The safari packing list

Colour is not a style question out here — it decides how close you get and what bites you.

• Neutral colours — khaki, olive, tan, stone Bright white shows every speck of dust and stands out to game. More importantly, tsetse flies are drawn to dark blue and black, so leave those at home in Tarangire, the Mara and the western Serengeti.
• No camouflage clothing Wearing camouflage is against the law for civilians in Tanzania and is restricted in Kenya. It gets confiscated at the border, sometimes with a fine attached. This is not a style note.
• Long-sleeved shirts — 2 or 3 Sun cover in the middle of the day, mosquito cover at dusk. Light, breathable, quick-drying.
• Light trousers — 2 pairs Long legs at dawn and dusk for the same reason as the sleeves.
• Shorts — 1 or 2 optional For the middle of the day and around camp.
• Fleece or a warm jacket The one thing people never expect to need. Game drives leave before dawn, the vehicle roof is open, and the Ngorongoro rim sits at 2,300m — it is genuinely cold up there at night.
• Wide-brimmed hat A cap leaves your ears and neck exposed for eight hours.
• Buff, scarf or bandana The road to the Serengeti is dust for hours. This is what you will pull over your face on it.
• Swimwear optional Most lodges and camps have a pool, and the coast is the coast.
• Something smarter for dinner optional Only if you are on the lodge trips — nothing formal, just not the shirt you wore through the dust.

• Closed walking shoes or light boots For walking safaris, bush camps and anywhere with thorns. You will not be hiking, but sandals in long grass is a bad idea.
• Sandals or flip-flops For the vehicle, camp and the pool.
• Socks — 4 or 5 pairs

Book the health conversation six to eight weeks before you fly, not the week before.

• Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm with SPF You are on the equator, often at altitude, standing up through an open roof. Reapply at every stop.
• Sunglasses Proper UV protection, and a strap — they get knocked off on rough roads.
• Insect repellent DEET or picaridin, applied at dusk. Bring more than you think; it is the item people run out of.
• Antimalarials Most of our safari areas are malarial. Which tablets suit you is a conversation with your own doctor or travel clinic — several have to be started before you travel.
• Personal medication In your hand luggage, in its original labelled packaging, with a copy of the prescription.
• Small first-aid kit Plasters, painkillers, antihistamine, rehydration salts and something for an upset stomach. Your guide carries a full kit; this is for the small things at 2am.
• Hand sanitiser and wet wipes Lunch is often a packed box on your knees in the vehicle.

This is the section that decides what your safari was like.

• Binoculars — one pair per person Not one pair per couple. Sharing is the single most common regret we hear, because the interesting thing is usually over in twenty seconds. 8x42 or 10x42 is the right size; anything stronger is too shaky to hold in a vehicle.
• Camera, with the longest lens you own 200mm gets you a recognisable lion. 400mm gets you its face. A phone will not reach, however good it is.
• Spare memory cards and batteries Roughly twice what you think. Charging happens at camp, on the camp's schedule, not yours.
• A beanbag or a rolled fleece optional Rested on the vehicle window or roof hatch it beats a tripod, which you cannot use in a Land Cruiser anyway.
• Power bank Camps often run generators for a few hours a day. Charge everything whenever power exists, not when you need it.
• Plug adapter — UK three-pin (Type G), 240V Kenya and Tanzania both use it. Vehicles usually have a USB socket; do not count on an inverter.

• A soft-sided bag, not a hard suitcase Safari vehicle lockers are an awkward shape and light aircraft holds are worse. A soft duffel goes in; a rigid case often does not.
• Daypack What lives at your feet in the vehicle: water, camera, sunscreen, a layer.
• No plastic bags Single-use plastic bags are banned in Kenya and in Tanzania, including inside your luggage, and the penalties are serious. Use fabric pouches, dry bags or packing cubes instead — and empty your case of them before you fly.
• A dust-proof bag for camera gear A dry bag or a zip pouch. Serengeti dust gets into everything that is not sealed.
• Torch or headlamp For walking between tent and mess after the generator goes off.
• Refillable water bottle We supply the drinking water; the bottle stops us handing out single-use plastic all week.
• Cash in small notes For tips, curios and drinks. US dollars are widely accepted, but bring notes issued recently — older US notes are routinely refused across East Africa — and plenty of small denominations, because change is hard to find.

Zanzibar, Diani and the marine parks.

• Reef-safe sunscreen Kisite and the Zanzibar reefs are protected. Oxybenzone-free, please.
• Rash vest or a long-sleeved swim top You will burn through the water inside an hour of snorkelling without one.
• Clothes that cover shoulders and knees Zanzibar is a Muslim island. Beachwear is fine on the beach and at your hotel; away from them, covering up is simple courtesy and it is noticed.
• Water shoes optional Sea urchins and coral are unforgiving on bare feet at low tide.
• Dry bag optional For the boat to the reef.