Safari Mini Guide – Zimbabwe & Botswana

Here’s a few notes on things I think will be helpful for you to know ahead of time to help planning and packing for safari!

Vaccines

You likely don’t need any vaccines for the trip as none are required for Zimbabwe or Botswana, unless you are arriving from or traveling through a country deemed high risk for yellow fever (then you need a YF vaccine). I recommend bringing malaria pills as a precaution but any other vaccines are up to your discretion! Feel free to talk to your doctor about their recommendations.

The CDC guidelines on vaccines are linked here:

Visas

Your passport needs to be valid for 6 months after arrival for both Zimbabwe & Botswana so PLEASE check that ASAP, and if you need help renewing your passport reach out to me ASAP.

Zimbabwe Requirements:

  • visas are issued on arrival (used to be an eVisa option but now it’s only on arrival)
  • cost is $30-$45 USD (single vs double entry, I believe we will need the double entry since we are going to Botswana for a few days, confirming this with our coordinator and will let you know well in advance)
  • have this fee in CASH – technically they allow card but better to have the cash just in case, sometimes with WiFi is down so card readers don’t work (WORST case, they will let you use the ATM, don’t worry you won’t get stuck!)
  • need 2 blank passport pages
  • proof of exit from Zimbabwe (just your flight info, have a screenshot of your confirmation on your phone, I’d also recommend printing this out just in case)
  • “Proof of adequate funds” – I’ve never been asked to actually prove this, just having a credit card is usually all they ask if anything
    • basically if asked you could prove it by showing a bank statement, but I don’t intend on even having this, they don’t ever ask

Botswana Requirements:

  • no visa required
  • 3 blank passport pages

Long Haul Flight Tips

  • Wear comfy loose fitting clothes
  • Drink lotsss of water, a lot of jet-lag symptoms are actually dehydration and effects from being in pressurized air for extended periods of time
  • Avoid the free alcohol – it’s fine! it can just contribute to dehydration/jet-lag, but you do you!
  • Get up to walk around as often as possible if you aren’t sleeping
  • Chew up a no-jet-lag pill when you board, then another every 2 hours if you aren’t sleeping (it’s okay to skip when sleeping!) (talk to your doc before taking any meds/homeopathic items)
  • I like to board the flight, chew up a no-jet-lag pill, start a movie, eat dinner that’s usually served around 1-1.5 hrs after take off, finish my movie, chew up another no-jet-lag pill and sleep as long as I can
  • PS: if you’re vegetarian or prefer veggie plane meals (I always have even before being veg) make sure to pre-request them 24+ hrs before your flight!
  • Bring an AirFly so you can use your own earbuds with the plane TVs

Safari Drive Info

I’m having a call with our coordinator next week to finalize a few details but here’s some quick notes (I will probably have updates to this next week!).

It’s dry season, aka BEST SAFARI TIME, but it’s also HOT, so keep that in mind when you’re packing & preparing. We will all need to be vigilant about staying hydrated!

  • wear something comfortable, you’ll be sitting in the truck for hours at a time, I personally don’t like to wear shorts (mostly because I don’t like my legs sweating on the seats haha) so I opt for loose pants
  • wear neutral colors – it’s not just for the vibes, bright colors generally aren’t allowed as it can be a beacon/distracting to the animals, the goal is for us to blend into the natural environment!
    • aim for: tan/beige, greens, browns etc
    • avoid: blues, blacks, whites, & bright colors like pinks & reds
  • shoes: I recommend closed toed shoes, either boots or tennis shoes
  • wear sunscreen & a hat
  • drink lots of water
  • bring binos!!! I love mine that have a phone attachment to get up close shots
  • bathrooms: generally there are not bathrooms on the drives, well, technically it’s called a “bush bathroom” – aka wilderness
    • just plan to wear something you can comfortably pull down/take off during drives to “bush pee” – i.e. not jumpsuits, leggings, rompers etc
  • I like to bring some sort of book bag or tote on game drives that has anything I think I may want during the drives (see Safari Day Bag Packing below)
  • pack a few snacks, protein bars or something in case you get hungry between meal times

Packing List

I’d recommend packing in a small rolling suitcase or duffle, and a bookbag. Lugging around a large checked bag will be a HASSLE, trust me. Worst case a little sink laundry never hurt anyone!

This is of course not an exhaustive packing list but just some helpful notes/things that may be less obvious! Here’s the quick version as a single list on Amazon – but I added commentary & links to specific items below as well:

Clothes/Shoes/Accessories

  • Loose fitting clothing – temps with vary between 95-100F during the day, and 60-65F at night
    • think flowy pants, loose cover ups etc.
    • colors: khaki, tan, beige, olive greens, dark greens, etc
    • no camo or animal print (feel free to wear at times were not in the trucks!)
  • Bathing suit
  • Sandals/shoes that can get wet for the falls
  • Boots or good walking shoes – it will be dusty so I prefer to wear ankle high hiking boots on safari drives
  • A light cover/shawl/button-up/etc to hide from the sun
  • Light jacket for the evenings/mornings
  • Hat
  • Water bottle – I like this self cleaning one to refill
  • Sunglasses – I’d recommend polarized glasses, I prefer brown lenses for safari!
  • Cross body bag/purse/fanny pack for walking around (I love TravelOn the most, I’ve used this one for 3 years everyday and love it)
  • Sample clothing packing list:
    • 4-5 shirts
    • 1-2 pair shorts
    • 2-3 pair long pants
    • 1 long sleeved light shirt
    • 1 light jacket/sweatshirt
    • 1 bathing suit
    • pjs & undergarments, socks, etc

Tech

  • Camera (just your phone is fine, but I linked the camera body & lens I use! I may also rent a mega lens haha)
  • Outlet adapter & all your needed chargers
  • External charger – all the videos & photos you’ll take will drain your battery quickly!
  • External hard drive – wifi/service isn’t usually fast enough to backup all my stuff on iCloud at night, so I back it up on a hard drive daily – would hate to lose it all!!
  • Cord Organizer
  • Binoculars – you NEED some good binos it’s worth it! they don’t have to be expensive though – these are mine on Amazon for ~ $60
  • Hand held fan for when were sitting still if it’s hot

Toiletries/Personal Items

Travel Days

  • Color copy printed of passport
  • Printed copy of return flight out of Zimbabwe
  • AirTags for your bags
  • Cards or games that are easy to travel with
  • Books/kindle etc
  • Picture of Passport on your phone (this is just always helpful to have!)
  • Travel neck pillow (my sister loves the Trtl, I like inflatable ones that take less space hah)
  • Travel eye mask (I loveee these ones!)
  • No-jet-lag pills (I take these for every long trip on the flight!)
  • Headphones that plug into plane audio jack OR
  • an AirFly to use bluetooth headphones
  • Noise Canceling Earbuds – these are my go-to earbuds that don’t hurt my ears
  • Bag lock for your bookbag/suitcase
  • Carry On Suitcase – this is my go-to carry on
  • Book bag – this is my go-to book bag
  • Duffle – this is my go-to duffle/personal item
  • Packing Cubes – helps save so much space! these are the ones I use
  • I like to take Aklaseltzer PM on the flights to sleep better

Safari Day Bag Packing

Since we will be in the trucks for hours at a time, I’d recommend having a little day bag packed, here’s some of what I keep/will have in mine (please note, I will have stuff I’m more than happy to share but not enough for the whole group to use daily so try to bring what you need!):

I’ve linked some of my favorite items and they are commissionable links that I receive a small portion (like a few cents haha) at no cost to you anytime you buy through them, but by no means is it required!

Amanda Monique