How to Dress for a Safari

Co-authored by Kalee Hewlett

Last Updated: December 12, 2021

When you go on a safari, you'll be spending a lot of time outside, whether you're walking through brush, hiking, or riding in the back of a vehicle. You won't have much time or opportunity to change your clothes, so it's important to dress appropriately. Choose colors that match your surroundings and also don't attract bugs. You should also choose your clothing based on where in Africa you'll be. Quality clothing might be a little more expensive, but it's worth the investment.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Choosing Colors

1. 1
   Wear khakis, browns, and tans during dry season. Khaki is the most popular safari clothing color, because it will help you blend in to your surroundings. During the dry season, wearing khaki, brown, or tan will help you blend in to the landscape.

   • Sticking to these colors also helps to hide dirt. Your clothes will likely get dirty as you hike through brush or travel along dusty roads, and if your wardrobe is made up of mostly browns, tans, or khaki, the dirt will be hidden better.
2. 2
   Wear browns and greens during rainy season. Depending on where you are for your safari, the rainy season will occur at different times of the year. Wherever you are during rainy season, wear greens and browns. The foliage will be greener and you'll blend in better.
3. 3
   Avoid bright colors, including white. Bright colors - especially red - can scare of the wildlife you're on safari to see! White will actually attract the attention of game if you're on a walking safari, and make the animals more likely to flee.
4. 4
   Avoid blue in Eastern Africa. Blue has been known to attract the tsetse fly in Eastern Africa. Tsetses can transmit diseases that can make you quite ill, so it's best to avoid wearing blue and keep them away!.
5. 5
   Do not wear camouflage clothing. In most African countries, camouflage clothing is associated with soldiers. It might seem like a good idea to wear to blend in with your surroundings, but you don't want to mislead people about who you are or why you're there.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Dressing Based on Your Safari Destination

1. 1
   Dress in layers in southern Africa. In southern Africa, the mornings can be pretty chilly, but the afternoons can be quite hot. You won't have a chance to run back to your hotel and change, so dressing in layers at the start of your day will help keep you comfortable.
2. 2
   Pack a rain jacket if you're going to eastern Africa. Even if you're not going on safari during the rainy season, you might still be caught in a downpour. The jacket doesn't need to be heavy, just waterproof, and it should match the rest of your wardrobe so that it blends in to your surroundings.
3. 3
   Pick convertible pants for safaris in central and east Africa. The weather in central and east Africa tends to be more temperate throughout the year, but it can be very chilly in the morning. Convertible pants - where the bottom half of the bottoms zip off to make shorts - are your best bet for a safari there.
4. 4
   Prepare for rainy, hot weather in South Africa. In South Africa, the rainy season coincides with the hottest weather. So while you'll want to pack a rain jacket and waterproof hats and shoes, you should also make sure your shirts and pants are lightweight and breathable to keep you cool.
5. 5
   Be ready for rainy, cool weather in eastern Africa. The rainy season in Eastern Africa coincides with the area's coolest weather. Long pants and a lightweight long-sleeve shirt are great options to wear under your rain jacket.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Selecting Quality Clothing

1. 1
   Pick clothing with lots of pockets. There will be quite a few accessories you'll want to bring with you on safari. Pants and shorts or vests with a few pockets will give you a place to store your stuff without having to drag around a bag or dig in the back of your safari vehicle.
2. 2
   Select durable clothing. You might be tempted to go with the cheapest option when you're choosing safari clothing. But cheap clothes also tend to be less durable, and when you're climbing in and out of a safari vehicle or hiking through brush, you want clothes that will hold up. Look for woven cotton and try to stay away from nylon or anything with more than 25 percent spandex.
3. 3
   Make sure your clothing is versatile. Most safari lodges and hotels are pretty casual, but dressing so that you can wear the same thing out on safari and back in the hotel helps you cut down on the amount you need to pack. Long pants or shorts that are at least mid-thigh length and neat t-shirts or collared shirts are good choices.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Choosing Accessories

1. 1
   Select a headband that prevents sweat and dust. Headbands that convert into scarves are a great option for safaris. They'll keep sweat off your face if you're hiking or walking, but you can also use them as a scarf to keep dust out of your face.

   • Companies like Columbia have these types of headbands.
2. 2
   Pick a sunhat. You'll be spending a lot of time in the sun, even if you're on safari in the winter. Make sure you take along a sunhat that protects your head, face, and neck from sunburn.
3. 3
   Take sunscreen. Even with a hat, the rest of our body can be susceptible to sunburn. Sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 should work well.
4. 4
   Choose hiking boots. You can wear your everyday shoes around your hotel, but you'll need something sturdier when you're actually out on safari. Hiking boots that come above your ankle and are waterproof are your best bet.

Tips

• Stick to packing casual clothes. Even if you're staying in the highest-rated safari lodges or hotels in Africa, the code is still pretty casual.
• Try not to over pack. Make sure you pack enough underwear and socks to last you the trip, but you really only need a few shirts and 1 or 2 pairs of pants and 1 or 2 pairs of shorts.