I wanted to put together a list of items that we took with us for the South Africa trip. And while most may be intuitive, some were items I had not thought of before the safari. Hence, this list.
- Birth certificate for Sonny JJ: South Africa has very specific rules whereby parents must produce the unabridged birth certificate of a minor (under 18 years of age) that gives details of the parents of the minor. Although we were not asked to produce this, we did carry it for both children. Additionally, if a child is traveling with one parent only, the other has to provide consent in the form of an affidavit.
- Eddie Bauer Expedition rolling duffel bag. Our flights from the US allowed up to 23 kilos per suitcase but we realized quickly that the smaller planes within South Africa would not have a similar baggage allowance. in fact, all the local flights we took allowed baggage of 20 kilos for check-in. Mr. JJ found these rolling duffel bags during the Thanksgiving sale and we were able to buy two for the price of one. They were truly lightweight, easy to pack and roll, have tons of storage space, look very stylish, and are hard to miss in a crowd of suitcases. I loved these duffels so much that I think they will form an essential part of all our future travel
- 4Monster hiking daypack: Easy to carry items for a day hike and just as easy to fold away and stow, doesn’t take up much space
- GRAYL Ultralight water purifier and bottle: while most water in South Africa was potable, taking this along ensured we had another layer of purification, no matter where we were. It’s easy to use and the water is purified and ready to drink in just 15 sec
- Reusable water bottles, one for each of us
- Type M adapter: While we have a larger adapter that works for a variety of continents, South Africa requires this specific one called the Type M adapter
- Packtowl Luxe Microfiber Quickdry towel: This was put to good use on the beach, easy to use and dry, colorful, doesn’t take up much space
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant (although we mostly used the one the game reserve supplied)
- Hats
- Sunglasses
- Lip balm and hand lotion
- Safari appropriate clothing: We bought moisture-wicking, easy dry, convertible pants and long-sleeved shirts from REI. We chose colors like beige, khaki and olive green since that’s what most of the research suggested. We avoided bright-colored clothing including white, blue and black.
- Beachwear
- A pair of sturdy hiking shoes
- A pair of easy, walking sandals
- Binoculars: These came in very handy on the game drive, making it easy to spot wildlife and gain a closer view
- The usual suspects: Canon camera, GoPro camera, Selfie sticks
- Portable chargers
- Money belt with RFID block: I found this very useful, easy and safe to carry money in, no matter where we went in Cairo or South Africa.
- Small change Rand for tipping
- Antibiotics, malaria prophylaxis medications, and Travelan supplements
- Other usual medications: Tylenol, antihistamines, and Dramamine for motion sickness
- Small first aid kit
- Snacks
I think that about sums up all things, big and small that we took.
