Quick answer
Pack neutral khaki, olive and beige layers for 10°C dawn drives and 28°C afternoons, plus a fleece, a sun hat and a buff for dust. Bring binoculars, a zoom lens and a car charger. Keep to about 15 kg in a soft bag if you fly between camps, carry your yellow fever certificate, which India checks on return from Kenya, and leave plastic carrier bags at home.
Documents & money
- Passport with six months' validity and two blank pages
- Kenya eTA or Tanzania e-visa printout — Both are online; apply two to three weeks ahead.
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate — Get vaccinated at least 10 days before departure; India checks it on return from Kenya.
- US dollars in newer, clean notes — Older series and torn notes are often refused; carry small denominations for tips.
- Safari vouchers and park fee receipts
- Travel insurance with medical evacuation — Parks are hours from a hospital; check that air evacuation is covered.
- Forex card and credit card
Clothing
- Neutral long-sleeved shirts — Khaki, olive or beige; dark blue and black attract tsetse flies.
- T-shirts in neutral colours
- Fleece or light down jacket — Dawn drives in the Mara start at about 10–12°C.
- Zip-off or cargo trousers
- Wide-brim hat
- Buff or scarf for dust
- Light rain jacket — For the long rains (April–May) and short rains (November).
- Swimwear — Many lodges have pools, and a Zanzibar add-on is common.
- Warm sleepwear — Tented camps get cold at night.
- Leave behind: camouflage prints — Restricted for civilians in parts of East Africa.
Safari gear
- Binoculars, 8x42 — One pair per person, or you'll spend drives passing them around.
- Camera with a 100–400 mm zoom, or a superzoom
- Empty bean bag for camera support — Fill it with rice or beans at the lodge.
- Dust covers or ziplocks for camera gear
- Headlamp — Camps are dark after the generator goes off, and staff escort you at night.
- Small daypack
- Sunglasses
- Soft duffel bag — Bush flights usually want soft-sided bags of about 15 kg per person.
Health & medicines
- Malaria tablets — Only on a doctor's advice; the timing varies by drug.
- Insect repellent with DEET
- Prescription medicines with the prescription
- ORS, antacids and anti-diarrhoea tablets
- Sunscreen SPF 50 and lip balm
- Motion-sickness tablets — For bumpy game drives and light-aircraft hops.
- Antihistamine — On a doctor's advice, for dust and pollen.
- Eye drops — Dust on the drives irritates eyes.
- Hand sanitiser
Electronics
- Universal adapter — Kenya and Tanzania use UK-style Type G sockets.
- Power bank — Cabin baggage only.
- Car charger — Most safari vehicles have charging points; camps on solar power have few sockets.
- Extra memory cards and batteries
- Local SIM — Cheaper than roaming; signal inside parks is patchy.
- Earphones — The road from Nairobi to the Mara takes about five to six hours.
Toiletries & camp
- Travel-size toiletries — Camps supply basics such as soap and shampoo.
- Wet wipes
- Moisturiser
- Fabric pouches instead of plastic bags — Kenya and Tanzania ban plastic carrier bags.
- Packaged vegetarian snacks — Lodges cater to vegetarians with notice; snacks help on long drives.
- Laundry bag — Most mid-range and luxury camps wash clothes, so five days' worth is enough.
How do you dress for dawn and noon on the same drive?
Game drives start around 6 am, when the Masai Mara sits at about 10–12°C and the Ngorongoro Crater rim, at about 2,300 m, can be colder. By noon it's 26–30°C. Wear a fleece or light down jacket over a long-sleeved shirt and peel off as the sun climbs. Stick to khaki, olive and beige: dark blue and black attract tsetse flies, white shows every speck of dust, and camouflage prints are restricted for civilians in parts of East Africa.
Bush flights limit your bag
Light aircraft between camps usually cap baggage at about 15 kg per person, including hand luggage and camera gear, and want soft-sided duffels that squash into a small hold. Leave your hard suitcase at your Nairobi or Arusha hotel. Most mid-range and luxury camps do laundry, so five days of clothes covers a ten-day trip.
Health papers India checks on return
Take the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before departure. Indian health officials check certificates from travellers arriving from yellow fever risk countries such as Kenya, and people without one can be quarantined. Tanzania asks for one if you arrive through Kenya or another risk country. Ask a doctor about malaria tablets, as the timing varies by drug.
Plastic bags and power
Kenya and Tanzania ban plastic carrier bags, which can be confiscated on arrival, so use fabric pouches. Both countries use UK-style Type G sockets, and camps often run on solar power with limited charging points, so carry a car charger for the safari vehicle.
What to buy locally
A Maasai shuka, the checked cotton blanket sold everywhere, makes a warm wrap on cold morning drives.
Read the Kenya visa guide and Tanzania visa guide, time the migration with our Kenya and Tanzania season guides, and choose travel insurance with evacuation cover.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for a Kenya or Tanzania safari from India?
What colours should I wear on safari?
What is the luggage limit on safari flights?
Can I take plastic bags to Kenya?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.