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Safari Style: What to wear on safari

Safari Style: What to wear on safari

I’ve been incredibly lucky this year and I’ve ticket a major item off my bucket list; I went on safari. But I didn’t just go once, I went twice! My first was in South Africa where I spotted the Big Five within the first hour of hopping in the jeep. David Attenborough eat your heart out.

The second safari was in India when I was on the lookout for tigers but actually saw nothing but birds, deer and trees. Thankfully, riding around an India forest in a 4×4 is such a great experience that I almost didn’t care.

But there’s something I want to tell you about today and it’s not lions and tigers, it’s safari style.

Safari Style on TTH

What to wear on safari

I was really unsure about what to wear on safari but, believe it or not, when you go on safari you can wear whatever the hell you like. You don’t need to wear those ugly travel pants with zip of legs and 10 pockets on each side. You don’t need to wear khaki colours. You don’t need hefty walking boots with ankle supports and you don’t need a huge backpack with emergency supplies.

All you need is to be comfortable.

Hanging out on safari in India.

Hanging out on safari in India.

The thing you need to remember when you go on safari is that you cannot under any circumstances get out of the vehicle unless you’re in a safe area. You’re not going to be walking or climbing or running away from lions. You’re going to spend the majority of the day sat on your bum while craning your neck to see a lion in the distance so you really don’t need your camouflage hiking gear.

Here are my suggestions of things you definitely do need while you’re on safari:

  • Sunglasses
  • Suncream
  • Refillable water bottle
  • A hat (in case you’re in an open top vehicle)
  • A light long-sleeved top to keep the sun off you
  • A jumper – it can get chilly if you’re in an open 4×4
  • Your camera with plenty of memory space and battery charge

And that’s pretty much it!

After my first game drive I realized that I was fine to wear flip flops and a long, cotton dress. Shorts, t-shirt and a spare hoody are also fine. And if you’re feeling particularly stylish, there’s no reason why you can’t dress like these lovely ladies:

Safari Style

Images are sourced from Pinterest.

*UPDATE: I’ve been told by @LexiLovesTravel on Twitter that wearing blue and dark colours attracts Tsetse flies so neutral colours are best. I barely saw any flies during my safaris so I was safe!

What women should pack when travelling to India - The Travel Hack

Monday 17th of October 2016

[…] What to wear on a safari in India […]

whywasteannualleave

Tuesday 31st of December 2013

I wish I'd had this article to hand when I was packing for my honeymoon in Tanzania last year - I remember being completely clueless having never been on safari before so I'm sure this will be really useful for people doing safari for the first time!

TheTravelHack

Thursday 2nd of January 2014

I hope so!

Arianwen

Tuesday 18th of June 2013

I was just about to comment on the tsetse flies! That's what they warned us in the Serengeti. I still got a few bites though, and boy do they hurt. Thankfully I didn't finish up with sleeping sickness. Another tip I'd give is that if you're doing a safari in Tanzania, it may seem really hot during the day, but you will need extra layers at night. I remember shivering by a camp fire at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater!

CARMEN von WRANGELL

Wednesday 3rd of February 2016

There's more than one reason for wearing khaki clothes. They don't show dirt. They're cotton, therefore breathable. They wash and dry quickly. A neutral color attracts less insects. They blend with the environment. I'm sure there's more but that's all I can think of at the moment.

TheTravelHack

Wednesday 19th of June 2013

I think I must have been really lucky because we didn't have any flies or insects or dramatic drops in temperature. We did have some blankets on the jeep that came in handy when we were driving super fast though.