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A walk on the wild side! Safari in Africa - everything you need to know!

  • Writer: Daisy Scout
    Daisy Scout
  • May 12
  • 4 min read

Updated: Jul 7

What to pack? Does it get cold? Is a visa needed? Should I take cash? Traveling to Africa, especially for a safari can prompt lots of questions. If it's your first time, or you just need some style inspiration for your next safari, read on below - I've got you covered!


What to wear on safari?


Most importantly (and the one i'm most interested in, lol!) here's everything I took on safari & what I wish I'd taken.

  • The typical color palette that one thinks of when thinking of safari... beige/khaki/neutrals etc - is for a reason! It may sounds obvious but when you're out on safari bright colors or anything that doesn't 'blend in', really does stand out. Everything you will see in terms of landscape, game drive cars, most animals etc fits this palette.

    • On a side note, this means everything goes together and even with only a few pieces you can create a number of looks

  • You will likely do a morning and evening game drive, with ours going from 6am-9am and from 4.30pm-6.30/7pm. This means on both game drives you will be in the literal freezing cold before the sun has risen or after it has set and then boiling hot African sun. So what's my point here? Layers!!! You will need a jacket on hand on either time drive, and likely a blanket which your guides will have - I was shocked by how the temperature drops and so grateful I had decided to pack a jacket.

  • Cover your legs! Of course you could do shorts but why risk the mosquito bites, and considering the temperature changes across each drive, covered legs is my advice!

  • Wear a hat! Whatever type you like but you will be glad of the cover on your face to keep the sun from directly beaming on you and burning very quickly - African sun in strong! I wore a cap that I purchased from our hotel and this exact Dior raffia bucket hat but this Loewe one would also be a cool option

  • Take a small bag with you on each drive with sun screen, bug spray, gloves for when the temp drops, water & your phone or camera. I used my Bottega Jodie teen bag in suede (probably a good idea to avoid suede with the sand/dust/sunscreen situation so here it is in leather instead Here's a fun and very well priced high street option

  • Lightweight fabrics that can be layered easily; linens, cottons, t-shirts, lightweight blend trousers are ideal for this type of climate.

  • For footwear I took a pair of Loro Piana suede summer walks (my husband took a letaher pair) which went with everything but see my point on suede bag above - same applies to shoes!! I also took a pair of Golden Goose plain sneakers (matching with my husband) which honestly were perfect - comfortable, hardwearing and went with every outfit.

  • All brands (and I'm sure your own wardrobe!) will have items that will be suitable however Johanna Ortiz is a really great designer to look at for pieces perfect for Africa (maybe less so safari - lol!) and I took two of her dresses with me.


    See below what I wore for the game drives


And here's what I wore to dress up




Where did we stay?


We were in Victoria Falls for a friends' wedding which was fab - you know when a wedding just leaves you with a happy heart? That's what this one did to me, so when we moved on to our hotel for safari we were already on a high.


However, despite the pre developed high, truly, Matetsi Victoria Falls where we stayed was phenomenal. without a doubt one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in - I can see why it is the best hotel in Victoria Falls and has won so many accolades, The decor, food, service & amenities were just phenomenal. The outdoor shower and perhaps the worlds biggest bath overlooking the Zanbezi, the daily laundry service, the out of this world food, the roaming elephants by your room, the expertise of the staff on all things nature and conservation also blew my mind! I don't really have an even loosely negative thing to say about this place.


We were collected from the hotel we stayed at for the wedding with personalised metal water bottles with our names on, and arrived to a gorgeous check in with our activities guide for the week. All safari, tour of Victoria Falls, food, drink, laundry etc is included in the price you pay - from the moment you arrive you literally do not have to worry about a thing. On the private safari land we saw lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, impalas, zebras, giraffes, wilderbeast, buffalo, warthog, multiple birds and elephants - we both felt very lucky to have experienced what we did.



Other tips:


  • Would highly recommend taking hand luggage only if transferring flights - we know lots of people who have had issues with checked in luggage traveling around Africa. You can buy toiletries at the airport, as we did. All the usual brands were available.

  • If stopping in South Africa (as in, leaving the airport) you need 3 full clear pages in your passport. If transferring through like we did, you do not - however, to avoid any issues would advise not going with a completely full passport (like I did - but that is a story for another time!)

  • For Zimbabwe from UK, you do not need to pre arrange a visa but you do need to buy one upon landing for $55 USD

    • Take lots of cash but all in small USD bills. You will definitely need this on your travels, and you may need it at the airport to travel easily

  • Do not wear any large jewellery pieces for your own safety - I did not wear my wedding rings or diamond studs etc, and neither of us wore our watches

  • A rough amount to tip your safari guide is $50-60 a day, and the assistant $30-40

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