Hey there, fellow travelers! Recently, our family embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa. We visited Tanzania for a Serengeti safari. While many travel blogs will tell you what to wear on safari, we’re going to tell you what NOT to wear on your African family safari. If you plan to safari with kids, the same rules apply for them! Don’t forget to consult your safari tour company for a full safari packing list.
Don’t Wear Dark Blue or Black Clothing
The first rule of choosing African safari clothes is to not wear dark blue or black. These colors attract the Tsetse flies and getting bit by one of these is not a pleasant experience! Jocelyn was bitten by one of these and it hurt! Proper African safari clothes come in earth tones: brown, khaki, or green.
Preventing Mosquito Bites While Traveling
Don’t Wear Anything that Exposes a Lot of Skin
This isn’t a modesty rule, but another comfort rule when it comes to bugs and sun. Short shorts and tank tops leave a lot of skin exposed to bug bites and sunburn. It’s important to choose lightweight long-sleeved shirts and long pants so you lessen your chances of getting bit or burned. A lot of the safari clothing will have roll-up sleeves and pants that roll up or zip off into shorts. These “convertible” clothes are a great versatile option to wear on safari.
Don’t Wear Baseball Caps
Your safari packing list will include a hat. While a baseball cap will protect your face, a wide-brimmed hat is a much better option for safari. With a wide-brimmed hat, you’ll protect your face and your ears and neck as well. When choosing a hat, consider the same advice we’ve given you for clothing: lightweight and light-colored.
Don’t Wear Jeans or Heavy Cotton Clothing
As we mentioned above, a lot of safari-type clothes are made of lightweight material. This is important for many reasons. First, you can keep your skin covered without overheating. The fabric is light, and it also dries quickly. If you’re doing laundry and washing things in your sink, you want a fabric that will dry quickly. This also means you can pack less, as you can rotate through 2-3 outfits instead of packing new clothes for every single day.
The Best and Worst of Traveling
Don’t Forget Long Pajamas
It does cool down a bit in the evenings, so you’ll want to bring pajamas with long pants to sleep in. Also, remember you may have to leave your tent in the night to use the restroom, so you don’t want to be out walking around in your satin nighty! Stay warm and stay covered!
Don’t Wear Safari Clothes in Town
Before and after your safari, you may spend time in Arusha or Kilimanjaro. You don’t have to wear your safari clothes when you’re in town. In fact, you’ll stick out as a tourist if you do. You’ll probably stick out anyways, but feel free to throw a t-shirt and pair of jeans into your luggage so you have something else to wear when you’re not on safari.
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
Our Serengeti safari with kids and parents was definitely a family trip to remember. Knowing what to pack and what not to wear was super helpful, both for comfort and for safety. We hope our tips on African safari clothes helps you know what NOT to wear on an African family safari.
Looking for more tips from our family trip to Africa? Check out some of these other blogs posts: