What to actually pack for a Tanzanian safari.

Neutral colours — khaki, olive, grey, sand. Dark blue and black are worth avoiding because they are known to attract tsetse fly, which bites hard and is present in parts of the northern circuit.

Do not bring camouflage clothing. Camouflage is restricted to military use in Tanzania and civilians, including visitors, can have it confiscated. This catches people out every year.

Layers matter more than any single garment: a fleece or light down layer for the first hour of a morning drive, long sleeves and long trousers for sun and insects during the day, and something warm again in the evening — especially on the Ngorongoro rim, which is high and cold at any time of year.

Trainers or light walking shoes are enough for almost any safari. Most of the day is spent seated in a vehicle, and heavy hiking boots are usually dead weight unless the trip includes serious walking.

Sandals for camp in the evening are worth the space.

Binoculars change a safari more than a longer camera lens does, and sharing one pair between two people does not work.

8x42 is the usual recommendation: eight times magnification is steady enough to hold by hand in a vehicle, and 42mm objective lenses gather enough light for dawn and dusk, which is when most of the interesting behaviour happens. 10x is more magnification but harder to hold still, and compact models with small objective lenses struggle in low light.

Bring more storage than you think you need, and more battery capacity than you think you need. Most vehicles and camps have charging, but it is often 12V in the vehicle and limited hours in camp, so a power bank removes the problem.

Dust is the real hazard, not rain. A dry bag or even a large zip bag for a camera body is cheap insurance on a dry-season road.

Pack into a soft duffel rather than a hard shell case. Vehicle luggage space is a shaped gap, not a boot, and a rigid case is awkward in it.

If any leg of your trip is on a light aircraft to a bush airstrip, there is a strict luggage allowance, typically around 15 kg per person including hand luggage, and soft bags are usually a requirement rather than a suggestion. Confirm the exact figure for your flight — it varies by operator and aircraft.

High-factor sun cream, lip balm and a wide-brimmed hat: the equatorial sun at altitude is stronger than it feels in a moving vehicle.

Insect repellent, and a plan for malaria prophylaxis agreed with a travel clinic before you leave.

A small personal first-aid kit, any prescription medication in its original packaging with enough for the whole trip, and a spare pair of glasses or contact lenses.

Rehydration salts and basic stomach remedies take up almost no space and are annoying to source mid-trip.

A passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry, with blank pages, plus your visa or the confirmation of an online application, and proof of travel insurance including any medical evacuation cover.

Yellow fever certification is required if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a country where yellow fever is a risk — check the current rule against your own routing before you travel.

US dollar notes are widely used for tips and incidentals. Notes printed before 2009 are often refused, so ask for newer ones.