Safari Dress Code: What to Wear On Your Safari

Dressing For a Typical Day on Safari

Alright ya’ll, this is what you have been waiting for! Now, you may have done some googling or Instagram searching on what people usually wear on safari and it may feel overwhelming, but don’t fear, we are here! There’s absolutely nothing to worry about as you most likely have everything you need in your closet anyway, and potentially just need one or two more essentials before you are good to go!

For us, comfort is key, but if you would like to zhuzh it up a bit then by all means, go for it!

Okay, then let’s get chatting!

Setting the scene…

You wake up to the beautiful sounds of nature in the wild, the bush is slowly coming to life, and you are getting excited to catch the first light…It’s time to get ready! It’s typically pretty cold first thing in the morning at this time (around 5:30/6am) and could be in the 50s-60s in an open vehicle, so be prepared.

Cool, let’s get dressed for the morning game drive

Up top:

Layer up by wearing a T-shirt or tank + light zip-up fleece + warmer/puffer jacket (A great option is a Patagonia puffer)

*If you are visiting Southern Africa during their summer, from around October to March, then you will not need the added warmer layer.

Down below:

Long pants - I love a jogger or lightweight travel pant, (Ladies - something like the Athleta Brooklyn pant is ideal, and for the men - something like the Vuori Ripstop pant). Be comfy, remembering that you don’t want something TOO warm because once the sun comes up a during your game drive, it gets hot!

Any closed toe shoes (Blundstone boots are a win, but hiking boots or anything sturdy that you won’t mind getting dirty will work). Also, if you want to buy a pair of veldskoen (vellies) while you are here, the local ‘bush shoe’, let us know and we can point you in the right direction!

If your legs are still feeling a little chilly to start you can tuck yourself up in one of the blankets provided to you on the vehicle. As the drive goes on, you will be shedding those layers as the sun starts to heat up!

Back in Camp…

After brekkie, you will most likely spend the next while lounging around, so if you would like to change, it would be into something comfy and cool (most places do not have A/C). Ideas for this time could be a pair of shorts, a simple dress, or a swimsuit/coverup if hanging by the pool. (Generally, it can get up to 80s, or much hotter if in Southern Africa during their summer). You can put those closed shoes to the side for now and throw on your flip flops or sandals, let those feet breathe people!

Afternoon Game Drive Time

After a lovely couple of hours at camp relaxing, having a drink by the pool, napping, going through some cool pics from the morning, doing a bit of birding, whatever it may be, it’s now time to prepare for your afternoon drive! Kicking off around 3:30-4:30pm, you are going to want to layer up again but the other way around….

It’ll still be lovely and warm now, but it will get cooler later on during your drive. So go ahead and change into your outfit similar to morning, BUT bring your layers with you for when the sun sets. Pop those closed shoes on again and be prepared to have your ankles covered (long socks over your pants works), to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitos during your sundowner .

Evening Attire

When you get back from your afternoon drive you can either change for dinner, or can totally stay in your same outfit. We actually rarely change before dinner, and if we do, it’s usually into cozy pants/leggings with a sweater or something chill like that, keeping our closed shoes on. Once again, we recommend being comfy….There is no need to dress up for dinner unless you wish to!

But What About a Walking Safari?

If you are going on a walking safari/bush walk, you can dress similar to what you would wear on an afternoon drive (tank top or tee, light jacket, long pants, and hiking shoes/boots (cover ankles with long pants or socks). Have your hat, some sunscreen and a water bottle handy - you will want it!

What Are Some Things I Should Always Take With Me On Drives?

Water bottle
Jacket (s)
Hat/cap
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Camera/phone
EXCITEMENT

Will I Have Enough Clothes to Last Me?

Yes! Remember that you will have LAUNDRY included everywhere on safari. You only need a few outfits that you can easily interchange (we try to keep everything neutral so that it’s easy to mix and match shirts and pants). You are going to want to pack LIGHT. It’s sooo much easier.