Sister and I blew our minds, spring 2017, with an overland 2 week tour of Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda. We went with an organized tour group, On The Go, which supplied us with a list of what to bring, and it was a good start. We obviously loved the tour and are planning our second trip, from Windhoek Namibia to Cape Town South Africa and are beyond excited.

Slightly Modified Basics:

• back pack
• small daypack for your day-to-day needs &/ fanny pack
• lightweight sleeping bag & small pillow
• towel, shower flip flops, shower bag/tote, toiletries
• personal first aid kit & other medical stash
• antibacterial wipes & hand sanitizer
• flashlight & headlamp
• hat, sunglasses & sunscreen
• warm clothing set – raincoat, warm hat, warm socks
• light clothing – shorts, light shirts, layering shirts, a hat
• cameras, spare camera batteries/film and dust bag, memory cards
• mosquito deterrent (with active DEET ingredient)

Paperwork

• photocopy of your passport data pages
• print out of covid vaccine information
• yellow fever vaccination proof
• travel insurance policy details
• visas if necessary
• photocopy of drivers licence
• photocopy of credit cards

Prior to departure in 2017, we sent away to apply for an East Africa Visa that covered the three countries we visited and it made entering Kenya and crossing borders much much easier. We chose to send our passports to the Kenyan high commission in Ottawa, a form with our information and reasons for travel, along with a money order and a prepaid return envelope. Not entirely necessary but definitely preferred and made our border crossings (5x) simpler. For Namibia & South Africa we won’t need to pre apply for Visas, and we’ll adjust our packing needs as we see fit.

Backpacks, the bigger they are the more stuff you’ll pack in them, and the heavier they’ll get. Not my favourite method of packing, or traveling… For this trip I’ve got this handy 45L pack, and by the time it’s ready to go, loaded with everything needed, I’ll still be able to comfortably handle it – in theory. I plan on not checking it for our flights, we’ll see how that goes, so I will be packing my liquids accordingly. But if it’s deemed oversized that’s fine too, our flights are relatively simple, no short layovers or anything crazy. I just prefer not waiting to collect bags, and I also don’t trust airlines to not lose things.

Beyond the safari basics, I’ll need some swim attire. I doubt I’ll be going into the ocean in Namibia, as it looks chilly and rough/open, but a few of our accommodations will have pools, a little desert oasis if you will. While in Cape Town we’re staying in Simons Town at Boulders Beach, because – penguins – but again, I don’t plan on actually swimming, maybe some “sun safe sunning” if anything.

Other useful notes; bring tissues, crispy bills for converting currency, mild sleep aids, and of course, snacks!