Safari packing has one golden rule: soft-sided bags, packed light. Light aircraft enforce a 15 kg limit in soft duffels, camps offer same-day laundry, and nobody on the Serengeti cares that you wore the same shirt twice. Here is the full list.
Clothing
- 3–4 t-shirts or short-sleeved shirts in neutral colors (khaki, olive, stone — avoid black and dark blue, which attract tsetse flies, and white, which shows dust instantly)
- 2 long-sleeved shirts for sun and evening mosquitoes
- 2 pairs of lightweight trousers; shorts if you like them
- 1 warm fleece or down layer — dry-season mornings on the crater rim are genuinely cold
- Light rain jacket (green season especially)
- Comfortable walking shoes or light boots, plus sandals for camp
- Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
- Swimwear — many lodges have pools
- Something slightly smarter for dinners if you enjoy it (entirely optional)
Camera & electronics
- Camera with the longest lens you own — 200mm minimum, 400mm ideal
- Spare batteries and plenty of memory cards; charging is available at lodges but drives are long
- Binoculars — one pair per person, not per couple (8x42 is the sweet spot)
- Power bank, universal adapter (Tanzania uses UK-style Type G plugs), phone cables
Health & documents
- Passport valid 6+ months, with your visa or eVisa approval
- Yellow fever certificate if arriving from an endemic country
- Malaria prophylaxis as advised by your travel clinic, plus repellent with DEET
- Personal medications in original packaging, in your hand luggage
- Travel insurance details (required on all our safaris)
- Sunscreen, lip balm, basic first-aid items
- Copies of key documents stored separately or in the cloud
Money
- US dollars in mixed denominations for tips and extras (notes printed 2009 or later)
- A card for lodge extras — Visa is most widely accepted
Leave at home
- Hard-shell suitcases (they physically may not fit in the aircraft)
- Camouflage-print clothing (restricted for civilians in Tanzania)
- Drones (banned in the national parks without permits)
- Hairdryers and irons — camps provide what their power systems allow
The final test
Pack, then remove a third. Between laundry service and the fact that you will live in the same comfortable clothes, nobody has ever returned from safari wishing they had brought more.