Travel guide

What to pack for safari

Neutral colors (khaki, olive, grey), layers, and soft bags. That's 80% of it. Bush flights limit you to 15–20kg in soft duffels — pack for that even if you start in Arusha with a hard case (lodges store extras).

Elephants graze on a green plain beneath a flat-topped acacia in Tarangire

Clothing

  • 3–4 neutral shirts (no white — dust; no navy/black — tsetse)
  • Fleece + packable down (mornings hit 5°C Jun–Aug)
  • Convertible trousers ×2, shorts ×1
  • Broken-in walking shoes + sandals
  • Wide-brim hat, buff, sunglasses
A dense column of wildebeest streaming across the Serengeti grassland

Gear & medical

  • Binoculars (one pair per person — non-negotiable)
  • Camera + 100–400mm zoom, dust bags, power bank
  • Sunscreen, insect repellent (DEET 30%), antihistamines
  • Malaria prophylaxis per doctor; rehydration salts
  • Copies of passport/insurance in phone + paper

Leave home: camouflage (illegal in some countries), drones (banned in most parks), flash photography expectations, rigid itineraries. Trekkers add: Kilimanjaro list → · gorilla gear →.

FAQs

Hard case or duffel?

Both: hard case for international, lodges store it free; 15-20kg soft duffel for bush-flight sectors.

Do we need safari shops?

No - high-street synthetics in khaki/olive work. Spend on boots and binoculars instead.

Laundry reality?

Overnight return almost everywhere. Pack 3-4 days of clothes for any trip length.

How much should we tip?

As a guideline: 15 to 25 dollars per day for your driver-guide (per group, not per person), 10 to 15 dollars per day into camp communal tip boxes, and 20 to 30 dollars for a gorilla porter. Restaurants 10 percent where service is not included.

Can dietary needs be handled in bush camps?

Yes - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergies are routinely catered with advance notice. Remote camps need 30 days notice for specialist supplies; tell us at proposal stage.

Camps cook from scratch, so most requests are a kitchen question rather than a supply one. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are routine; halal and kosher products have to be imported in the remotest valleys, which is where the 30-day notice applies - Skeleton Coast, northern Uganda, the deeper Okavango camps. Menus are planned per group before the first grocery run, so tell us at proposal stage rather than on arrival. Guides carry your dietary notes on every drive, and camps refill filtered water wherever possible instead of trucking in bottles.

Can older travelers or limited mobility join?

Often yes: game drives are vehicle-based, many lodges have ground-floor rooms with walk-in showers, and we grade walking and trekking honestly. Tell us constraints and we design around them - except gorilla trekking, which demands real hill fitness.

What is included in the from-price?

Private 4x4 and driver-guide, accommodation, park and concession fees, listed transfers and most meals. International flights, visas, insurance and tips are excluded.

On our quotes the from-price covers the private 4x4 and driver-guide, accommodation, park and concession fees, listed transfers and most meals; it excludes international flights, visas, insurance, tips and premium drinks. Balloon flights, night drives and gorilla permits appear as optional line items you switch on.

Can we add a beach extension?

Yes - Zanzibar, Diani and Mozambique links are routine. Say the word and the flights slot into your proposal.

How do deposits and payments work?

A deposit of 20 to 30 percent confirms camps, permits and flights; the balance is due 60 days before travel. We accept bank transfer and major cards (card fees disclosed upfront). Full terms arrive in writing before you pay anything.

We accept bank transfer and Visa or Mastercard; card payments add the processor's 2-4 percent, disclosed line by line. Splitting the balance across two cards is possible at proposal stage, and paying early in green season occasionally unlocks camp flexibility worth a few percent - always against a written schedule, never against an informal promise.