While planing for your amazing Kenya safari tours mind about the some of the items to come with you. Soft bags (that are lockable) are preferable to large rectangular suitcases, owing to the limited space for luggage storage on the small aircraft used for flights into the parks. While on the Safari Link and Air Kenya flying trips light aircraft the weight of luggage that can be checked in is limited to 15kgs and this is inclusive of carry-on luggage.
Your packing list ought to include the following essentials: Clothing suitable for safaris, shoes, hat, sun protection, insect repellent, vital medication and cameras or photography equipment among other items.
Not to forget Travel Documents, prior to start of your safari check for your Passport, Health cards (vaccination certificates as required), Airline tickets, Credit cards and Insurance papers. Ensure all the documents are in order and up-to-date. Your passport must have at least 2 blank pages and six months of validity from the proposed date of exit from Kenya.
Kenya aims to eliminate plastic bag usage for environmental reasons and these have been banned and their use is illegal.
The ideal clothes to pack for your safari are casual in nature, loose fitting and lightweight, so as to keep you cool and dry. For colours, pick neutral Pastel shades over brighter colours for optimum suitability for the wilderness. Khaki and Forest Green colours are an all-time safari favourite and most recommended.
Please note that camouflaged, military pattern clothes may be considered unlawful in East Africa as they are worn by the local forces so best to avoid. Make sure to pack a fleece, cardigan or light jacket for the cool early mornings during game drives.
When packing, keep in mind that most lodges and camps provide laundry services. Below is a basic packing list of the essential clothing you may want to bring:
01 short sleeve casual shirt, 02 khaki long sleeve shirts, 01 Wind cheater or light jacket or Fleece jacket, 01 Safari Multi Pocket Safari Vest (especially useful for Photographers), 02 pairs khaki smart casual trousers or Chinos, 02 pairs safari shorts
03 pairs sport socks, 02 T-shirts, 01 pair Nightwear, 01 pair Swimwear, and Sports bra. If staying at 5 star camps or lodges, carry along a single set of smart but basic dinner wear, useful also for nights in Nairobi city or along the coast in Mombasa.
For most safaris which do not involve trekking or “bush walking”, fully closed lightweight and comfortable walking shoes such as sneakers with good grip do just fine. The classic Safari boots are always a great all round choice. These are also known as Chukka boots. Hiking boots are also useful but you may find these unnecessarily heavy unless you actually plan on hiking during your trip.
Flip flops or sandals for around the swimming pool or in-room use are ever useful and are cheap to buy in Nairobi as well.
For Sun protection we recommend you pack sunscreen lotion (a high enough SPF) as well as a wide brim Safari hat which will help keep the sun off your face and neck. A pair of Sunglasses and prescription glasses for those that wear contact lenses (it can be rather dusty to wear these comfortably).
Some of the lodges and camps provides insect repellent but we still encourage you to pack your own preferred brand. Repellents containing Det are said to be more effective against most insects and bugs. All-natural citronella repellent can also get the job done if you are concerned about the det effects.
Remember you will be in the “bush” so to say while on Kenya Photo Safari and the nearest town or city may be hours away. Be sure to pack your most essential personal medications especially brands or medicines that may not be available locally in Kenya. Pharmacies in Nairobi stock a wide variety of medicines so for basic requirements such as pain relief, anti-malaria pills or antacids and the like one can purchase once in Nairobi. Keep in mind to carry along any prescriptions when you bring along medication into Kenya in case you are required to show this at the airport.
As for cameras and photography equipment we recommend packing these into your carry-on luggage rather than check in for enhanced safety. East Africa offers amazing photo opportunities so bring along a decent camera to make the most of your trip. Binoculars are very useful and though some Safari operators provide a pair in their vehicles, these may be basic in specs so if you can bring a set you are prefer.
For serious photographers, you may want to carry your laptop which is so useful for downloading and processing your images after a day on Safari. Also helps you make the most of your camera storage cards as you can keep moving images to your laptop or hard disk at the end of each day.
Spare AA and AAA batteries are available for sale at certain lodges in Maasai Mara as well and this includes standard and rechargeable batteries. Regarding Electrical sockets, bring a couple of Travel socket adapters. In Kenya we use the associated plug type G, which is the plug that has three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern.
