Safari clothing should be casual and comfortable, and this is the dress code at the safari lodges and camps you would be visiting. It is not necessary to wear khakis from head to toe, however it is wise to dress in colours that conceal the ever-present dust on East Africa’s roads. Whatever the weather, there is always lots of dust around! Most of the roads both inside and outside the national parks and reserves you will be visiting are unpaved. This means that in the dry weather dust may be prolific while in the wet weather, it can get quite muddy.
If you will be taking a flight in light aircraft between the parks, note that there is a 15kg (33 pound) luggage limit per person. All hotels, lodges and safari camps offer an inexpensive or free (basic) same day laundry service (washed by hand in most cases, and subject to the weather), so pack light! Camouflage clothing is not allowed in East Africa. Khaki, brown and subdued colours are only really necessary if you will be taking part in walking safaris, when you would need to blend in with the environment.
Dressing in layers (just like an onion!) is an effective method of compensating for the wide variations in temperatures during the day. It tends to be cool in the morning, warm or hot during the day and cool again in the evening. A sweatshirt, and a jacket/fleece is needed for evenings and early mornings, as it can be quite cold especially at high altitudes.
2 quick-drying long trousers/slacks, which can include a pair of jeans; 1 pair of shorts; 4-5 tops including tee shirts and/or polo shirts, long-sleeved shirts and short-sleeved shirts (cotton is your friend); 1 pair hiking boots; 1 pair sandals; 1 pair sneakers; socks; underwear; a bathing suit; and while not exactly items of clothing, sunglasses are recommended, and sunscreen and lip balm are absolutely necessary, even while it is overcast, as the UV rays of the sun filter through the clouds. A safari hat is useful- we provide you with beautiful Tano Safaris hats or caps when you are on safari with us! We also provide you with a small hold-all bag, ideal for carrying documents and cash while you are out on the game drives and other safari activities.
If you will be staying at a city hotel or at one of the grander beach hotels that require a more put-together dress-code for diners in the evening, ladies should include at least 1 dress or skirt and gentlemen should have a smart-casual pair of trousers, and a correspondingly smarter pair of shoes for the evening. Leave behind your gleaming leather shoes, killer heels, white jeans and grandmother’s pearls. You won’t impress the King of the Jungle…
A suggested packing list for Chimp Tracking and Gorilla Tracking and Mountain Climbing is provided when you book the safari experience with us in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.
Pack light, be practical, and if you can, PACK for a PURPOSE.