Tips On How To Pack For Your African Safari to Tanzania

Preparing for your African safari can be an adventure of its own. Along with knowing where to visit and your accommodation settings, it helps to know what to pack. If you’ve never been on safari before, packing can feel intimidating, especially when you start hearing about all sorts of restrictions, like how you can only bring luggage under 20kg/44lbs on small charter planes or how it is better to bring clothes in colors that easily blend with the natural environment.

Not to worry, as we’ve put together this general rundown of what you should definitely include in your travel bags when visiting Africa and what it means to pack for a purpose.




CLOTHING
Apart from selecting reasonably neutral or ‘non-bright’ colored clothing, safari-wear is generally casual and practical. Be sure you take clothes that you feel comfortable in – especially when it comes to walking shoes. Newer quick-drying fabrics, shirts with ventilation and trousers that convert into shorts are all worth considering. Wearing clothes in layers is the most practical way to cope with fluctuating day/night temperatures and cool evenings. As the day warms up you can peel off another layer. Then as it begins to cool toward evening, you can put them back on.

Starting from the bottom, you’ll want to pack at least one pair of sturdy, but comfy shoes. Open-toe sandals and flip flops suffice while you’re in the safari vehicle or at the camp, but you’ll definitely need sturdy shoes/sneakers when you’re out and about in the wild and at night (to avoid mosquito bites).

For the actual clothes, you’ll want to choose lightweight, moisture-wicking materials, preferably in khaki or natural colors that make you blend in with the environment. This is because overly bright colors can cause you to stand out in the bush and may irritate the animals, while dark colors like blue and black attract tsetse flies and other bugs, and an encounter with them can cast a slight pall on your safari experience. Bring a mix of t-shirts and shorts as well as long-sleeved shirts and long pants for different weather situations. Early mornings and late nights can get quite chilly so don't forget to pack a lightweight jacket or a warm sweater/hoodie. Other items to consider include wide-brimmed hats for when you’ll be out on game drives. Bring your swim wear if you will stay at hotels or lodges that have a pool, or are planning a visit to the beaches of Zanzibar after your safari.

Check the weather: ask us at Sababu Safaris (or check online) and find out what the weather will be like where you are going. You may not need any serious cold weather gear at all (and that will really help with the luggage limit!). Alternatively, if you are going to visit Tanzania in the dry season when temperatures drop dramatically once the sun goes down, you may need a scarf, a thick jacket and even a beanie.  Certain spots in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation area can become very cold in the early mornings and late evenings during the dry season/winter months (June through October).

YOUR LUGGAGE
Due to weight restrictions, it’s important that you utilize the space available efficiently and look for ways to reduce the total weight of your luggage. For instance, we recommend opting for a lightweight, spacious duffel bag instead of a regular suitcase with wheels. It is important to know that hard shell suitcases are not allowed on most domestic flights in Tanzania. For your carry on, don’t forget to pack any medications and other essential items just in case your checked bag is lost or delayed by the airline.

Don’t panic about limited space! Same-day laundry service is usually available at most safari camps and lodges. This means you do not need a change of clothes for each day you are on safari! The exception will be for some mobile tented camps where it is often difficult to offer laundry service. It may also be possible to leave a bag with the charter company, or the person meeting you, for the duration of the safari portion. When in doubt, ask us at Sababu Safaris.

SAFARI GEAR
Africa is a photographer’s dream. Not only does the boundless wildlife come in all shapes and sizes, but the continent is also blessed with stunning landscapes, colorful people and fabulous light! Don’t miss out. Buy a camera, if you don’t already have one. If you want to bring your phone and music, do not forget to bring chargers and country-specific adaptor plugs (UK sockets are used in Tanzania). All our safari vehicles have charging outlets so you will be able to keep them charged at all times. However, we encourage you to try to leave your tablet and laptop at home – they can be a distraction from your beautiful surroundings.

Sababu Safaris provides binoculars in each safari vehicle but feel free to bring your own as well, if you like! Binoculars are essential for optimum wildlife viewing on safari (and a good pair of binoculars will make a big difference to your safari).

You’ll also need to bring along a functional bag where you can store your gear and be able to access it quickly. Other essential gears include extras for your camera (batteries, memory cards, lens cleaners, etc). Most camps and lodges will provide a flashlight, and will walk you back to your tent at night as required, but being self-sufficient is always a good idea (usually the flash light on your mobile phone is sufficient as well).


SELF-CARE
Items for self-care include sunscreen, lip balm, polarized sunglasses, medication, personal toiletries and any other items that you may need, like a small first aid kit and hand sanitizer.

If you wear prescription glasses, be sure to pack more than one set (in case you lose one or they get broken). You will be outdoors for much of the time, so be prepared. If you wear contact lenses, definitely bring glasses, too, because it can get dusty!

Just in case the worst happens, consider bringing the following medication: diarrhea and indigestion medicine, pain killers, heartburn medicine; insect repellent, antihistamine (for allergic reactions against bug bites), throat drops (lozenges), eye drops, and most important – anti-malarial tablets.
It is also recommended to bring some cash for tipping the lodges and camps you will be staying at as well as your guide, and for purchasing gifts and souvenirs during cultural visits to local markets, for example.

PACKING FOR A PURPOSE
While it is vital to know what to pack, it is also equally important to understand that you don’t have to just pack for yourself alone. Most airlines allow you to check two full bags (23kg each), so we encourage you to bring a few useful items that some people of Tanzania might not have access to. This is what it means to Pack for a Purpose. Not only does it benefit the local community without adding a burden to you, but it also helps fulfill one of the tenets of responsible and sustainable travel. Families can use this as an opportunity to teach their children a valuable lesson while being on a holiday: it's not only all about making this trip fun for yourself but “giving back” can add a lot of value to your trip.

Packing for a purpose is growing in popularity and local tour operators such as ourselves at Sababu Safaris have seized on the initiative as a way of using travel to create a lasting impact among local communities in Tanzania. If you’re interested in packing for a purpose, you could bring along general school supplies (school bags, books, pencils/pens and educational games, among others). Other helpful items that you could include in your travel bags are art supplies, sports equipment like spring ropes or soccer balls, first aid materials, and office supplies for the teachers.

Nowadays, traveling should be more than just experiencing the thrill of a new destination but also making an impact. Packing for a purpose is a good way to achieve this. Why not give it a go for your next trip?

A WORD (OR TWO) OF WARNING
It is not advisable to wear any form of clothing that may be construed as “camouflage”. By this we mean any form of brown/green “combat” style coloring. Even if it is the latest fashion statement - and even if it is your 14 year old wearing it - and even if it is just a cap. Many African authorities have a disproportionate phobia of such garments and this could conceivably result in you being questioned or harassed by the police. It has the potential to cause you grief, so don’t do it.

Do not take any expensive personal jewelry on safari. Be minimalist or take only those everyday items that you normally wear, like your wedding band, inexpensive earrings.

With regard to securing your luggage, we would strongly suggest using a combination lock to secure zips together if your suitcase does not have its own locking mechanism. Luggage tampering in airports does occur, unfortunately. Luggage straps that wrap around your suitcase can also deter, whilst shrink-wrapping facilities are available at some airports. Most lodges and camps have a safe in the rooms…and if not, these combination locks on your suitcase will keep your valuables safe.

Original source: Sababu Safaris

Transformational Travel - Social Impacts Of Journeys Abroad

Want to Help Someone? Shut up and listen! is an excellent TEDX talk by Ernesto Sirolli regarding working abroad for charities. Whether someone is setting up a business, charity, or both -- there exists fundamental problems with how Westerners, in particular, help. In this talk, he points out that many supporters either patronize or are paternalistic towards the communities they are supposed to serve. And they often do this without understanding the history, needs, or region’s current state of affairs. This is a template for failure.

In order for any program to be successful, however, & paraphrasing Ernesto Sirolli, you never arrive in a community with any ideas, instead you sit with the local people. You don't work from offices, you meet at the cafe or a pub. You have zero infrastructure. Instead you become friends, and you find out what the person you want to help wants to do. You don't come in as a hero, you come in as a sidekick.

Denise Brown, Co-Founder and Sales & Marketing Director and Robert Tarimo, Co-Founder and Operations Director of Sababu Safaris are exemplifying this practice in the Safari Industry.


Who are you? What is your organization/business/performance? Who are the clientele/audience that you hope to serve/ help? And why is diversity important to such clientele/audience?
I am Denise Brown, Co-Founder of Sababu Safaris. We are a small safari business operating in Tanzania (with an office in New York) that aims to unite safari guests with local communities to build bridges, foster understanding and ultimately make a difference in their lives. We want to give our guests the opportunity to easily do good while they’re having the time of their lives on safari.

We think it’s important for visitors to not only experience Tanzania’s beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife that is unparalleled in the safari world but to also get to know the human side of Tanzania. This is what made me fall in love with the country in the first place. Tanzania’s people are some of the warmest, kindest, happiest and most welcoming and graceful human beings you will ever encounter in your life. And what struck me the most when I first visited the country was that little to no effort is required on our end to make a positive impact in their lives.

Some people might argue that a white savior complex might play a role here, which is a reasonable assumption. However, I didn't come here to lead but to listen and learn. My business partner and our co-founder, Robert Tarimo, is Tanzanian and has lived there all his life. Together, we want to support and work with local projects that are mostly run by the Tanzanian community. We do not claim to know the answers to all the problems, but communities have a pretty good idea of what they need to be able to help themselves. And we just want to support those existing efforts – together with our guests.


What is it that your organization/performance does? What does it hope to accomplish? What is its purpose/mission? How does diversity concepts tie into it? 
Our mission is to use responsible travel experiences to raise awareness of and support successful community projects in Tanzania. We want to create a win-win situation: on the one hand guests will be able to immerse themselves in the Tanzanian culture and gain experiences that will change their hearts and minds and have a long lasting positive impact on them. We believe in the power of transformational travel and how it can be the catalyst to inspire us, touch our souls and make us feel truly connected and alive.

On the other hand, the local communities we support will benefit in two ways. There is the short-term monetary aspect (our guests are charged a fee for their visit(s), which will go directly toward these projects and of which we will not make any profit) and there is the long-term effect we hope to achieve: that our guests will spread the word and maybe even decide to support the project(s) they visited in the long-run, like sponsoring a child and providing for their education, for example.

Where is the office/performance? Where is most of the work done? Is it local? National? International? 
We have offices in both New York and Arusha, Tanzania. All our operations are in Tanzania, since that is where the safaris take place.


When was your performance/organization created? -- i.e. what is some of the history of how this event came about?
 Sababu Safaris was created early this year. I had fallen utterly in love with Tanzania, its awe-inspiring wildlife, spectacular nature and beautiful people, and it was clear to me that I wanted to stay involved and do something on the ground that has meaning. My business partner Robert used to be my guide on my first visit to Tanzania and we became close friends.
We came to the conclusion that we share a brain and – more importantly - a heart, and that is how Sababu Safaris came about. The idea to create Sababu Safaris came naturally and grew organically. Utilizing Robert’s extensive experience in the safari business (over 18 years!) and my own personal experience in event management and in planning amazing experiences was a no brainer. But we wanted to offer more than just “regular” safaris like so many other safari companies do – it had to be something with a purpose and a meaning. And that’s why we decided to call our organization Sababu - the Swahili word meaning “purpose”.


Over time, how have trends in diversity affected your organization/performance? 
That is tough to answer, since we are such a young enterprise. But there is a clear trend in the travel industry toward transformational travel experiences. People want more than just a simple visit to a new destination and crave an authentic, meaningful and life-changing travel experience. And this involves meeting people from all over the world.


Why was your organization/performance created? What needs does it fulfill? What does it do to promote diversity? 
We created Sababu Safaris because we saw a gap in the safari industry. Most safari companies are all about the wildlife and nature – which is absolutely amazing in and of itself but there aren’t a lot of opportunities for visitors to authentically connect with the communities on a deeper level. You land at the airport, get into your safari vehicle, do your safari and return to the airport afterwards but other than being with your guide, you won’t get to interact much with the local population nor will you get a better idea of the true Tanzanian way of life that exists outside the National Parks.

Most safari companies offer to take you to a local Maasai village on the side of the road but these aren’t authentic; sadly, many of them have been commercialized. These visits also usually only take about a half hour, and you will be pushed to buy some bead work. There is nothing authentic about that. We want to show people EVERYTHING Tanzania has to offer and that includes its culture and people –but it has to be done in a genuine way.

Meeting the people in the community and getting to know them and their way of life puts your own life into perspective and might change your view on others back home. It might open your heart to those around you that you might not have previously connected with in your home town. If travel shifts our perspectives of the world, of our self and others, then we will shift our behavior. Ideally those behavioral shifts are positive shifts. When you have positive behavioral changes, they trickle down to those around you, including family, friends and the community.


How does it accomplish it goals? How can someone help the organization/performance? 
We accomplish our goals every single time we take our guests on safari with us. Every single time we connect our guests with the local communities we hope to change their hearts and minds and to make a difference in the lives of everyone involved.

*Article and Interview by Christine Fischer.