free time/lunch/free time, afternoon tea, out for evening drive, back for dinner - so the only opportunity to change clothes was midday. We were at our safari location for 3 days (6 drives) and it was just the right amount of time at one spot. Next time I'd go to two locations.

I also sorted tips in advance, but I took local currency. We're not big camera people so we just used our phones for pictures.

We are going to two sites, so this is helpful.

What local currency? Depending where that can be a hella lot of paper bills.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't spend a lot of money on clothes. My husband and I both had a few pairs of inexpensive fishing pants and Columbia shirts. We could hand wash them and they dried in a couple of hours. Don't waste money on high end safari clothes. Have a nice hat to block sun plus a baseball cap. A fleece jacket or a vest can help if the morning is chilly. Bring a big kerchief to use if the dust is an issue and you use it as a face mask or just bring a few masks. A good camera with a telephoto lens is a must. Phone cameras are fine but not ideal. Bring some stomach issue meds just in case. Bring USD for tipping so bring a lot of 10's 20's and 50's. Newer bills are important. FYI - in both Tanzania and Kenya I was amazed how good cell phone coverage was. We's be in the middle of nowhere, I'd take a picture with my phone, text it to my kids and they'd text back minute later. Amazing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our outfits were primarily sourced from REI. We were the only ones in the group. In retrospect, I wish we packed more "normal" clothes for pictures.

Thanks for the suggestion on "normal" clothes - will do.

Do you mind sharing what you packed in terms of tech gear? And were you in East Africa? If so, what time of year?

Thanks again!

DP but I was in East Africa this past September.

I would concur about the clothing, however I also found that the khaki color hid the dust. There is a lot of it and you will be covered in it everyday. It was chilly in the morning and at night.

It was an A&K tour so it was "luxury" and I don't recall anyone getting very dressed up. Polo shirts for men. Women had blouses and nicer pants. Luggage was limited.

As for electronics, I brought 2 mirrorless cameras and several lenses. Canon if that makes a difference. I rented a Canon RF 100-500mm lense from Aperturerent (they have a location in downtown DC but will ship). That lens was crucial. The other camera (as a backup) and lenses were unnecessary. Anything closeup I used an iPhone 13 Promax. Of the 17 people in my safari group, 14 or 15 used only their phones and got some beautiful pictures. Given that I had the cameras I did I also brought a laptop so I could download and do a little editing everyday.

I brought Deet but really didn't use it much. Maybe 2 or 3 times when I knew I would be near wetland at dusk or in the evening.

The balloon rides (I did one over the Serengeti and one over the Maasai Mara) were spectacular! As far as I am concerned, one of the highlights.

Tipping is disclosed. Usually 10 dollars a day for your driver/guide and 15 per day for the safari director. Generally small denomination used USD is appreciated most (no tears or defacement). You can get USD from ATMs in both Kenya and Tanzania but typically only larger denoominations (100s and 50s).

Tanzania does require yellow fever and a yellow card. But if travelling from Kenya and your have a connected tour director, 50 bucks and the nice Kenyan officials will happily provide you with an international yellow fever cert. No injection required.

Have fun!

Weird that your “travel tip” involves bribing officials to get around a public health requirement.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9577449/

Your entitlement, ignorance and irresponsibility are on full display.

[Anonymous]

It is extremely disrespectful of Kenyans to buy your way out of the laws they have passed to protect their population and economy. Yellow fever is incurable and has a 11% fatality rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is extremely disrespectful of Kenyans to buy your way out of the laws they have passed to protect their population and economy. Yellow fever is incurable and has a 11% fatality rate.

Meant say that there is no treatment, not “incurable.”