I pack suitcases every week for trips to Tanzania. Sometimes they are my own bags, sometimes I help guests just before departure. And every time I see the same mistakes: too much, too heavy, wrong colour.
Here is what you really need.
Clothing: earth tones, no white
Khaki, green, brown, beige. Those are your colours. Not white (dust), not black (heat) and absolutely no bright blue or orange — that scares animals away. You don't need to buy special safari clothing. An ordinary khaki trouser and beige shirt works fine.
What you definitely need: long trousers and long sleeves for evenings (mosquitoes), a fleece or light jacket for mornings (it can be 10°C in the crater), walking shoes or light boots, flip flops for the lodge.
Luggage: soft and not too large
Small aircraft for internal flights have a baggage limit of 15 kg and no space for hard suitcases. Take a soft duffel bag or flexible travel bag. One bag for the safari, one smaller bag for Zanzibar if you're combining that.
Pro tip: vacuum bags for clothing. You pack twice as much in your bag and the clothes stay clean.
Binoculars: not optional
I cannot emphasise this enough. Binoculars on safari are not a luxury but a necessity. You're looking at something a hundred metres away. Your guide points. You see nothing. With binoculars you see the eyelashes of the lion.
Minimum: 8x42. Better: 10x42. Brands that perform well in this price range: Nikon Prostaff, Vortex Diamondback. Budget: €80–€200. Invest in them — you use them every day.
Health & medication
Malaria prophylaxis (consult your GP), travel insurance with medical evacuation, sunscreen (minimum factor 30), insect spray with DEET, hand gel, stomach medication (Imodium), plasters and wound spray.
A small first aid kit weighs nothing and can save your life in a remote area.
What you can leave at home
High heels. A formal evening dress. Thick novels (unless you read — e-reader is better). Expensive jewellery. A rain jacket (in the dry season it's useless).
And: your worries. Tanzania is safe, the guides know what they're doing, and the only planning you still need to do is enjoy yourself.
The quick checklist
Khaki/beige trousers (2–3), T-shirts in earth tones (4–5), long sleeve shirt (2), fleece or gilet, rain poncho (compact), walking shoes, flip flops, binoculars, sunglasses, head covering, malaria pills, mosquito spray, sunscreen, passport, visa, camera + extra batteries, powerbank.
Everything fits in one 50-litre duffel bag. That is the plan.