What to Bring on Safari
CLOTHES
This depends on the season in which you are on safari :
In Spring and Summer (September to April) the temperatures range between 15C(59F) and 35C(95F).
Light clothing is recommended. Take a pullover for early morning drives.
A light raincoat is useful – we do sell inexpensive light plastic ponchos.
All our lodges have swimming pools so take swimming gear.
It is recommended that you take a pair of long pants – these are useful on the Bush Walks and also protect you from insects in the evenings and nights.
For guests doing a Bush Walk please bring CLOSED walking shoes and clothes of neutral colour – bright polka dot shirts are likely to enrage Zulu, our resident Black rhino bull !
In Autumn ( Fall ) and Winter ( May to August ) the temperatures range from 5C(41F) to 25C(77F). You will need a warm jacket or fleece. Generally our guests take 3 or 4 layers of clothes and remove these as the day warms up. Gloves are useful on the early morning drives and the Sundowner and Sunset Drives as well as the late return drive on the open vehicle from Kruger Park. We supply blankets for these occasions.
At Marc’s Treehouse Lodge, Masango Camp and Katekani Luxury Lodge the temperatures are usually 2 or 3 degrees lower than at Tremisana Lodge so, if you suffer from the cold, please ask for a hot water bottle.
SUNLIGHT
The Kruger Park gets over 300 days of sun annually. You will need sunglasses. Take sunscreen as well especially in Summer (November to February).
TORCH AND BINOCULARS
We strongly recommend that you take a torch, especially if you are staying in the Treehouse Lodge.
Often we encounter animals at Marc’s (there are no fences as at Tremisana) and a torch is useful in returning to the tents and treehouses as well as spotting animals at night.
A small pair of binoculars are useful in seeing animals that are far away.
ELECTRICITY
Our supply is 220 Volts. There are adaptors for sale at the reception at Tremisana Lodge.
Please bring a spare battery for photographic equipment, should this be necessary.
CASH
You will need money for lunches on transfer days as well as days in Kruger Park, drinks, personals and gratuities. Our shop at Tremisana sells basics including small curios. On the return overland trip, we stop at the Three Rondawels of the Blyde Canyon where there are more curios on sale.
As far as gratuities go, it is suggested that deserving staff are tipped individually apart from the kitchen and garden staff for whom a tip box is provided. It is important to know that you will possibly have up to 4 different transfer drivers, up to 6 different wildlife guides (depending on the duration of your safari) as well as different hosts/hostesses and managers at the different lodges. On our Welcome Letter that you receive on boarding our vehicle, it is recommended that a gratuity of 100 Rands ( equivalent to roughly 6 US Dollars ) be considered for each activity.
FOOD
Please advise us timeously of any special food requirements. We have suppliers of Halaal and Kosher food and cater for vegetarian and vegan diets. Please advise us of any food allergies.
The South African diet is quite heavily biased towards meat dishes, so please let us know well in advance if you require alternative dishes.
TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN
If you are travelling with children please take special notice of the documentation required by the South African Home Affairs Department. If you are not able to present the required documents to Immigration or Customs at the airport you will be denied entry into South Africa
YELLOW FEVER VACCINATION
Please take note that the South African authorities at airports, or other points of entry, require overseas visitors coming from countries infected with Yellow Fever (including South America & Africa) to have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. This also applies to travellers who have been to these countries in transit – for example if you fly from USA via South America and on to South Africa. It is not possible to obtain a yellow fever vaccination on arrival in South Africa. The certificate should be dated at least 10 days prior to arrival here & is valid for 10 years. This is a serious warning and travellers will be refused entry to South Africa if they do not comply from 01 Oct 2011.
