Two weeks. Two completely different locations. Varying temperatures. All in one carryon duffle bag.

Some would get stressed at the thought of this, but for me - I honestly enjoyed it. It was a challenge. We would be spending 1 week on a safari in and around the Serengeti, and 1 week on the island, Zanzibar.

I will admit, I probably spent much too much time googling 'what to wear on a safari', as well as too much time shopping for 'safari outfits' - but I don't care! During the weeks leading up to this trip, it was all I could think about! For details on how I booked our trip, see my separate post here.

So I wanted to share my learnings, personal experiences (why did I pack so many nice sandals?? so not necessary!), and actual list of what went into that very packed red duffel bag.

a masai tribe member carrying both of our two weeks worth of luggage!

WHAT TO PACK: CLOTHES

6 Days on a Safari in Tanzania, Africa.

June 5th - June 10th

Temperature: Technically 'Wintertime'. Highs: 85ish (F) / Lows: 40ish (F). The temperature drastically changes depending on the time of day and what part of Tanzania you are in. The Serengeti = hot, dry, dusty and can get up to mid 80's. Whereas the Ngorongoro Crater is foggy, cold, damp and is about 50 degrees.

Things to keep in mind when packing:

Pack neutrals: tans, greens, off white, brown. You want to blend in with the background as to not scare off the animals.
Layers! I didn't want to bring a 'warm' jacket with me as it would take up too much space, so i'd layer up in the morning and then de-layer as the day went on.

What not to pack:

Black or dark blue. There are these terrible little biting flies called 'tsetse' flies. They are attracted to black & blue fabric.
Anything white - unless you're ok with getting it covered in a layer of dust.

6 Days on the beach in Zanzibar, Africa

June 11th - June 16th

Temperature: The temperature in Zanzibar was perfect. Highs: 85ish (F) perfect for swimming, and crystal clear water / Lows: 75ish (F). Occasional quick rain storms.

Things to keep in mind when packing:

Bring some maxi dresses or longer skirts if you plan to visit the stone town or venture outside of your hotel area. Zanzibar is a muslim island, which means women should have their legs covered past their knees and their shoulders covered.
Cotton / light outfits for those hot island days

What not to pack:

Pack less 'day clothes' as you would plan. You'll be in your bathing suit for most of the day.

Also - Most hotels can do laundry free of charge for you. BUT - they will not wash ladies underwear! So, make sure to pack enough of that!! :)

WHAT I PACKED:

I'll admit, most of my wardrobe was either from H&M or asos. (I have very limited shopping options in Nuremberg, Germany!). But I was determined to still look somewhat stylish while on a Safari!

(in italics are the must have pieces that I wore several times)

ACCESSORIES:

1 lightweight scarf - wore every day.
1 hat - i'll admit, I rarely wore it because it would get so windy in the Landrover. And it was a hassle to carry around for 2 weeks.

TOPS:

4 tank tops (1 white loose tank, 1 white cotton, 1 blush & 1 white/black stripe) - confession - I wore that same white tank 3 times!
2 cotton tees (light grey & dark grey)
1 button down (white)
1 light weight sweater (white) - worn every morning due to the cold.
1 light weight woven jacket (light blue)

BOTTOMS:

2 pairs of pants for safari (green & khaki)
3 pairs of shorts
1 black 'beach onsie/romper' - this was my favorite thing to wear over my bathing suit. You can find a similar one on asos, here.

DRESSES:

3 maxi dresses
1 skirt - bought on asos
2 shorter dresses (for dinners in Zanzibar)

WORKOUT/SWIM:

2 bathing suits (should have packed 3 because we swam at every hotel that had a pool)
4 sports bras
3 workout tanks
3 workout shorts
1 pair of workout tights (too hot to wear working out in zanzibar, but perfect to sleep in on those cold nights near the Ngorongoro Crater!)

SHOES:

white adidas primeknit shoes (my go-to safari shoes)
running shoes (must wear shoes if you run on the beach! I got terrible blisters from the first day running in Zanzibar)
1 pair havaianas - wore these every day in zanzibar
2 pair of nice sandals - never wore them!

h&m tank & asos skirt

h&m tank & shorts

loose tank & tan H&M pants

adidas shoes while they're clean

Can you believe that all fit in a carry on duffel (including the items below)? I like to think i'm an expert packer by now. ;) The secret is bringing a few favorite items that you can wear with different outfits.

WHAT TO PACK: MEDICATIONS

I had basically packed a few of each of the below in a ziplock baggie. I tried to keep everything to a minimum as to not take up space on the carryon!

Pain Meds (advil, etc)
Cold medicine (Advil cold & sinus)
Antidiarrheal medication (imodium)
Cough drops
Allergy medicine (Clarityn) to help with any bug bite itches
Bug Bite antiseptic (Savlon) - never used this
Tide Pen - because they always come in handy
Disinfectant wipes - good to clean your hands before eating lunch on the safari
Band-aids & neosporin - I had only brought 3 bandaids and I should have brought more due to my blisters from running on the beach
anti-motion sickness medication (Dramamine) - helpful on our boat ride to go snorkling.
Insect repellent - We brought 4 of those small red bottles in the picture, and it was way too much. Only needed 2.
Sunscreen - We brought 2 of those small ones in the picture, and we should have brought more
Vitamins & Emergen-C (vitamin suppliments)

WHAT TO PACK: MISC.

Additional things we packed for our safari/beach holiday in Tanzania, Africa:

Passport (duh)
US Dollars!!! (newer than 2006) they took this over Shillings. Also, ATM's are hard to come by - so be sure to bring enough for you to get by on your trip. (safely packed away in different locations of course)
Itinerary / Travel details printed. (you will NOT get cell service anywhere)
Travel insurance details printed
Yellow Fever / vaccinations paperwork - (more details on this later)
Power Converter - We brought our "UK" power converter, which we were able to use everywhere
A "Good" Camera with a legit zoom. I bought a new 300m lens for my Canon, and it was necessary.
iPhone - for close pictures & videos
Smaller Digital Camera - I honestly didn't use this as my iPhone did the trick for the close up shots.
Selfie Stick
Portable Charger - I bought one of these just for this trip and honestly never needed it. All the safari trucks have outlets for you to charge everything.
Waterproof Casing for iphone - The one i have isn't the best as its a pain to use if you're out snorkling. But it keeps my iphone dry!
GoPro - (i wished we packed) we unfortunately don't have a gopro, but if we did - this is the trip to use it on!
Binoculars - highly recommend. we used it every day. Found on Amazon, here.
Headlamps - I bought ours on Amazon, here.
Journal - I recommend trying to write a bit each night to remember all of those amazing details!
A good relaxing book - For those early nights by the campfire with a glass of wine.
Good sized backpack to pack your 'daily needs' while on the safari (camera equipment, scarf if its cold, etc)