light blue for safari

Best Colors to Wear on Safari

Did you know that there are best colors to wear on safari? Before we heading off on our safari vacation in South Africa and Uganda I had no idea how or indeed why the color of clothes your wear on a safari is important but it really is. In this guide we will tell you the worst and best colors to wear on safari and why you should stick to a restricted color palette whether you are going on a safari in Tanzania, South africa or indeed anywhere in Africa.

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Table of Contents

Why Does the Color of Safari Clothes Matter?

The truth is that color is a really important factor when putting together your safari capsule wardrobe. But why does the color of safari clothes matter?

Blending in With your surroundings

The point of being on safari is seeing the amazing wildlife. If you are wearing neon clothes you will definitely stand out from your bush surroundings.

If you want to see more animals we recommend wearing colors that will help you blend in to the surroundings.

This is important no matter whether you are doing a safari by car, by boat but especially important if you are doing a walking safari.

Keeping clean

It shouldn’t come as a shock that going on a safari isn’t a sterile experience. Chances are you will get dusty and dirty even doing a safari in a car but certainly if you are doing a walking safari.

So you don’t look filthy in your photographs you want to be wearing colors that will not show the dirt so much.

So now you know why it is important to wear and not to wear certain colors on safari we will look in more detail color by color to help you when packing

Packing a Capsule Wardrobe

Keeping to this limited color palette will also help you create and stick to a safari capsule wardrobe which will help you pack light which is an essential for those who are using light aircraft to get to their safari lodges.

While this safari guide is applicable for anywhere in Africa, if you want a country specific packing list check out our dedicated guides:

What to wear on safari in Botswana
What to wear on safari in Tanzania

In our opinion the best colors to wear on a safari are:

The reason we recommend these colors over all others is that these are the colors that will help you blend in most with the African landscape be that forests, savannahs or plains.

By blending in you will have a much better chance of seeing wildlife and not drawing attention to yourself in a negative way.

Also we found Khaki shirts the best for not showing up dust while tan, beige and brown were the best in our opinion for hiding the mud when doing gorilla trekking and other muddy activities.

What Colors Not to Wear on Safari

We recommend adding the colors below to your what not to wear on safari list. While it is probably more important for those on walking safaris to adhere to this most strictly we recommend following it whether you are in a car, on foot or on a boat. This is especially important when relating to health and safety.

Blue and Black

Blue and Black tend to be go to in my wardrobes, particularly in my outdoors wardrobes however in my opinion these are the colors that you should most avoid on safari.

This isn’t because they will make you stand up or show up dirt but for a very serious health and safety reason.

Africa unfortunately is home to the Tsete Fly. They are particularly abundant in East and Central Africa and we did see them when we were on safari in Uganda. Tsete Flies are known to cause Sleeping Sickness which is a horrible disease and you should try at all costs to prevent getting bitten by a Tsete Fly to avoid this.

Tsete Flies are attracted to two colors above any other. And you guessed it those colors are Blue and Black. although this is especially important when visiting Central and Eastern Africa I would follow this advice wherever you are going on safari just in case.

Can you Wear White on Safari?

We often get asked whether you can wear white on safari. I think most people have a romantic notion of what a safari wardrobe looks like from watching films and movies where women wear pristine white linen tops while out in the bush and savannah.

However this really isn’t a good or practical idea. Out of all the colors you could wear on a safari white is the color that will make you stand out the most. Also white will absolutely show up dust and dirt more than any other color.

If you have to have a white linen shirt in your safari wardrobe I would personally recommend you wearing this just for dinner in your lodge rather than out on safari drives and walks.

Can you wear bright colors on safari?

It is not recommend that you wear bright colors on safari. Neutral colors, such as tans and khakis are a much better choice. Bright colors will make you stand out which could prevent animals coming out or even attract some that you don’t want to be too interested in you especially on the walking safaris.

We therefore leaving bright colors out of your safari capsule wardrobes.

Is grey ok to wear on safari?

Grey is not the worst color to wear on safari however I would definitely prefer to keep khakis and neutral tones in your wardrobe instead.

Can I wear pink on a safari?

Pink is not as bad as white, blue or black on safari and it doesn’t attract anything in particularly depending on the shade but I personally would still not add pink to my safari wardrobe.

Light pink, similar to white will show up all the dirt and dust and won’t look great in pictures and darker or brighter pinks will make you stand out too much.

Can you wear red on a safari?

Red is not known to attract Tsete Flies however red will make you very conspicuous to the animals and therefore isn’t a recommended color to wear on safari.

Can I wear orange on safari?

Orange no matter the shade is considered a bright color and as such is not recommended to wear on safari. Not only because it will make you stand out to animals but also because insects love orange and you really don’t want to attract more insects towards you on a safari.

Can you wear Camo on Safari?

Although Khaki is a great color for safari you should NEVER wear khaki on a safari. This isn’t anything to do with the Animals but in Africa came or camouflage is almost exclusively used by soldiers and the army. And in fact it is in some places illegal to wear camouflage if you aren’t in the army.

Therefore we recommend leaving anything came behind.

Is it OK to wear black on safari?

No black is a color that you shouldn’t wear on safari. As we mentioned above black attracts Tsete Flies and therefore should be avoided at all costs.

Saturday 1st of July 2023

On what to wear, second to last paragraph, you mention camo, but in the paragraph below, you insert "Khaki" and "came". Not sure if "came" is a different invocation of "camo" or just a typo.

"Although Khaki is a great color for safari you should NEVER wear khaki on a safari." ???

Friday 28th of July 2023

Thanks for pointing this out Bob and I will get this edited. Camo i.e. military camouflage isn't great on safaris as depending on the country you are in it is illegal to wear camouflage outside of the military.

I hope you have a great trip

Colors to Wear on Safari in Tanzania (a Local’s Guide)

When going to Tanzania on Safari, the colors of the clothes you wear are an important consideration. I have lived in East Africa all my life and know a thing or two on the topic.

When going on a Tanzanian safari, wear clothes with neutral colors like Brown, Jungle Green and Beige that blend well with the Tanzanian Savannah. Avoid black and dark blue clothing since they easily attract tsetse flies. Also avoid white and bright colors since they get dirty easily.

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Let’s take a deeper dive into the topic and discuss the different colors you should wear in different contexts when visiting Tanzania.

Colours to wear when on a safari drive in Tanzania

Neutral colours : When going to see the animals when you are out on Safaris, you will need to wear neutral that are not conspicuous and easy to spot. This is because you generally want to blend in with the background so that you don’t startle the animals you will be viewing. If you are very conspicuous, you are more likely to scare away the animals as you approach them.
Avoid White : there is a lot of dust both in the game drives and your journeys and this makes white clothes really hard to keep clean
Colours suggestions for your game drives : brown, dark green, beige, grey, and cream
Avoid Camo ( it’s illegal): unless you are military on official business, wearing clothes that resemble military wear is illegal in Tanzania and you might get in trouble with the authorities.
Avoid Black and Blue: These colors attract tsetse flies and wearing them will make you more vulnerable to the pesky flies. Tsetse flies are so attracted to the color blue that they color tsetse fly traps blue in order to draw them in.

Colours to wear on safari evening’s in Tanzania

In the evenings most Tanzanian destinations have a lot of bugs and when you are dining outside, you will want to protect yourself from the bugs by. They usually get attracted to the light and bright colours.

Avoid wearing orange and yellow since these colours will make you more attractive to bugs.

Though this is not colour related, you will also want to cover up your arms and legs If you will be dining outdoors. This will help reduce mosquito bites.

Colours to wear when exploring Tanzanian towns

When our and about in Tanzania, avoid wearing something that will draw attention to you. The reason you don’t want to be conspicuous is that you will make it easy for pickpockets to pick you out from a crowd.

I’m not saying that there are a lot of criminals in Tanzania, however, you need to be vigilant and avoid making it easy for someone with ill intentions to carry out their plans.

In order to blend in, neutral colours are your best bet. Avoid bright orange, red and luminous colours.

On the same note, (This is not related to colour though) leave your flashy jewellery and devices in the hotel room when going to Tanzanian markets and bazaars. Pickpocketing is worst here and the best way of protecting yourself is carrying only what you need.

Colours to wear if you’ll be using public transportation

When using public transport in Tanzania, you need to make sure that you wear clothes that are will not easily be sold. Matatus (Public Service vehicles) in Tanzania are generally not very clean and if you wear white clothes, for instance, you will not be able to clean off the stains you may get very easily.

Photos by Martha de Jong-Lantink >>https://www.flickr.com/photos/marthaenpiet/

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