So I am currently on a 3 days Safari tour in Kruger National Park and as I was having a conversation with my clients a mother and a daughter from America taking their first safari trip, they mentioned that this is their first time in Africa and they didn’t know what to bring for their safari experience. And as a tour guide, I hear this quite often where clients say they didn’t know what to pack for their first-time safari experience. However sometimes I also get clients that come for their safari experience over-prepared, you can tell that they definitely spent days on google and they went for a serious shopping spree preparing for their first-time safari experience, which I find to be really cute if you ask me. So if you are planning your first-time safari experience and you are not sure what are the safari essentials to pack in your bag worry no more. Here are my top 10 safari essentials to have in your bag.
1. Malaria prevention
They say prevention is better than cure and I totally agree your health and safety should come first. The risk of contracting malaria is often a concern when tourists are planning on traveling to Kruger National Park. I have had tourists preferring to go to other National Parks over Kruger because they are worried about malaria, some tourists even tell me they were warned not to go to Kruger to avoid contracting malaria. The Kruger National Park is situated in the malaria risk areas, at least 10% of the South African population is at risk of contracting the disease. However, it is important to note that the risk of malaria in the area is usually very low. Your health should be a priority so I definitely would advise you to consult your nearest travel clinic and get all the necessary precautions that prevent malaria if you are planning to have your safari experience in the Kruger National Park. If you can pack as well some insect repellent cream or spray (though it’s not really necessary ), most safari lodges do have some mosquito nets as well just for your extra comfort.
2. What to wear on safari???
Without a doubt, a safari experience is one of the major highlights to anyone taking a trip to South Africa and it can be a bit daunting choosing what clothes to bring along. However, it is very important to be aware of the season you will be doing your safari trip for you to dress accordingly. If it’s winter please for the love of safari pack some warm clothes as it can get really cold and also considering that when you go for a game drive you would be in an open vehicle the wind blows much colder so please pack extra warm clothes if you are traveling in winter and even if you are traveling in summer a jacket and a scarf definitely necessary. If you are traveling in summer African sun can be extra warm way too warm and it would be wise for you to pack summer essentials like sunglasses, and sun hats. However when it comes to what to wear on a safari I think casual is the way to go comfort over everything shorts and tees are usually perfect, safari pants are perfect to bring along as well, pack comfortable shoes I usually advise on sneakers, for ladies a sports bra would be best. If you are a fashionista and you would like to make a statement maybe you want to take pictures fit for the gram fashion-wise, Pinterest would be your best friend you will find great fashion inspiration for safari.
3. Get that perfect picture
What is the point of going on a safari a not capture the moment, you definitely want to capture that cheetah or lion oh how about a video of a giraffe doing that Naomi Campbell walk??? So yeah please bring your best camera along.
4. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, and more sunscreen
I can not stress this enough please pack more than enough sunscreen. The African sun can be a little overwhelming. Sunscreen is definitely a must-have.
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5. Binoculars
A great pair of binoculars can come in handy especially if you don’t want to take turns waiting for your tour guide binoculars and you all want to see that leopard in the tree but it is a few meters away binoculars gives you a closer look at that leopard or cheetah.
6. Money
I definitely would advise you to have some local currency just in case you may want to buy something on the local markets or give gratitude sometimes it can be an inconvenience not to have local currency.
7. Power bank
I think it’s wise to bring along a fully charged power bank and a charging cable especially if you are having a full-day game drive. There are no charging ports you will find while you spending a full day in the wild so a power bank can come in handy when your battery is running low.
8. A small backpack
A small backpack can come in handy to pack all the things you will need like your wallet, camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, power bank, lip balm, etc. There is not enough room in the safari vehicle hence big bags are not allowed to bring along.
9. Medicine
It’s very important to bring your own medicine like headache pain killers or if you have any allergies just for convenience’s sake. As tour guides, we are not allowed to diagnose any of our clients if they’re not feeling well for safety reasons. Yes, we have first aid kits however it does not include any medicine.
10. Other
I personally think it’s wise to carry your own toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpaste, ladies’ toiletries like pads. Pack your chargers and charging cables, iPods, headphones, hairbrush, hair tie, hygiene wipes, led flashlight, gum.
11. Bring your best attitude
Last but not least as a tour guide, I have had only a thousand and more safari experiences and I can confirm that I never get tired or bored of going on a safari trip that is how much fun a safari experience can be. So come along and let’s have fun ask your safari guide as many questions as you want to, take as many pictures as you can for some people this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And if you are one of those that have been watching National geography shows on tv since you were 8 months old please don’t be rude to your safari guide by challenging his/her knowledge because you feel you know better😊 bring your best attitude.
So these are my safari essentials that I also pack every time I have a safari tour. Comment below if you would like to add anything to my list.
Till next time, my name is Emmah and I am your tour guide
Love & Light
Emmah The Tour Guide
All inclusive safari packages 
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