Southern Africa is an amazing place to travel. It is also the sort of place where being well prepared will hugely improve your experience. Of course, everyone has their own philosophy on packing for a trip. So you should think of this article more as casual suggestions from some one who has done several safaris in southern Africa before rather than an iron clad list of all you should and should not bring.
With that, to my packing suggestions for some one going on a safari in southern Africa:
THE OBVIOUS ITEMS
Passport, ATM card, credit card, airplane ticket, emergency cash (see below).
A REALLY GOOD LED FLASHLIGHT
Even if you aren't camping on your safari, chances are you'll be at least walking around at night in dark places. An LED flashlight is far preferable to the regular variety partly because the light they give is easier on the eyes but most because the batteries last significantly longer. Even with heavy flashlight use you’ll probably only need one (at most two) sets of batteries. A flashlight is so essential it is almost worth bringing two.
Sadly, a good LED flashlight doesn’t come cheap. Among the hand held varieties, Inova makes an excellent 5.8 Watt model – I highly suggest it (see link, below)! Myself, I’ve never been big on the headlamp variety though I get how they are practical; I’m told Princeton Tec is the best choice here.
SUN PROTECTION
Seriously, be prepared for some of the strongest sun you’ve felt in your life. Definitely bring sunscreen. If you are at all inclined towards sunglasses absolutely bring those – I myself am partial to the lightweight Maui Jim kind.
INSECT REPELLENT
Best is a repellent that contains between 20% and 70% DEET — less than 20% DEET and the repellent is not sufficiently effective, getting more than 70% provides no additional benefit but can irritate skin and even burn through cloth! I’ve tried many “natural” repellents containing no DEET always with disappointing results. Ben’s 30 Insect Repellent is long-lasting, water-based, and a very good choice.
Also, ExOfficio makes a “Buzz Off” line of clothing that has surprisingly effective insect repellent qualities built into the fabric!
AT LEAST TWO BAGS
A small bag that can fit everything you need during the course of a day (like your camera, sunscreen, extra shirt, etc.) and another as your main bag. Your day bag is something you can do a lot of walking/hiking around with so I strongly suggest a small backpack. I’ll likely bring a large backpack as my main bag but you can bring a wheelie if you like – you are online going to be carrying this bag to/from the airport and between the truck and your tent.
CLOTHES
First, what NOT to bring:
1) Clothes that require special washing or ironing.
2) Items you are especially fond of or would be upset if you didn’t return home with. Traveling in developing countries can be hard on the wardrobe and clothes have a way of being torn, burned, stained, ripped, lost, soaked in beer and/or bitten by monkeys.
So what should you bring? In general consider something like: at least one pair of shorts, one (or two) light long trousers, one (or two) heavier warmer trousers, several t-shirts, one (or two) light long sleeve shirts and at least one heavier sweater. A warm hat might also be a good idea, especially if your safari route takes you through Namibia, where in the desert it can get cold at night even during the warm season.
As for footwear, one pair of sandals that can get wet (eg. not leather) is highly suggested. Not only are sandals better than shoes for hot weather, they don’t require the wearing (and thus the packing or the washing) of socks. For closed-toe shoes, a light pair of hiking boots works well.
TOILETRIES AND TOILETRYESQUE ITEMS
You know the basics: toothpaste, shampoo, aspirin, contact lens solution, etc. Such items are generally available for purchase in southern Africa but you might not want to take time away from your safari to get them.
Depending on the length and type of your safari you may need to wash some of your clothes along the way. For that I can not suggest magic soap highly enough. Technically called “Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap,” this amazing product has 18 prescribed uses (including for deodorant, shampoo, mouth wash and massage oil) that you can read about on the surreal and rambling label. It comes in a variety of scents (I like the almond, through the peppermint has its charm) as well as a mild version. You can get it online and also at most Whole Foods and co-ops.
ELECTRONICS
You'll certain want to bring a camera. For that, or any other sensitive electronic device, I suggest a strong, sealable plastic bag to keep it dry and sand-free.
All of Africa runs on 220/230 volts, versus 110 in the United States. This will make it difficult to run your old American waffle iron in Namibia but most mobile electronics sold these days can handle a range of voltages. Check the “input” listed on your device charger.
Now, here's the key: All of South Africa, and most of Southern Africa, used an "M-type plug," which has three big holes arranged in a triangle. MOST SO-CALLED UNIVERSAL PLUG ADAPTERS WILL *NOT* WORK WITH M PLUGS! So make sure you buy a special M-type adapter. I strongly suggest getting one before you go (see links below).
OTHER ITEMS TO PACK OR CONSIDER
Some other types to consider:
Travel insurance
You should check to see what sort of travel coverage your current health insurer (if you have one) provides. Even apart from health issues you may want to get insurance that would cover you in the case of lost bags or canceled flights. It happens that AIG has a product called Travel Guard that does exactly that. I’m not necessarily recommending it, but then I’m generally one to turn down an insurance option.
Reading book(s)
A few of the southern Africa-related reads:
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, is an outstanding book and a must for understanding modern South Africa. Mandela: The Authorized Portrait is supposedly very good too, but I myself haven’t read it.
The quintessential South African novel is perhaps The Power Of One, a beautifully written book about a South African boy coming of age in the 1930s and 40s, and his dream of becoming the welterweight champion of the world.
Waiting For Rain is actually a young adult book, but that makes it an easy read for older adults. It is about life in apartheid South Africa.
My all-time absolutely fantastic amazing couldn’t-put-it-down book about African animals is When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals. Reading this book will make you look at the elephants you encounter on your safari in a whole different light.
Towel
Your typical basic towel will do though I suggest bringing a special camping towel, which is more like squeegee than a piece of cloth. Besides drying faster than your average towel it more compact and weighs less.
Water bottle
This is a near essential item, especially in such a hot climate. Time was I’d suggest Nalgene bottles. But recent studies have shown them to be toxic (!!) such that they are now on the verge of being banned in Canada, eh. So for this trip I’ll probably switch up on a Camelbak bottle.
Money belt . . .
. . . or some such thing for storing and concealing your passport, money, credit cards, plane ticket, etc. under your clothes. Like this one, for example.
3 or 4 xeroxed copies of your passport
Of course you will not loose your passport. But were that to happen, you know, totally theoretically, having a xerox copy will make replacing your passport infinitely easier. A xeroxed passport can also suffice as identification in certain circumstances. So you can keep one of these copies with you during your days (safer than carrying your actual passport) and spread the remainder throughout your belongings. The other safeguard is to email yourself a scanned version of your passport.
INTERNET & CELL PHONES
You are on vacation! Your safari is a perfect chance to either leave your cell phone at home or leave it off.
If you must know: Southern Africa, like most of the rest of the world, operates on the GSM cell protocol. In the U.S., some providers (like T-Mobile and Cingular) are on GSM while others (like Sprint and Verizon) are not. Even if you have a GSM phone, it will only work in Africa if it is a “tri-band” or “quad-band” (since the U.S. GSM network is at 1900 Mhz while southern Africa is on 900 and 1800 Mhz).
Safe travels. And have a memorable safari!
