Safari clothing – what to wear on an African Safari -

If you’ve never been on an African safari, what do you think of when you imagine your safari outfit? Does your mind automatically go to the classic safari clothing that you see in the movies? Khakis and hats?

If that’s the case, we are here to inform you that those clothes may not be the only safari clothing option. With that, here is our recommendation on what to wear during an African Safari.

Blend into your background with the safari clothing

One of the golden rules of safari clothing is to wear clothing that blends into your background. So, yes, khaki is a great color, but so are brown and green. Avoid red, yellow or any other strong color that you can see from a mile away. It’s not that the predators will take notice of you and start to hunt you, but you will make the animals notice you and that can be a disturbance.

That said, if you’re on a walking safari, you need to be a bit more careful about what you wear than when you are on a driving safari.

Also, please try to avoid black, white and camouflage. Black can attract bugs (especially the nasty tsetse fly), white is going to get dirty in a matter of seconds and in the majority of African countries camouflage is worn by soldiers.

Layer your safari clothing

If you’ve never been on a safari in Africa, you’ll be tempted to pack only light clothes and you would be making a mistake. The weather in most safari countries can be quite extreme: at noon, you’ll be roasting in the sun, thinking you’ll never need another sweater in your life and in the evening, after the sun goes down, you’ll feel the chill! This is the reason why layering your clothes is absolutely essential while on a safari in Africa. Let’s say you’re going on a safari in South Africa, depending on the season, you could be facing temperatures as low as 41 F (5 degrees Celsius), so you will need to pack accordingly.

Find the right safari footwear

The type of shoes you’re going to wear on your safari can vary depending on the type of safari you’re taking. Are you going to be in a car, chasing after the big five? Then, some light boots or even trainers will do. Are you going to pay a visit to a family of gorillas in the rain forest, then you need boots that are light, comfortable and also waterproof. We recommend you do some research online or at your local shoe store for the best hiking boots for you. They can make or break a safari experience.

Last, but definitely not least, it is imperative that you wear your safari shoes at home to break them in. You don’t want first-time wear blisters!

Don’t forget the safari accessories

There are two accessories you absolutely need when going on an African safari: sunglasses and a hat or a scarf. When it comes to glasses, we highly recommend the polarized ones, that will make it easier for you to spot wildlife in the distance and will make the sun more bearable.

A hat or a scarf are also very important and will keep not just the sun away from the face and neck, but the dust, also. You can even use the scarf to wipe your brow or your phone. Whatever accessories you bring with you, make sure that they have more than just one purpose.