Safari packing lists online tend to read like expedition manifests. The truth: lodges have laundry, vehicles have charging sockets, and less is genuinely more. Here's what hundreds of game drives have taught us actually matters.
Clothes
Three or four neutral outfits (khaki, olive, brown - dark blue attracts tsetse flies, white shows dust instantly), one warm fleece for dawn drives, a hat, and closed shoes. Mornings in the parks are genuinely cold; by ten o'clock you'll be down to a t-shirt. Layers win.
The things people forget
Binoculars - one pair per person, not per family; they transform a distant leopard from rumour into memory. A power bank for long drive days. Sunscreen and insect repellent. Soft duffel bags rather than hard suitcases if your itinerary includes small aircraft, which enforce strict weight and shape limits.
And keep your yellow fever certificate with your passport - it's checked at most East African borders.
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