It was finally honeymoon time and we couldn’t wait to go on our South African Safari and Seychelles adventure. Coming from Miami, the packing for the Seychelles was a no-brainer. Packing for South Africa took a little more investigating. After asking one of my friends that took a similar trip and researching various travel blogs (i.e. Sher She Goes), I came up with my own list of pairing clothing items I owned with some sporty editions from Georgetown’s North Face store.
Day 1: Traveling to South Africa
We were lucky to snag a direct flight from Dulles to Johannesburg on South African Airways and even luckier to upgrade to business class with brand new seating (only a few SAA flights have them). To get myself in the African Safari state of mind, I opted to dress for the part on the flight out. I chose a tan, wool Michael Kors cowl sweater with a vintage Armani beige leather vest. I also paired tan J Brand jeans with a tan Prada belt and topped the whole look off with the North Face Shelbe Raschel Hoodie in New Taupe (essentially olive). Lined in micro-fleece, the Shelbe jacket was perfect for the 16 hour flight.
Day 2: Road Transfer to Madikwe Reserve and Settling in at Sanctuary Makanyane Lodge
After a wonderful breakfast at African Rock hotel outside Johannesburg, we were off to the Madikwe Game Reserve. Taking 4 hours to get there by private car, I wanted to wear something comfortable but presentable when I arrived at our lodge. I opted for an ivory Brunello Cucinelli cotton t-shirt (with draping around the collar) and olive Etro stretchy, draped, cotton skirt. I also wore a Loro Piana ivory knit cardigan and tan Pedro Garcia suede sandals. Pedro Garcia makes some of the most comfortable sandals, using natural materials like cork, rubber, and suede to emulate a classic style with a rugged twist. My handbag choice for this trip (as is for most international trips) was the Fendi Chameleon Satchel in shades from tan to dark brown. The chameleon bag is a great handbag, especially for traveling, because it can be worn as a cross-body, it’s light, and zips all along the top.
As soon as I arrived at the Sanctuary Makanyane Lodge, I realized it was best to ditch the heels due to uneven paths throughout the grounds. I then switched to some dark tan perforated leather smoking slippers. I soon learned that since we barely got out of the Jeep on our game drives, footwear wasn’t a huge concern, so I switched back and forth between my smoking slippers and Pumasin the subsequent days.
Day 3: Safari Time
The mornings are very chilly in the South African summer, especially in a moving, open vehicle so I stuck with my wind resistant Shelbe jacket and I was kept warm and cozy. Our game drives were about 3.5 hours in the mornings and evenings so wearing comfortable pants were key. I opted for the North Face Aphrodite pants and switched off between olive and kaki. They are light-weight, stretchy and come with an elastic waistband in colors perfectly suited for safari. Although in the Madikwe Game Reserve we saw tourists wearing all sorts of colors on safari, you definitely want to stick to earth tones. The animals see color in grays, however, you will be a target for insects if you wear bright colors. In other reserves, they recommend that guests do not wear black due to a vicious fly that is attracted dark colors.
My North Face Horizon Breeze Brimmer Hat was particularly great at keeping the sun, and bugs off your face. When buying a brimmed hat, make sure it has an adjustable drawcord or else you may lose it.
Day 4: More Safari and our Final Evening
As with all things, the more game drives, you go on, the more comfortable you feel in selecting morning and evening drive outfits. By day 4, I felt like a pro as I settled into our final day’s routine.
Evenings at Makanyane were casual. However, for our final evening, I opted to dress up a little bit. I wore my cream sheath Michael Kors dress in a cotton guipure lace. In reality, any simple dress in neutral colors will keep you looking chic against the wild backdrop.
In summary, you can’t go wrong with neutrals and earth tones and you don’t have to buy an entire wardrobe to comfortably enjoy your safari experience. Most importantly, you want to glam down and go effortlessly chic.
You must be logged in to post a comment.