Most safari packing lists are written from somewhere far away. This one is written in Nairobi, by people who pack for the Mara regularly and have got it wrong enough times to know. It assumes a family trip of three to seven days with at least one long drive.
The short answer: pack neutral-coloured layers for cold dawns and hot middays, closed shoes, a hat that ties on, binoculars, sunscreen, a refillable water bottle, a power bank, a small pharmacy, your eTA and insurance details saved offline, and everything in a soft bag of about 15 kg per person if any leg is by light aircraft.
1. Clothes: less than you think, in the right colours
- Neutral colours — khaki, olive, brown, grey. Not because the animals care much, but because dust shows on everything else, and dark blue and black attract tsetse flies in some parks.
- Layers. A 6 a.m. game drive in the Mara in July is cold enough for a fleece and a beanie; by 11 a.m. it's T-shirt weather. Every day.
- One warm layer per person that you'd be happy to wear three days running. Lodge laundry is usually fast and cheap; pack for three days, not seven.
- Closed shoes for walks and the vehicle, sandals for camp.
- A wide-brim hat that ties on. Open vehicles plus Kenyan wind equals one hat somewhere in the Mara.
- Swimwear — most lodges have a pool, and it's the middle-of-the-day plan.
2. The game-drive bag
One small bag that goes in the vehicle every time, so nothing is left in the tent:
- Binoculars — one pair per two people minimum. 8×42 is the sweet spot. This is the single item that most changes the trip.
- Sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses, a small insect repellent.
- A refillable water bottle each (lodges refill; single-use plastic bottles are banned in Kenya's protected areas).
- A buff or scarf for dust on open roads.
- Camera plus a spare battery — cold mornings drain them — and a lens cloth for the dust.
- A power bank. Some camps only run generators at set hours.
- Something to do in the quiet hour. Game drives have long stretches of nothing. A tick list works better than a screen because it keeps eyes outside the vehicle — which is the point. We're biased, but the bird and "Fives" pages in the Mambo Safari Adventure Book were written for exactly this.
3. Health and the small pharmacy
- Antimalarials if your doctor advises them for the areas you're visiting — ask well before the trip.
- Motion-sickness tablets for the road to Narok and beyond.
- Rehydration sachets, plasters, antiseptic wipes, antihistamine, paracetamol.
- Any regular medication in hand luggage, in original packaging.
- Hand sanitiser. Wet wipes are useful, but bag them — they don't belong in the bush.
4. Money and paperwork
- Kenya is largely cashless in towns — M-Pesa works almost everywhere — but carry some Kenyan shillings for tips and roadside stops. Small notes.
- Park fees are usually paid in advance by your operator; check.
- Passport, eTA (Kenya's electronic travel authorisation for most visitors), yellow-fever certificate if required for your route, travel insurance details — photographed and saved offline.
- Data: the easy route is a travel eSIM set up before you fly. TravelNet's Kenya eSIM arrives by email as a QR code, installs at home over Wi-Fi and switches on when you land — no airport SIM queue with tired travellers in tow (how it works). Coverage in the Mara is patchy but real.
5. The drive
Nairobi to the Maasai Mara is five to six hours by road; Amboseli about four; Tsavo about six; Samburu about six. Plan for it rather than enduring it:
- Snacks that survive heat. Nuts, crackers, dried fruit. Chocolate does not.
- A pillow or rolled fleece per person.
- Downloaded playlists and podcasts — coverage drops after the last town.
- One non-screen activity per person. Puzzle books, cards, a notebook. The square format of our books was chosen so they sit on a lap in a moving vehicle.
- Leave Nairobi early. The road is better before the trucks are on it, and you'll arrive for an afternoon drive.
6. Things nobody tells you
- Soft bags, not hard suitcases — essential if any leg is on a small plane (weight limits are usually 15 kg per person in soft luggage).
- A head torch each. Camps are dark at night and you'll be walked to your tent. Hands-free matters.
- Ziplock bags. Dust gets into everything electronic.
- A universal adaptor — Kenya uses the UK-style three-pin plug.
- Lower expectations about Wi-Fi, and higher ones about the sky at night.
- Learn ten Swahili words before you go. Jambo, asante, karibu, twiga, simba, tembo, chui, kiboko, nyati, pole pole. It changes how people talk to you. (The animal names, explained.)
- Bring something to leave. Guides and camp staff are the trip. A tip envelope per lodge, decided before you arrive, avoids the last-morning scramble.
7. The souvenir question
Buy light, buy local, buy once. The airport sells the same things at three times the price. If you want a small, flat, genuinely made-in-Kenya keepsake that survives a suitcase, a Big 5 magnet set or a Kenya fridge magnet does the job, and a completed safari book with your own sightings ticked off is the one you'll actually keep.
The one-page checklist
Wear: neutrals, layers, hat, closed shoes. Drive bag: binoculars, sunscreen, water bottle, buff, camera + spare battery, power bank, book. Pharmacy: antimalarials (if advised), motion-sickness, rehydration, plasters, antihistamine. Papers: passport, eTA, insurance, vaccination card, cash + M-Pesa, eSIM installed. Extras: head torch, ziplocks, adaptor, soft bag, tip envelopes.
Questions people ask
What should you not wear on safari in Kenya?
Skip bright white (dust), dark blue and black (they attract tsetse flies in some parks) and camouflage prints. Neutral khaki, olive, brown and grey work everywhere.
How much luggage can I take on a safari flight in Kenya?
Light-aircraft flights to the parks usually allow about 15 kg per person, in soft bags rather than hard suitcases. Check with your operator before you pack.
Do I need a visa for Kenya?
Most visitors need an eTA — Kenya's electronic travel authorisation — applied for online before travel. Check the requirement for your passport well ahead of the trip.
Do I need malaria tablets for a Kenya safari?
It depends on the areas you're visiting and on you. Ask your doctor or a travel clinic several weeks before you fly.
Can I bring plastic bags into Kenya?
No. Kenya banned single-use plastic carrier bags in 2017, and single-use plastic bottles are not allowed in national parks and other protected areas. Pack reusable bags and a refillable bottle.
How long is the drive from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara?
Five to six hours by road. Flying takes under an hour.
Booking the trip
If you haven't booked yet: Holiday Bazaar in Nairobi has been putting together Kenya safaris for families for decades. Their Fly Me Around Kenya itinerary replaces the long drives with light aircraft, and Bush & Beach adds the coast — in which case you'll want the coastal book for the second half.
Read next
Written by Ruhan Shah, a director at Holiday Bazaar, Nairobi, and co-author of the Mambo Safari Adventure Book and Bahari Safari: Coastal Quest. Updated 20SEP2026.