Safari packing list
It is important to keep luggage to the barest minimum on Safari or Climb as possible.
Baggage should be of round squashy type rather than suit cases that are difficult to fit into jeeps, try to use something that is lockable and waterproof as luggage often end up loaded onto the roof of your Safari vehicle.
For budget camping, all camping gear will be provided, except for a 4 season sleeping bag which is available for hire in some local companies.
Please Note: It is common for inbound flights that your luggage arrives later after you have arrived. Therefore we recommend not checking in items that you absolutely need on arrival, E.g. Medicine.
Clothes
Sun hat
Shirts (golf or t-shirts)
Long sleeved cotton shirts
Light cotton shorts
Long trousers (at least 2)
Sports bras for women as the roads are bumpy
Sandals or flip-flops
Swimming costume (If accommodating in Lodges)
Warm scarf as it can get cold in the evenings
Safari jacket
Sleepwear
Safari hiking and walking shoes
Note: Bright or white colors are not recommended for safaris. Try avoiding blue as it attracts Tsetse flies. Camouflage clothing is strictly illegal in some African countries try avoiding them so as not to get arrested.
Safari equipment’s & supplies
Two duffle bags (dust & waterproof. One for majority of your things and the second one for small and delicate things which you will be carrying on your own. This should be as light as possible.
Camera and video equipment
If you wear contact lenses it would be safer to bring extra pair of glasses
A good torch and spare batteries
Padlocks for your luggage
Multi-plugs for charging
A travel towel is light and takes very little space (If Camping)
Deodorant
Body soap/shower gel (if camping)
Sunglasses
Wet wipes, hand sanitizer
Swiss pocket Knife
Toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental flo
Shampoo & conditioner
Lip balm
Q-tips & cotton balls
Razor & shaving cream
Small mirror (if camping)
Plastic bags
Reading books
Memory cards, extra batteries, camera chargers
Visa card is most common
Fanny packs
Medical supplies
Medicine: We advise you to pack any basic medication that you may need as advised by your doctor.
Insect & Mosquito repellent
Sun block and after sun lotion
Antiseptic cream
Malaria tablets (Recommended)
Painkillers
Motion sickness tablets
Anti-diarrhea medicine
Cold/flu tablets
Anti- histamine tablets
Prescribed medicine (must be packed in your back pack)
Documents
Securely bind all your travel documents together, make extra copies of your passports, travel insurance, tickets, id card and leave some copies at home and take some with you, it is also a good idea to scan all of these documents and email them to your personal account, so you can access them anywhere in case of an emergency.
Visas, tickets, passports, money and any other important document
Journals to write your experiences, etc.
Guide books of the areas you are visiting
Your safari itinerary
Vaccination certificates
Passport and any other important document copies
Emergency phone numbers
Insurance policies
Addresses and mobile numbers
ID card
The migration basically depends on the weather. Triggered by the rain, the annual pilgrimage must search for water and grass to survive. From December to May with some seasonal variations in time scale the migrating herds are on the short grass plains from Lake Ndutu past Naabi hill.
There they give birth and regain their strength. In May as the water becomes the limiting factor on the short grass plains hundreds of thousands of animals stretching over many kilometers heard Northwest , Simba and Moru become the favorite places to watch them. The migration swings Northeast heading into the neighboring Masaai Mara Game reserve in Kenya during September.
Around October the march begins again heading southwards back to Tanzania crossing the Mara and Kirawira rivers in pursuit of the nutritious grass in the southern plains where they began their journey 12 months earlier. This phenomenon is sometimes called the Circular Migration.
Clothing on Safari should be as comfortable as they can be, recommended on safari are khaki, olive or brown colored clothing as they blend with the surrounding nature well and offer the added benefit of concealing dirt, moreover light colors help when the sun is hot. Mountain clothing please read the mountain FAQs section at the bottom.
Lodges on Safari offer continental cuisine, in addition to local specialties to appeal to a wide range of palates. For mountains depend on the route food is either provided by lodges or our well trained chefs. Our chefs have years of experience and thus offers wide variety of dishes both local and international and some a fusion between the two.
Some countries yes, countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to mention a few are a great destination for families. Many of the lodges cater for children as young as 7 years of age, additional bed for a child sharing a room with parents at a reduced cost may be provided by many, with activities specifically designed to keep them engaged such as swimming pools which is always a popular attraction for children, however please note that the pools are not fenced and adult supervision is required at all times. You can write us a mail to inquire for information on a certain country before traveling. Our staff will be more than happy to help.
For safety reasons, we do not recommend bringing children under 7 years of age on safari. Most of the lodges and permanent campsites inside the national parks have a minimum age of 7 years and some up to 12 years of age, depending on their location. AS advises not to take children under 7 years of age on game drives as the terrain can be rough and a little challenging at times for youngsters. All children and teens must be accompanied by an adult or guardian.
Malaria is endemic in Africa; please consult your doctor for assistance on the most suitable Prophylactics to be used.
At present the only vaccination that is required for entry into Tanzania and most African countries is the yellow fever. This must be presented on arrival at the airport. However, it is always advisable to consult your physician to discuss on the precautions you need to take before traveling to ensure that you have an enjoyable and safe holiday. Africa Simplified advises you to speak to your physician or travel doctor to ensure that you have the correct protection for your trip to Africa
Visas are required by most visitors to Africa. Visas can be arranged prior to your travel to Africa or through your local destination Embassy in your country of origin. It is also possible to acquire the visas on entry into the destination country at the airport if traveling by plane or at the border crossing if traveling by land. The costs of visas vary from country to country though they are valid for 3 months. Payments for visas on entry into African Countries are mostly paid in US dollars only.
Most African countries are truly year round destinations, weather is variable and so it is quite possible to go for days without rain during the peak of the rainy season, or have showers in the middle of the dry season. Generally the peak rainy season begins mid-March – mid May, while short rains are normally expected in the months of November in the east side of Africa.
The drier seasons are generally considered preferable for game viewing. Dry weather offers more reliable road conditions than in the winter months, Dry spells force game to congregate around the limited water sources, and sparser foliage makes the animals easier to find and see. While these are prime game viewing conditions, bear in mind that the dry season is the peak season(June – October), Other Peak travel seasons are December – February.
In February / March one of the Wildlife`s most amazing spectacles occurs, for 3-4 weeks 90% of the female wildebeest give birth, flooding the Southern Plains with thousands of new calves each day.
It is essential to book your trip well in advance during peak seasons.
Africa Simplified offers some safaris with greatly reduced rates in the months of April and May, greater discounts are also offered to larger groups willing to travel at this time, yes it is low season and it is very green at this time for those who prefer the sweet, fresh powerfully evocative smell of cool air from fresh rain that has touched the rich nutritious soil, a very strong and sweet odor that is hard to ignore.
For more information on specific region please write us a mail through our contact form.
It is important for your body to acclimatize, and to achieve this, is to proceed slowly giving your body time to acclimatize to the increasing altitude. There is plenty of time for each days trek even for those who will like to go very slowly.
If you decide that you cannot continue, or if your guide deems its unsafe for you to continue, he will assist you down the mountain, your guide knows a network of shortcuts and will escort you to the most convenient campsite or hut.
Mount Kilimanjaro & Meru does not require any skills or special equipment, many state that they are easily accessible however you should not underestimate either of them or any other mountains in Africa, general fitness is required. Some very fit climbers say it is the hardest thing they have ever done, therefore the best you can do is to adequately train yourself. Try to be in the best possible hiking shape.
You can find this info on the package page of the respective route in our package listing in a certain country.
You are expected to carry your own day pack which you will store what you need while on trek on that respective day. What you carry should be able to sustain you until you arrive at the camp. What you need in your day-pack depends on your priorities, drinking water, basic medical kit, camera, a rain jacket, a hat, a pair of gloves, your favorite snack and a warm layer are among the essential items needed.
Your Backpack will be carried by a porter, the weight per porter is limited to a maximum of 20kgs, if you bring excess of this you will be charged extra $100 for an extra porter for the whole climb, your backpack will be carried from camp to camp and arrive in time before you.
Except for some mountain routes where climbers sleep in basic huts , 3 person mountain tents are used to accommodate 2 climbers using other routes, with full ground pads to keep you and your gear dry. The tents are setup at camp for overnight, dismantled and carried along with everything else by our porters to the next camp.
The most common mistake most climbers make is over packing. It is important to keep luggage to the barest minimum when on trek, be selective in what you are to carry. See packing list. Baggage should be of round squashy type.
Due to its proximity to the equator (Kilimanjaro), the region does not experience the extremes of winter and summer but rather wet and dry seasons. Therefore the best time of climb is during the driest months however traffic at the mountain is at its peak at this time (January – March is warm with lush green landscapes, June – October are the coolest months).
The effects of climbing during wet season is mud, rain, snow, ice & cold can be very strenuous to the body reducing the chances for a successful summit (End of March – End of May & late November are the wet months). The rest of Africa Mountains like in Morocco and South Africa are suitable most of the time. Write us to inquire on specific period of the year that you wish to travel.