Getting Ready

Green Hills of Africa

A classic tale of game hunting in the Lake Manyara area. Hemingway evokes the beauty and strangeness of the landscape in this deeply personal account, where he seeks to understand the lure of the hunt. Buy now

The Tree Where Man Was Born

Combining nature and travel writing, this classic book is enthralling in its detail. Matthiessen skillfully portrays daily life among the Maasai, in Ngorongoro and the Kenyan highlands, and on safari in the Serengeti. Buy now

Out of Africa and Shadows on the Grass

Written under a pseudonym, these books are the memoirs of Karen von Blixen, a naive young aristocrat who leaves Denmark to operate a struggling coffee plantation in Kenya. Profoundly introspective, romantic, and infused with a love for Africa and its people. Buy now

West with the Night

A beautifully crafted, stylish tale of a life well lived. Markham describes her childhood in Kenya and her experiences as a bush pilot in the 1930s, evoking the landscapes, people, and wildlife of East Africa in rich detail. Buy now

With Love, Ten Heartwarming Tales of Chimpanzees in the Wild

In this illustrated book for young readers, noted field biologist Jane Goodall tells a handful of touching stories based on her 40 years of studying chimpanzees in Tanzania. Buy now

Jambo Means Hello, Swahili Alphabet Book

A highly recommended introduction to the people and culture of East Africa and basic words in Swahili. Buy now

Elephant

A vivid introduction to the elephant, in the colorful “Eyewitness” visual style. Offers plenty of background on the natural history of the elephant, its behavior, social habits and relationship with humans. Buy now

The Serengeti Migration, Africa's Animals on the Move

Stunning photographs and fact-filled captions provide a vivid description of the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and other animals on the Serengeti plain. The text includes a note on the Maasai people. Buy now

Heat of the Sun (1998)

In this first-rate British mystery series set in 1930s Kenya, former Scotland Yard detective Albert Tyburn arrives in Nairobi to set up a criminal investigation unit, and finds murder, arson and drug trafficking. Buy now

Africa: The Serengeti (1994)

The first African epic filmed in IMAX format, it takes viewers on an extraordinary journey to East Africa to view the greatest migration on earth. The film follows millions of wildebeests, zebras and antelope as they travel over 500 miles across the Serengeti plains. Buy now

Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

Sigourney Weaver more than earned her Oscar nomination for Best Actress in Gorillas in the Mist, dominating every frame of Michael Apted's biopic about primatologist Dian Fossey. Buy now

Out of Africa (1985)

Based on the best-selling novel by Isak Dinesen, this Academy-award winning film tells the story of a Danish aristocrat on a struggling coffee plantation in colonial Kenya. Her marriage of convenience gives way to a doomed romance with a big-game hunter. Buy now

Born Free (1966)

Born Free is a bona fide family classic. The tale of how Kenya game warden George Adamson and his wife Joy adopted and raised three orphaned lion cubs, taking a particular shine to the one they call Elsa before helping her return to the wild. Buy now

Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees

Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees is a giant screen journey into the hearts, minds and world of wild chimpanzees with the world's most famous field researcher Dr. Jane Goodall. Be among the few humans who have ventured into the realm of the wild chimpanzee to see them at close range.
Buy now

Luggage

The weight limit in aircraft is 15 kgs (33 lbs) per person. Soft bags are better suited to safari than hard suitcases and are mandatory in light aircraft. Don't take any valuables you have to worry about. If onward travel does not require clothing or luggage necessary on safari, it can be safely stored in Arusha.

Labels

It is very important to label all clothes so it's easy for staff to sort and deliver to right tent. Also label all bags, again so they can be delivered to the right tent. It is also good to have a tag listing what's in each duffle bag, so you can pull out what you need without unpacking every bag.

Clothing Guidelines

• Game-viewing wear should be neutral in color - green, khakis, browns, greys, etc. This is especially important if you are to do any walking in wildlife country.
• Pack light. Laundry is done daily in camp, including ironing. However, East African staff will not launder women's underwear. Hot water, basins and laundry powder are provided.
• Early mornings, evenings and nights are cool (Ngorongoro - cold), but middays and afternoons can be warm (75F - 85F). Dressing in layers is recommended, so you can peel off as the day heats up.
• A good pair of lightweight shoes/boots with ankle support for walking, a second pair of comfortable shoes, and a pair of sandals. At night, we liked Ugg boots for around camp, very comfortable and great if there is mud or if you're in high grass.
• A hat and sunglasses are essential. Cords for sunglasses are helpful.
• A warm windproof jacket is also a must. A fleece jacket or sweater is recommended for Ngorongoro.
• Dress for comfort. Don't bring your best clothes (they won't stay your best for long). And don't bring white (they won't come home white). Cotton clothing is the most comfortable.
• Eveningwear is casual, but it is "Colonial dining," so shower and change for a nice dinner and fireside drinks.
• Use packing plastic smush bags to store sweaters, fleece, or bulky clothing. These seal out the extra air and make sweaters more compact.

Clothing List

Basic list for everyone
1 very light fleece
1 medium fleece
1 heavy fleece
1 raincoat
1 Khaki Polyester anorak
4 pr shoes - good closed toe shoes (we like Merrills), sneakers, flip-flops, Uggs
4 short sleeve shirts
4 long sleeve shirts
3 shorts
4 pants with zip off pant bottoms
6 pr socks
6 underwear
3 pjs and 1 pair of long john in case nights are cold
2 hats, must have string underneath so don't blow off in jeep and a wide brim for sun protecton
1 thin nylon Laundry bag

Additional Clothing for Adults
1 belt
3 bras
1 light scarf/shawl for nights
1-2 thin longer skirts/sarongs
1 long sleeve shirt for nights

Toiletries

Separate bag for each individual
Small shampoo + conditioner
Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
Small Fluoride rinse
Sunblock + stick
Soap
Brush + hairbands
Q-Tips

Extra Toiletries for Adults
Cotton pads
Q-tips
Nailbrush
Lip balm
Moisturizer with sunblock
Shaving kit

Art supplies - one kit

Put in 1 duffle with snacks and meds. Kids will do crafts or need to nap after lunch for a couple of hours before the afternoon safari. Leave these behind.

4 - 5 pack of paper
watercolors
watercolor pencils
colored pencils
3 boxes of oil pastels
2 boxes makers
tape
scissors
string
small stapler
pencil sharpeners

Games

Small scrabble
Yahtzee
Backgammon/chess
Cards

Books

3 - 5 paperbacks per person
Sheets from Mad Minutes from Amazon. Good for kids and lighter to carry.

Medical Kit

This may look daunting, but assume if you have it, you won't need it. Also it is good to have brands on hand that you know. All tour guides have medical training and kits. You can leave yours behind with the head guide when you leave, and he can distribute to whoever needs it. This gives you a spare bag for souveniers!

Eye drops
Antibiotic for pink eye
Moistening drops
Ibuprofen
Tylenol
Gatorade/pedialyte - electrolyte replacement
Bacrim/ Cipro
Bandaids
Neosporin/Polysporin
Bactine
Wet wipes - lots of small packets in individual Ziplocs
Cortaid - more hydrocortisone - prescription strength for insect bites
Benadryl or anti-histamine pills for adults and Claritin chewables and allergy meds for kids
Tweezers for splinters
Abreva for cold sores
Epi-pens
Zithromax for all
Malarone
Vaseline for lips
Anti-diarrhea, Imodium and Pepto Bismol pills
Bug repellant and coils
Fever suppositories
Cotton pads, Q-tips
Pens/pencils
Nailbrush
Purell-small containers and wet wipes (anti-bacterial)
Midol
Sanitary needs
Tums
Melatonin
Ear plugs
Ice bag
Hot water bottle

Cameras & Binoculars

Reliable digital camera for each child
Polaroid with lots of film
Digital SLR with 18 -70mm zoom, 70 - 200 or 300mm zoom, 400mm fixed focal length lens. Extra cards and batteries. Bag. Lightweight monpod or tripod.
1 pair of good binoculars per adult member of group. Manual focus. 7x - 10x. Binoculars for each child.

Other Supplies

1 very small swiss army knife for each child
1 cheap unbreakable flashlight for each child
1 or 2 big maglites for camp
4 or 5 maglites with head attachment
Petzel headlamps to use + give to staff
1 daypack for each child

Day Packs

Kids' day packs
Small binoculars
Small digital camera
Hat
Sunblock

My day pack
Purell
Neosporin/Polysporin
Bandaids
Sunblock
Binoculars
Digital camera
Candy and trail mix

Food from home

The food at the camps is wonderful. And you can make special requests. But if you feel your kids might want some comfort food, you can bring a few things from home. Here's our list.

S'more ingredients (marshmallows, graham crackers and Hersey bars)
Tea - Kusmi
Coffee - Peet's
Chocolate Syrup (Made it easy to give kids their Malarone in the morning)
Maple Syrup
Instant Oatmeal
Jiff Peanut butter
Jam
Salad dressing packets
Cup of Noodles
Processed cheese (if kids particular about kind and color of cheese.
Extra Ziplock bags
Sharpie permanent marker
Extra luggage tags to change labeling

Food Request to send ahead to Safari group

This is just in case the kids want some comfort foods or in case we are served something exotic that they don't want to try. Also you can request that the kids eat early, so they can go off to bed early. Safaris usually have early morning starts and you don't want the kids to be tired.

Lunch meat
Kids want turkey + cheese sandwiches
Egg salad sandwiches
5 Avocados
Spaghetti with tomato sauce + meat sauce
Chicken tenders
Hamburgers + buns
Hot dogs + buns
Maple Syrup or bring from US
Salads w/ salad dressing, Balsalmic vinigrette
Yellow mustard
Fresh fruit
Quaker oatmeal in round cylinder
Granola
Trail Mix, chips, pretzels for afternoon snacks
Energy bars

Gifts for Staff

Headlamps
Flashlights
Unisex Swatches
15 Baseball caps

Gifts for Guides

GPS

Tips

Bring US$7–$10 per day per person. Give to head guide to distribute to staff at camp on last day.