ndonna

Hello. This is my first posting with Fodor's and I am excited to be able to get help from the EXPERTS. My husband and I will be visiting Africa for our first Safari from 20 Aug. 07 thru 3 Sept. I would like some advice on packing i.e. clothes and extras. I have some idea from visiting this site recently, but am ready to get detailed information. We will be in Tanzania, the Serengeti (4 days) Kenya, and finally ending in Uganda where we will go Gorilla trekking for 2 days.

If there is a site that has a good list to go by then I would be extremely happy with that or if any of you guys have made a detailed list of what you have taken, that would be even better.

Thanks for any help you can give. I look forward to talking to you when other questions come up and I am sure they will.

plbk4

Hi

My family and I returned yesterday from a 5 week trip that included a 10 day safari and 10 days in Egypt.
Some essentials for us were:
Eye drops - a lot of dust can irritate the eyes and the drops were great.
Gastro stop (or similar) - have it with you before you go.
Lens cleaner - to clean glasses and sunglasses - sometime the water in the taps is soapy and smears the lens.
Sunscreen and hats - critical
soft bags - for squashing into the 4wd
Calculate your clothes and probably halve the amount - we took too much and getting laundry done is cheap and quick.
Sandles - easier than shoes or runners.
Camera - get a good digital slr with a 2-300mm lens and a seperate storage device. Also have a smaller lens - sometimes the animals are so close you cant use a big lens.
Make sure your vehicle has a sun roof -we saw some that didnt and the people were cooking.
I will be posting my trip report over the next few weeks so hopefully that will have more useful titbits.
Enjoy the planning!
Cheers
Peter

matnikstym

here's a thread from probably the most comprehensive packing list ever on Fodor's, thanks to LyndaS.
http://tinyurl.com/3exaa7

LyndaS

ndonna-
Juliet took my comprehensive packing list and revised it to include some gorilla trekking on the following thread-
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4

She's on the trip now as we speak!

ndonna

Thanks to for the info Kingfisher. Not quite sure what you mean by Jungle Boots. Could you please elaborate on that. Yes, we have already booked our trip. My husband had booked it as a surprise for my 50th birthday present. What a way to have fun at 50!

LyndaS. I have already printed out your packing list and plan to go by it. I clicked onto the site you sent for Juliet's addition for the gorilla trekking, but not sure exactly you were sending me to. Just brought up the message board to the left. Can you help?

Thanks so much.

LyndaS

Oops, can't believe that I did that! As the person in charge of the trip report index, you would think I would know better!

Try this one

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34987587

ndonna

Thanks LyndaS. That worked and is greatly appreciated. From some of the forums I have been reading, it sounds like it will pretty cold during our stay...8/20/07 thru 9/3/07. We will be at Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Nairobi, and Gorilla Forest Camp. From what I have been reading it seems that some think we may need a lightweight, but heavy jacket and layer for the elements. Some even mention a scarf, gloves, and thermal underwear for the cold mornings and evenings. What do you think?

ndonna

LyndaS

ndonna-

I haven't been to East Africa in August (only in May/June) but I would say that a fleece is needed for at least Ngorongoro. I brought a light jacket (wind/rain) and a fleece hoodie - it worked great. I used the fleece hoodie in Nogorongoro (both at night at the lodge, and during the early morning in the crater); and the wind/rain jacket in Zanzibar - for the rain, no wind.

I haven't been on any gorilla treks, but from trip reports I have read, it seems to be pretty chilly there - especially at the lodge, I recall Wayne in his report saying it was mighty chilly in the lodge at night. But, come to think of it, he was in Rwanda, not Uganda.

I'm sure lots of people who have been there at this time of the year will answer about the trek - but yes, do take a fleece hoodie at least for the crater.

Someone once posted that they took cheap garden gloves for the gorilla trek and left them there after, that sounded like a good suggestion!

ndonna

LyndaS,

Thanks. That helps alot and the cheap garden gloves for the trek is a great idea. I will add to my list.

Keep the great ideas coming guys. 2 1/2 weeks until summer vacation and then I get very serious about the planning. I am so excited. Can't imagine what it is like when the time gets near.