Blaire's Blurb: What to pack for an African safari

Ok… so let me preface this by saying I am NOT a fashion blogger/influencer nor is this post intended to come off that way! The purpose of my post is to inform first timers of perception vs. reality on what to pack for an Africa safari.

Perception:

Reality:

Here are some DO’s and DONT's on what to pack for a safari:

DO:

Pack COMFY!
- you are in a car for 7+ hours a day. This is not the time to wear your cute jeans that are SUPER tight or wear anything that’s only comfortable to wear while standing. If you aren't comfortable, your morning or afternoon will be ruined thinking about just that!
Pack something you’d wear again!
- there is absolutely no need to go on a shopping spree at REI or Academy to buy Colombia fishing shirts or pants that zip off into shorts. If you choose to buy anything new for a safari, make sure you invest in something you would be happy wearing again
Pack tennis shoes!
- I thought you needed to wear hiking boots on safari, but the truth of the matter is that you’re not going deep in the woods to search for animals on foot. You will be sitting in a car, as mentioned above, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes. I wore the tennis shoes pictured above on most every day I was on a game drive. Alternatively, I wore booties if it was a little colder out. One of my colleagues even said she prefers to wear flip flops!!
Pack layers!
- sometimes it’s cold in the morning but hot in the afternoon while on safari. You want to pack a comfy jacket or wrap but also have the opportunity to shed some layers as the temperatures rise. Also, bring a scarf. Not only will this provide extra warmth but also will shield your face if it’s dusty out.
Pack a hat and sunscreen!
- you will be outside in an uncovered vehicle for many hours. The sunscreen and hat will be game changers and will protect you from the beating African sun!
Pack in packing cubes!
- yall, these are a life saver! They keep everything organized, especially if you have to pack in a duffle bag. I highly recommend investing in some packing cubes to keep you organized … because remember, not everyone is super alert at 5am before their first game drive of the day ;)

DON’T:

Try to look overly cute!
- the fashion on safari varied dramatically between guests, but for the most part, everyone is dressed down. Lots of people wore workout clothes or leggings for comfort. Of course if you want to look great for your instagrams, go for it, but make sure you aren’t miserable the entire time!
Pack super dark colors!
- In addition to the beating sun, blacks and dark grays attract dust. I personally preferred wearing white, khaki and army green.
Overpack!
- many of the lodges have laundry service, so you can (and should!!!) re-wear outfits, especially if you need to pack in a duffle bag.

Here are some pictures of my safari outfits, for perspective:

And again, I can’t reiterate enough that I am NOT a fashion blogger nor do I ever want to be, but here are some sites that I found lots of my safari outfits from:

Zara / // H&M // Free People // Nordstrom // Superga // Dolce Vita // Zappos

Other things to pack that aren’t clothes…

Yall, you really don't need to pack much for a safari because these awesome lodges have so much at your disposal, but I’d recommend a few of the following things:

Camera!! … now an iPhone is ok and I’m not saying that an iPhone is insufficient, but I will think you’ll have major FOMO seeing these safari and photography enthusiasts with these mega cameras taking these awesome shots of animals from far away. Of course you don’t need to ball out when buying a camera, but a little upgrade from the iPhone is always fun!
Sunscreen + Bug Spray! … I touched on sunscreen above, but bug spray is good too, especially if you’re traveling during the rainy season and want to protect yourself from mosquitos and ticks.
Refillable Water Bottle! … your lodges will have water for you both at the lodge and while on safari, but it never hurts to have your own water bottle to refill whenever you’d like.
Duffle Bag! … Yall, I swear I was like Mary Poppins with my duffle bag - I fit so much! (almost too much!). It’s amazing what packing cubes can do. But make sure you have a reliable duffle bag if you’re flying on the smaller, chartered flights. To be honest, my duffle bag itself weighed a lot, and that was hard to carry back and forth. I recommend something that’s lightweight and can miraculously fit a lot!

But of course, insert YOUR personal style and flair into what you pack for your super special bucket list trip… I just wanted to debunk some myths of things that I personally thought I needed to wear while in Africa vs what I actually needed. I hope this helps!!