It comes as a surprise to many of our clients that mornings are chilly in Africa. The early morning game drive is standard practice on every good safari. That’s when the animals are at their most active. And if you’ve been on an early morning game drive, you’re probably convinced (as we are) that the animals are active in order to stay warm. It’s not uncommon for temperatures to be in the 40’s when you start your drive.
Too often folks on safari get goosebumps because they’re freezing, not just because they’ve spotted their very first elephant. You also want to avoid ruining the video of your very first elephant sighting by shivering uncontrollably. Our advice is simple: pack a thick fleece or medium jacket and some gloves. If you’re enjoying a safari during the dry winter months (May – August in southern Africa) you won’t regret packing a hat and scarf as well. You want to be chill, not chilly, on safari.
Of course by the end of the drive, as you head back to camp to enjoy a huge breakfast, you’ll be quietly baking in the mid-morning sun. It’s impolite to rush your fellow amateur photographers as they try to capture a cheetah stalking some impala, just because it’s now 11 am and you’ve become a ball of sweat. Our advice remains simple: wear the fleece or jacket you’ve packed and then layer, layer, layer. The sun is strong in these parts and temperatures can easily rise 30 degrees within a few hours.
More Safari Dress Tips
- Wear comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting dusty
- Avoid bright colors (Tsetse flies love bright colors and the animals you want to see don’t)
- Avoid camouflage clothing resembling army uniforms
- Bring a good sunhat with a chin strap to avoid losing it (you’ll likely be in open vehicles)
- Bring clothes for just three days (laundering is always available and things dry fast in the sun)
- Bring a swimsuit, many lodges and camps have swimming pools
- Pack light in soft, small-medium bags (small aircraft cannot accommodate suitcases)
- Don’t invest in expensive new luggage, it will get dusty and bumped about
