Your Safari Packing List: The Essentials
You’ve made your reservations, bought your plane tickets and travel insurance, have a passport and are getting more excited by the minute.
You’ve got your usual packing list with the critical items to pack for a vacation: toiletries, medication, passport, phone—the stuff you can’t live without. Maybe you have your favourite travel pillow (suggestion if you’re looking for a new one: buy a simple foam neck brace—the medical kind. It will give you the best sleep you’ve had on a plane.)
But what are the special things that you should pack for safari or things that you may have difficulty finding in South Africa?
Essential Safari Packing List For Your Visit To Etali Safari Lodge
First of all, if you forget some toiletries, it’s no problem: many brands that will be familiar to you from home are available here in South Africa (for example, Colgate, Sensodyne, Dove, Nivea, Mitchum, Gillette). If you forget a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, razor, shampoo, etc. you can easily get replacements at the local pharmacies (the major ones are Clicks and Dis-Chem), and Etali also has an emergency stash of toiletries on hand.
1. Travel Light With A Few Days’ Worth Of Clothes
A top tip is do not overpack when it comes to your clothes. We’ll do your laundry. Etali has a commercial laundry facility with a washer, dryer and iron on-site. It’s included in your stay—there is no extra charge. So there is no need to pack an oversized suitcase that you’ll have to lug around airports. Pack 3 or 4 days’ worth of clothes and you’ll be set.
2. Bring Neutral-Coloured Clothing
Bring neutral colour clothing—khaki, olive, brown, grey. It’s so you don’t stick out in the bush. Jeans and sneakers are universal: you’ll “fit in” pretty much anywhere if you’re wearing them.
There’s no dress code at Etali. Be yourself and be comfortable. We advise against wearing white because the red clay soil that surrounds the lodge will permanently tint them. The red is beautiful and distinctive, but looks much nicer on the ground than on your whites.
3. Pack Comfortable Shoes And Long Pants
Bring closed-toed, comfortable shoes and long pants. This is Africa, after all. Too many bushes have thorns, and there are sometimes insects, etc.
4. Pack a hat
Pack a hat to protect against the sun. We sell hats in our Curio Shop if you’d like one with the lodge’s logo on it.
5. Sunscreen
When you think of Africa, you think of sunshine. It’s true and the weather here is fantastic. High SPF sunscreen (50SPF+) is not readily available in South Africa. This one is worth taking up some limited liquid space in your luggage.
6. A Fleece or warm jumper
Whatever season you visit Madikwe, we suggest bringing a long-sleeve fleece. It can sometimes be cool or even downright cold in the mornings or evenings. Etali sells fleeces with its logo embroidered on them at our Curio Shop.
If you’re coming during our winter (May-June-July), you can expect chilly temps in the mornings and evenings (lows of 35-45°F or 2-7°C). Take along a set of long underwear for the game drives.
7. Plug Adapters
The power in South Africa is 220v, and plugs are primarily 3 prong (type M) or 2 pin (type C).
Bring a travel adapter that will allow you to charge your electronics (with most smartphones, you only need a travel adapter and not a voltage converter).
USB-C and USB-A cable sockets are also generally available. Just bring your cables.
Etali’s chalets are equipped with outlets that have 3 prong Type M sockets, 2 pin Type C sockets, USB-C cable sockets and USB-A cable sockets.
8. Power Banks
It seems that your phone will always run out of power when you don’t want it to. We suggest bringing a power bank so you can charge your devices on the go.
9. Consider A Local SIM Card or E-SIM
Consider purchasing a local SIM card at the airport when you arrive in South Africa. Unless you put your phone on roaming (which is hideously expensive), your international phone will not connect to the local South African networks (the major ones are Vodacom and MTN).
If you have an unlocked phone—meaning one that accepts any SIM card and is not limited to the SIM card of a specific carrier—you can buy a local SIM card at the airport when you arrive, and pre-pay for data and airtime.
For your holiday at Etali, if you want to be connected to the cell network, we suggest a Vodacom SIM card—the cell signal in Madikwe is spotty, but the best signal in our area is Vodacom.
But you don’t have to get a local SIM card: Etali also offers free high-speed wifi, both in the main lodge areas and also in the luxury chalets. You can use the wifi with any SIM card (even from your home country) or no SIM card. The wifi that Etali provides is free—even if you want to use wifi to make a video call back home on an app like WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger.
10. Binoculars
Bring your binoculars. You will have up-close wildlife sightings, and you will have sightings that are further away.
If you are not currently a birder, our amazing birdlife will convert you into one. You’ll get good use from a 10×42 or 12×42 pair of binoculars. Swarovski is top of the line and its latest Pure NL version is worth it, but the Nikon Monarch series will give you great value for money. There are a lot of “best binocs” reviews out there.
Learn more about the game drives that you’ll experience when you come to Etali!
11. Cameras and Accessories
Bring an extra battery and memory cards for your camera, as well as something to cover your camera to protect it from dust. You will have a lot of stunning photographic opportunities. We suggest a 200-500mm or 200-600mm zoom lens.
12. Swim Wear
Don’t forget your swimwear. Each of Etali’s luxury chalets has its own private heated plunge pool, and there is a larger, unheated pool at the main lodge.
13. Lactose Intolerance Pills
It’s difficult to find tablets for lactose intolerance (like Lactaid) in South Africa. If you have a lactose intolerance, please bring your own tablets. Also, let the lodge know, and the chefs will prepare delicious lactose-free meals for you.
If you are wondering about the food offered at Etali—find out everything you need to know about our cuisine and dining experience.
14. Motion Sickness Tablets
There are also limited motion sickness tablets available in South Africa, and even if you find them, they tend to be limited to the “drowsy” kind—not the non-drowsy option. If you have motion sickness, we suggest bringing your own tablets.
To explore South Africa properly, you’ll be on the road and/or on a plane a lot. You’ll start to say things like, “Oh, it’s only a 4-hour drive,” and you’ll comment that anything that’s an hour’s drive away is “close.”
15. Insect Repellent
Do not worry about packing insect repellent. We live here in Madikwe. We generally do not use insect repellent. On the occasional days where the mosquitoes are annoying, we provide the local repellent “Peaceful Sleep” in our chalets.
The chalets are also equipped with Ecomist (another local insect repellent that doesn’t smell and doesn’t affect people), which sprays automatically every few minutes.
16. Field Guides
Many guests are interested in having their own field guides to use as a reference. Some of these books are also available as an app on your phone.
The bookstores in OR Tambo International Airport also stock various field guides. Recommended are: Roberts (for birds, also available as an app), The Tracker Manual (animal tracks), and Pathfinder (for general animal behaviour).
17. Local Currency: Rand
The local South African currency is called the rand. Do not worry about getting significant amounts of rands. Most places in South Africa accept debit and credit cards (and some even accept only debit or credit cards—not cash). If you do need cash, you can use an ATM here (VISAs and Mastercards will work in ATMs).
When you visit Etali, you will not need to bring any rands. Any extras that you purchase at the lodge (for example from the Curio Shop), can be paid for with VISA or Mastercard. Even gratuities can be put on credit cards.
18. Exercise Clothes
Exercise aficionados can bring their exercise clothes. The lodge offers an outside mini-gym for an amazing and unique bush workout.
19: A Buff
Buffs are useful. Too much dust in your face? Too many insects bothering you in the open game viewer? Too much sun on your face, neck or arm? Bad hair day? Hair in your face because of the wind? Sun on your neck? A buff solves all of these problems.
We also sell buffs with Etali’s logo on them at the Curio Shop.
20. For The Ladies
Ladies, most of the roads in Madikwe are gravel roads. Because you’re in the bush, it’s bumpy. Bring a good sports bra!
Do not worry about packing for your Etali Safari Adventure
Packing can be daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s way more fun as part of the journey, where you’re feeling the excitement of anticipation about your trip!
Do you have any questions about our game lodge?
Feel free to get in touch with the Etali team and we will get back to you right away.
