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.
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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