Clothing
The day has two very different temperatures. At six in the morning on the crater rim it can be ten degrees, and at midday in the Serengeti over thirty. You dress in layers, and that is that.
- Neutral colours: beige, olive, grey, brown. No white, which is filthy within the hour.
- Avoid strong blue and black: they attract tsetse fly in the wooded areas.
- No camouflage. In Tanzania military clothing is reserved for the army and can cause you problems.
- A fleece or jacket for the mornings. This is the most commonly forgotten item.
- Light long trousers and long sleeves for dusk, because of the mosquitoes.
- A brimmed hat and sunglasses. There is no shade through an open roof.
- Comfortable trainers. A safari is done sitting down: you do not need hiking boots.
Health and first aid
- Mosquito repellent with DEET or icaridin.
- High-factor sun cream: through an open roof and at that altitude, it burns.
- Your usual medication, in the cabin and with a prescription if it is controlled.
- Something for the stomach and for motion sickness, because the tracks throw you about.
- Wipes and hand gel: you eat in the field.
For looking and for photographing
- Binoculars. The most important thing on the list after the clothes. A pair of 8x42 each changes the trip: a lot of what you see is far away.
- A telephoto lens if you bring a camera. Under 200 mm the animals come out as dots.
- Spare batteries and spare cards. There are sockets in the vehicle, but not always.
- A bag or cover against dust. The tracks are red earth and it gets into everything.
- A type G plug adapter, the British three flat pins.
What you do not need
- A change of clothes for every day: almost all accommodation does laundry, and cheaply.
- Hiking boots, unless you are trekking separately.
- A mosquito net: the camp beds already have one.
- Excess cash: accommodation takes cards. Bring dollar notes issued after 2009, as older ones are not accepted.
