Due to their nature, it is not always easy for women to leave their comfort zones and embark on adventure travels. And this fact is reflected in the size of a woman’s traveling luggage. More often than not, their gears, items, and other baggage are always thrice, or at the very least, twice the size of a man’s luggage. Women love their comfort so much, and as such, they try to carry with them as many items as possible to enjoy their stay while they are away. But luggage is not the only thing you have to be wearing as a woman heading on a safari, as there are other essential things to consider, including your comfortability, availability of restrooms, privacy, and lots more. In this light, here are some of the ways you can enjoy a slick, comfortable, and stress-free trip to Africa for your safari as a woman.
Contents
What to pack and What to let stay at home
Source: masaimara
From my personal experience, I believe you don’t need to pack too much clothing materials with you. Technically speaking, you only need to pack clothes like shorts, trousers, and T-shirts in the following colors: grey, green and brown. That is because you want to blend in so that the animals do not see you and run away. The more you look like nature, the more you mix with the environment. By ‘technical,’ I mean cool or warm enough as Africa can get cold too sometimes. In many African cultures, the hips and thighs are considered to be extremely private, so think twice about mini-skirts or anything that exposes your midriff. It would help if you also packed trousers, closed shoes, socks, and a warm jacket. If you are the type to get a cold from exposure, add a hat and a scarf. You should add essential toiletries only: Toothpaste and toothbrush, unscented deodorant, moisturizer, and prescribed medicines. Bring your Earplugs as the bush can get very noisy at night. You may choose not to pack your towels and pillows, though. Do not pack clothes that have animal prints too. Jumpsuits, onesies, and other one-piece items of clothing are very impractical for bush breaks to use the loo.
How to deal with ‘Your Period’ in the Bush
Source: krugernationalpark
I suggest the following:
Make sure you bring sufficient supplies with you. If you suspect you’ll have your period on the safari, don’t assume that you will be able to purchase pads easily. You may be miles away from the nearest shop, and there is no guarantee they will have what you need. Most camps have only male staff, so do not rely on being able to borrow items from female staff. Bring brown paper bags to put stained items in for disposal. Try not to flush them even if your camp has a temporary flush loo as the system won’t be able to cope, and you may block it. You should not leave used items behind if you have to go to the toilet on a game drive because Animals have a powerful sense of smell and will come to ‘investigate’ once you’ve moved on. You surely don’t want a lion eating what you’ve left behind. Instead, bag it all up, put it in a Ziploc bag and discard of it discreetly when you get back to camp. It is improper to put soiled underwear in the laundry basket for the staff to wash, so wash it yourself. There is always a small pot of washing powder next to the bathroom basin, and some camps even have wash lines for you to hang your undergarments on.
If you need to use the toilet on a game drive, I’ll suggest that
Source: tailormadeafrica
Everyone has to use the bathroom at some point, and guides will often explain upfront what you need to do. Some even provide waterless hand sanitizer on the vehicle. You should tell your guide that you need to ‘find a bush’ or ask them if it is okay to use a particular bush.’ They will know what you want to do. In East Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, many guides use the euphemism ‘picking flowers’ – ‘Do you need to pick flowers?’. They do not mean picking flowers, but they say a toilet break! Do not just enter the bush without caution. You should check the ground around the bush for snakes, lizards, frogs, and bugs. Most of these animals will move on when they feel the vibration of your walking on the ground. I suggest that you should make a small ‘loo bag’ for yourself with a small bottle of hand sanitizer, biodegradable toilet paper or wipes, and brown paper bags.
Make sure you always go to the toilet at the lodge just before you leave for your game drive as it is the last plumbed loo you will see for at least the next three hours! Do not be untidy! Wash your hands thoroughly. That is why you should have a waterless hand sanitizer as it is the easiest way of doing this. As earlier said, do not wear a jumpsuit or romper. That is because you have to take off the whole thing to use the loo, which is very impractical, annoying, and wastes a lot of time. Bear in mind that no bush is ever completely secure and private and that you will be on the game drive vehicle with strangers, men included.
Footwear
Source: tourradar
So here we are, on the subject of footwear.
The very best, most practical things to wear on your feet while you’re in the bush are walking boots that you’ve worn in beforehand. Sturdy, comfortable, and supportive, they’re just the ticket. Closed shoes are better because open shoes will give you such dirty feet in all that sand.
Furthermore, you also want to add a pair of lightweight flip flops too, as they’re high in your room and around camp when you need a break from the boots and also great for mokoro trips or anytime you want to whip off your shoes and dangle feet in cold water as long as there are no crocodiles around.
Now that I’ve pointed your attention to an African safari be sure to stick with all the Dos and Don’ts you’ve found in this guide. But if you feel as though you still need more additional info and help, you can follow this site for more assistance, guide, and tips.
