TRAVEL INSURANCE – travel insurance is as essential to travel as buying a plane ticket, backpack or accommodation.

LIP BALM – always keep one on you to protect against the dry African air, the wind in your face on safari, and the insane amount of dust during dry season. With SPF is best!

SUNSCREEN – pack a decent sunscreen (minimum SPF 30, but ideally SPF 50), and keep your skin healthy and burn-free

SECURE DAY BAG OR RUCKSACK – with lots of extra pockets and preferably water proof

FIRST AID KIT – such as band aids, travel sickness tablets, eye drops, antiseptic ointment, a strong insect repellent, electrolytes, hand sanitisers or painkillers. Small tissue packets also come in handy. Be sure to consult your doctor for health advice such as malaria prophylaxis or vaccinations

A SUN HAT

REUSABLE WATER CANTEEN

A BEANIE & BANDANA – this depends on the time of year you’re visiting. In winter you’ll want a Beanie for the chilly evenings and mornings in the game drive vehicle, while a bandana is multi functional and can keep the dust out by covering your nose and mouth, keep your neck warm or hair off your face

SWIMWEAR – costume, bikini, swimming trunks. A Scarf and Sarong is also very helpful, especially when you have to dress modestly or protect yourself from the cold or heat

TOILETRIES

SUNGLASSES

AROUND THE CAMP SHOES / FLIP FLOPS – These are a godsend when you just want to chill out in your safari camp without having to stomp around in heavy boots. We’d recommend a trusty pair of light sneakers and pair of flip flops.

SHOES / BOOTS / TRAINERS & SOCKS – A sturdy pair of outdoor shoes is super important for protecting your feet during your African travels, particularly if you’re planning to go hiking, or head out on safari (particularly a walking safari!). They’ll keep your feet dust-free and safe against potential nasties, like snakes or scorpion bits. A few pairs of socks are essential too

LIGHT COTTON T-SHIRTS – Avoid super bright colours (especially for safaris), blue (it attracts TseTse flies), and also bear in mind that white is likely to become insanely dirty, very quickly. Neutral colours are perfect, and you’ll practically live in these so take 3-4.

LONG SLEEVED SHIRT – A long sleeved linen or cotton button up shirt can be the perfect cover up for those times when you need something a little more respectful, or to protect against those pesky mosquitoes (and the cold!) at night.

HIKING PANTS AND/OR JEANS – This one comes down to personal preference; lots of people prefer to take light long hiking pants with them and we’ve listed our recommendations for these below.

SHORTS – Lightweight, breathable sport shorts are perfect for outdoor activities like rafting or hiking, while a casual pair will see you through the rest of the time.

WARM JACKET – We can’t emphasise the need to have warm clothes with you for evenings enough! We always take our down jackets because they’re lightweight, warm, and pack down easily in a little compression sack.

A WOOLEN JUMPER / HOODIE / FLEECE – This obviously depends on the time of year you’re travelling to Africa, but in winter the nights are honestly bitterly cold. This is particularly true around the desert areas, where the temperature plummets to about 0 degrees as soon as the sun sets. Pack at least one decent woollen jumper or fleece to keep you snug

DRESS – For a special occasion or romantic candlelight dinner, a light dress, tunic or little black number is always a good idea to pack

RAIN JACKET – If you are traveling during the rainy season, you definitely won’t want to be without a rain jacket. Lightweight and waterproof

UNDERWEAR / SLEEPWEAR – Keep it small and compact, always easy to handwash and rinse

DRESS CODE – When it comes to packing your clothes, keep in mind that most African nations are still quite conservative in the way they dress. We absolutely encourage you to be respectful of the local culture and people whose home you’re travelling through, and bring longer bottoms along (girls, generally down to the knee is best), and cover up cleavage. If you’re sticking to major cities you’ll probably find this is slightly more relaxed

‘NICE’ OUTFIT – That said, always have one ‘nice’, clean outfit ready to pull out of your bag. Locals take a lot of pride in their appearance, and showing up at a restaurant, bar, or as a guest in someone’s home, looking grubby or overly casual is a sign of disrespect

SELECT WELL – Don’t pack your best clothes. The days can be hot, the roads long and dusty, and try as hard as you might, you’ll just always seem to end up covered in sweat and dust that doesn’t seem to budge. Opt for casual, comfortable basics you can afford to part with if need be.

QUICK DRY – Pack soft, comfortable jeans that will dry quickly. Alternatively, loose-fitting cotton or linen pants (like elephant pants) are the perfect option.

LAYERS – upon layers upon layers. Temperatures across Africa fluctuate greatly, even day-to-day. Mornings and evenings can get down to freezing (yes, really), while days can be hot and sunny. Pack, and dress, in a way that you can throw on more layers as the mercury drops and strip off as the heat of the day begins to take over.

LESS IS MORE – This is one place you don’t want to overpack for. Leave the full wardrobe at home and bring enough lightweight, breathable clothing that packs down small for 4-5 days and just wash them (you’ll always be able to find somewhere to wash your clothes regularly).

ENGLISH – is the official language of most southern African countries, brush up on your English language skills and familiarise yourself with the most common phrases and queries; from asking for an ice cold beer to asking for some directions to a place of interest

CAMERA AND LENSES

TRIPOD – light and flexible

SD CARDS AND SD CARD-HOLDER

BATTERIES AND CHARGERS

LENS CLEANING KIT

DUST – waterproof bag to store camera