Iahawk

Hello,
We are leaving on safari with A&K September 10th. To say we've been underwhelmed by their customer pre-departure planning service is an under statement! In the sorting and packing phase now and wondering what items you left behind and missed and what you took and never used? The 33lb limit doesn't seem to be a big deal but I don't want to arrive and realize something critical is not with me.

As of now - 3 long sleeved shirts that roll up to short sleeves, one sleeveless, one short sleeve and one long sleeve dry fit tee to layer; 3 pairs of long pants - one zip off; one pair bermuda shorts -- quick dry; fleece jacket good down to 30 degrees, one hooded dry fit top; one long sleeve dry fit top, 2 tops to wear at night around camp; one melli _ Colorado natives will understand- long sleeve with hood, gloves, knit hat, wide brimmed hat, swimsuit, cover up, sandals, flats, low cut hiking boots plus the personal stuff like pjs and socks. we are also taking laundry detergent sheets for the 'small's that camp laundry won't touch. Small flashlight, kindle, charger cords, convertors, sunscreen and bug spray. Hubby is similar but has his camera equipment. I am also taking a day pack and will pack another 'just in case I buy something" packable bag. One friend recommended a few granola bars and some jolly ranchers when parched or to put in a water bottle for some flavored water each day. We've had all the shots and will have daily malaria pills plus some antibiotic pills the doctor recommended.
What is missing or too much?

Thank you!

amyb

YIkes, unfortunate that A&K are letting you down already. For what they cost, you should be getting much better service.

I highly doubt you’ll need gloves and a knit hat unless you’re going gorilla trekking. If you survive Colorado winters, you will definitely be fine in Kenya/Tanzania in September. Have you looked at a climate report for daily highs/lows? It’s high 50s/low 60s at night, I don’t wear either gloves or a hat here in Boston when it’s that warm.

One thing I forgot once that was horrible: lip balm or chapstick with SPF, My lips got burnt to a crisp to the point where I started to put sunblock on them (YUCK!). Oh yes, and sunblock.

Pillowcase to put your camera in while driving around. Dust gets everywhere, and I find it easier to just have the camera in the pillowcase on my lap rather than continuously zipping/unzipping my camera bag where it’s stowed away from dust.

Sunglasses, preferably polarized so you can see through shadows (where cats hide).

You only need plug adapters for electricity, not converters. Anything you’re charging is capable of converting currency without a converter.

I’ve taken food and never eaten it. Safari is non-stop eating between game drives and I’m never hungry. I do take hydration powders in stick or tablet form for when it’s really hot, I dehydrate easily.

You don’t need sandals, flats and hiking boots. Around camp it’s super casual. No one dresses up and a lot of people go right from the game drive to lunch/dinner without changing. I’d go with boots and sandals and jettison the flats.

If you’re bumping up against the weight limit or out of space, I’d leave a 2-3 tops home. If your camps are doing laundry and your tops are technical/quick drying fabric, you’ll have them back same day.

I don’t know your age, but anything that you might have to pop into a Walgreens/CVS for along the lines of feminine products. Even if you think you’re not expecting to need something like that, it can happen unexpectedly, believe me. Try finding tampons last minute in the Serengeti….

Bring an open mind and leave your expectations at home. It’ll be better than you ever expected and also will surprise you with encounters you’d never dream up on your own. That’s the beauty of it all. Enjoy!

KTtravel

We were in Kenya in July and were actually very cold on some early morning starts. We were in open jeeps and despite having blankets provided by the safari company, I wished I had packed some warmer clothing (particularly a hat and gloves.) In Tanzania we were in pop-top minivans and we stayed much warmer. I would add binoculars to your list.
Have a great time!

plambers

our camps in Kenya provided flannel lined ponchos so that kept us warm for early morning drives. a great camera and binoculars and maybe a book on the animals you will see. we also journaled about each day and what we saw and how we felt. bring plenty of $ for tips. the level of service you will receive is amazing.
2 pair of shoes max-birks and sneakers for me. good sunglasses, wide brimmed hat. yes chapstick! and scrunchies for your hair bc there are no blowdryers!!
You will not need extra food. we never even did the tea and baked goods at 4 bc we were so stuffed from lunch.
water bottles should also be supplied. ours were reusable.
Have a wonderful tilme!!

Desibabe

Super helpful post! Amyb - the pillowcase idea is great. Binoculars - our van comes with 2 pairs so I plan not to carry any and save some weight.
Also, we've been advised not to carry any plastic bags (e.g. for shoes, laundry) in Tanzania since the govt. has banned them. Toiletries in a plastic bag are okay.
We leave in 2 weeks for Tanzania and are getting our gear ready. Super excited!

mlgb

A Buff or two, you can also use one for the camera rather than a pillowcase. Body lotion. DEET wipes.
I had a sleeveless long linen dress that I wore most nights to dinner and around camp, sometimes with a T shirt underneath. I have featherweight Crocs flipflops that worked for shower/pool shoes and as a "shoe break". (Amazon even has a leopard print option. I may have packed a lightweight pair of flats. I wore lowrise Keens hikers for food support (they get worn on the plane to limit weight).

I think you have too many pieces of clothing. Three bottoms, three long sleeve tops, three t-shirts at the most. Lots of socks and undies. A fleece vest. I don't know what a melli is. I always bring sun gloves (fingerless). We went in rainy season and the did have blankets for us.

amyb

FYI the plastic bag bans are aimed at the single use, forever-in-a-landfill supermarket type bags that you get in shops and takeaway food places. They don’t care if you use a ziplock for your cosmetics or the compression vacuum bags to squeeze more clothes into your duffle bag. Any plastic bag meant for multiple uses like that is fine because you’re going to reuse it and take it home. I’ve taken them to Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya, no problem.