So you’ve already planned a trip to Africa or even drawn out your Africa travel Itinerary, booked your hotel and air ticket. (If you haven’t booked your hotel yet, book if from booking.com and you can also Compare prices on flights with Skyscanner or  Expedia.com  to get the most out of your trip).  Now you are wondering what to pack for an African safari, contemplating whether you should pack some items or leave them home. Here is the packing list for Africa with everything you will need on your safari.

The ultimate packing list for Africa

1. Safari backpacks.

Before you think of what to pack for an African safari, you got to have where to pack your items in. And for the case of an African safari, it’s better to use a safari backpack instead of a safari suitcase.

2.Camping Tent.

There are no better camping sites in the world like in Africa. You would definitely want to experience camping on this great continent. Aside from having a camping experience, a tent can be very useful if you are traveling on a budget. In countries like Botswana, hotels can be really expensive but if you have your own tent, you can pay a few dollars to camp in the hotel gardens.

3. Camera

If I were you, this would be the first in my safari backpack or a safari suitcase, I mean with all the beauty in Africa, who wouldn’t want to capture all the amazing scenery and wildlife! Yeah I know things have changed and phones can capture nice pictures but I am talking about perfect professional photos of something you’ve never captured before. So yes, a nice camera gotta be on a packing list for Africa.

4. Memory cards and extra batteries.

Imagine the disappointment of your camera going off because it wasn’t charged fully or you can’t take more photos because your memory is full.

That can be really a heartbreaking experience if you were still enjoying the safari. So a SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB Memory Card would be very efficient.

5. Binoculars.

An African safari is not complete without  Binoculars. I am sure you’ve seen so many photos of tourist in Africa with binoculars. it is not just for style but rather to get a closer look at the beauty that reigns in Africa. And at times some animals are so far away from the road and usually, safari cars are only allowed to drive on the road so you will need a pair of nice binoculars to see even the tiny animals from afar.

6. Travel Insurance.

If you are traveling to East African countries, getting medication from public or private hospitals can be easy and relatively cheap for minor issues. But imagine, God, forbid something big were to happen to you in a very remote area and you have to be rushed to an expensive hospital, you would end up falling in high debt. So this makes a travel insurance very essential and I highly recommend World Nomads since you can buy or renew your coverage online and it works in over 100 countries.

Related post: 8 best places to visit in Uganda

7. Power bank

I know you always want to stay connected with the rest of the world especially your family back home and since power blackouts are common in some parts of Africa, carrying your Portable Phone Charger Power Bank will be to your advantage when the power goes off.

8. Solar portable charger.

If you a planning to travel to one of those off the beaten paths in Africa, a solar portable charger is a must.  For all those obvious reasons when the power goes off or when the place you’re touring strictly has no electricity.

9. Personal Water filter.

Even up to now clean water might be a luxury in some few parts of  Africa.  Even though there is still a controversy among some people whether the water filters are 100 % effective in killing germs from the water. it is better to carry one for just those really remote areas where the word clean water sounds far-fetched.

Pro tip* It is not safe to drink water directly from the tap in Africa like it is in Europe or America, so this Water filter will be very efficient.

10. Pacsafe Travel safe

We all know security is paramount regardless of where you’re traveling to and a trip to Africa is no exception.  Carry a small pacsafe where you can keep the essential in like your passport, extra money and other valuable items you might have traveled with.

If the hotel or hostel you are sleeping in doesn’t provide a security locker, the Pacsafe comes with a wire that you can fasten around the hotel fixtures like a bed or chair, in that even if your room is broken into, your valuables will stay safe. Although, it is unlikely that your hotel room will be broken into,  be the smart tourist that takes precaution.

11. Universal travel adapter.

If you have been to different countries, you’ve probably realized that some countries have different kinds of sockets from your home country. Since you are not very familiar with the country you are traveling to, carry a universal adapter as that particular country might be using a different kind of socket.

12. Led Flashlight.

You don’t want to be left in total darkness when the electricity goes off especially in the night, which is highly likely in some African countries. So purchase yourself a GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight before your highly anticipated African safari and you won’t be disappointed.

13. TSA Approved locks.

On your trip to Africa, don’t forget to pack a locker to safely to keep your property while traveling. Not sure where to find them, click on the picture below to buy it.

14. Travel electronic organizer.

This might not be the most essential things to pack on a trip to Africa but it comes in handy if you want all your gadgets to be organized while on your African safari. If you don’t have one, you can shop it here.

15.Neck passport holder and wallet.

This is like a small cross bag that hangs around your neck to safely keep not only your passport but also your phone, money, credit cards and some other small items you might want to carry everywhere you go.

16. First Aid Kit

By all means, this should be on your packing list for Africa. Your All-Purpose First Aid Kit should at least have painkillers, plasters, malaria tablets, vitamins and other medicines that you might need on your travels.

Related post: 10 Best African countries to visit in 2019

17. Mosquito repellant.

Oh yeah, we have many of those guys “mosquitos” in Africa or at least in many African countries.  They say prevention is better than cure, so carry your insect repellant not to catch malaria.

Note* Most hotels provide mosquito nets but rather be sure than sorry.

18.Smartphone waterproof case.

Africa is not only safaris and wildlife but also beautiful beaches. So if you want to get that African perfect picture in the water, a smartphone waterproof case would be very useful.

19. Laundry bag.

Let’s face it, most of the hotels/ hostels you’re going to stay at are likely not to have a washer and dryer. And who wants to mix clean clothes with dirty ones? So pack your small laundry bag while you head out to Africa.

20.Micro Fiber Towel

The best towel to travel with to Africa is an OGI MiBcrofiber Travel Sports Towel. It is small to easily fit in your safari backpack, dries quickly and also antibacterial.

21.Sunscreen.

I am sure you might be knowing this but I will say it again, carry your Sun Bum Original Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion.  The weather and the sun are all fun and cool until your skin starts to react. And if you are traveling to countries like Egypt, a sunscreen is a must-have.

22.Heel Balm.

After a long safari in the heat of the day, or after taking a really long city walk, you might find your feet really dry or even cracked and that’s where the O’Keeffe’s Healthy Feet Foot Cream will come into play to do wonders for you.

23.Toiletries.

This might seem so obvious, but since you have to make a checklist, I had to add it to the packing list for Africa.

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Facial wipes
• Shaver
• Tissue
• Comb
• Body cream
• Deodorant

So now that you know all of the essential items that should be on your packing list for Africa,  you might be wondering what the best African safari outfits are?

What to wear on an African safari| Safari outfit

The safari clothing differ from country to country though most of them have things in common. So let’s look at what clothes should be in your safari luggage.

Pro tip * Since most of the hotels or hostels you are going stay at won’t have washing machines, you might want to pack clothes that you can easily wash on your own.

Safari clothes for men.

• Pack some jeans and t-shirts or a safari shirt. The number depends on the days your trip will be.
• Since it gets really hot in some places, you might want to pack some shorts.
• Don’t forget your safari shoes.  These might be your normal sports shoes or jungle shoes. They all work perfectly
• Hat- Who wouldn’t want to rock an African safari with a hat?
• Jackets- For when it gets cold in the night.
• Lightweight clothes like vests
• Flip flops

safari outfits for women.

There are no designated clothes to wear on an African safari but I suggest you wear something you can be completely comfortable in as long as it’s decent.

• safari dresses
• jeans
• tops or t-shirts
• safari shoes – sneakers or boots
• swimming costumes to hit the beach.
• sunglasses. – The sun can be really intense and you don’t want to punish your eyes.
• Hat- protect your head from the scorching by adding a hat to your packing list for Africa.
• open shoes
• sweatpants

What not to pack for an African safari.

Don’t carry all your valuables to Africa.

Just pack only those valuable items that are essential to your trip. There is always some kind of theft in some parts of Africa, so if you scream rich, you are attracting thieves.

Don’t carry too much luggage.

Though some tourists from Europe and other parts of the world think that Africa is like one of those places in the middle of nowhere, that is a myth. You don’t need to literally pack your entire house in a suitcase. You can always purchase some items from Africa.

Don’t carry a lot of cash on you.

You don’t want to risk being mugged and left with nothing. Just carry a reasonable amount of cash and a Visa or Credit card. There are so many ATM machines spread around in almost all African countries that you can easily access your money.

Ladies, don’t pack high heels.

By all means, high-heeled shoes gotta stay at home. They shouldn’t take up any space in your safari backpack.

Have you been to Africa? Tell me what you think of this packing list for Africa. What would you add or remove? Share with me in the comments section.

Do you want to learn more about Africa before you get there, read these book to get more inspiration

Related posts:

1. 5 things to know before traveling to Uganda
2. The ultimate guide to traveling to Egypt
3. Best places to visit in Cairo
4. Best ways to have a perfect day at the Giza pyramids

Enjoy your African safari

Esy

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