During a day trip on safari, it’s essential to only bring necessary items. Some items not only take up too much room, but are also considered unsafe to bring on safari.
If you missed our previous post on what TO bring on a trip to Africa, click here to read the list of safari vacation essentials.
Below is a list of items that should not be taken on a day trip safari tour:
1. Bright colored clothing: Bright colors are not appropriate for game viewing while on a game drive or other safari tour. Because bright colors often alert the animals, stick to neutral toned clothing such as khaki, off-white, brown, beige, and tan.
2. An oversized bag: Safari vehicles and mokoros (canoes) are limited in space, which is why it is essential not to bring huge quantities of anything while game viewing. Not only are safari vehicles and mokoros limited in space, but it’s also unnecessary to bring a huge duffle bag of items as you will often only be on safari for a portion of the day.
Whether you are on a mokoro safari or a game drive, bring a small purse-size bag that can easily be stored behind your feet or on your lap. If needed, bring a wait pouch to store any additional items that you wish to keep close to you such as money, credit cards, and / or documents.
Make all necessary preparations before leaving on safari to reduce the amount of items you will need to bring with you. If you are going to be in the sun for a few hours, put sunscreen on before you leave and treat your clothing with bug spray prior to your departure. This eliminates the need to bring extra bottles that often take up a good bit of room.
3. Cell Phone: There is no need for a cell phone while on safari. Not only do you risk losing or damaging your phone, but you also risk alarming the animals if the phone is to go off. Safari guides are equipped with hand held radios at all times in case any emergencies should arise; therefore, the need to make calls via cell phone is not necessary.
4. Expensive jewelry and clothing: Whether you are on a game drive, mokoro safari, or walking safari, clothing can easily become dirtied and sometimes ruined. The dust of the dry lands, sweat, bug spray, sunscreen, and even water can soil clothing items while on safari. Don’t take the risk of ruining any expensive clothing you might have. Bring inexpensive pants, shirts, and hats while on your safari tours.
Also, jewelry can be alarming to the animals, not to mention you run the risk of losing or ruining jewelry while on trips through the bush and across the plains. If a jewelry item is to fall into the water or off the vehicle, it is difficult to retrieve and will often remain where it fell due to safety precautions.
5. Food: A granola bar or small snack is fine to take on safari. But, bringing excessive amount of food or enticing animals with food is a huge no-no. Sometimes safari-goers are under the impression that by throwing food at the animals, they can get a closer look. This is extremely unsafe and prohibited.
Also, the wrappers from packaged food items should not be thrown out of the safari vehicle. If you do bring a granola bar or other small food item with you on safari, always securely store the package of the food item into your bag. If a wrapper were to fall out of the safari vehicle, not only would it be polluting the pristine land, but it could also be a health danger to an unsuspecting animal that tries to eat it or scavenges for left-over crumbs.
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Tags: packing tips, Safaris, syndicated
