This Holiday Season was a stressful one compare to past holidays.
Instead of spending the holiday’s in Canada, we decided to take a family trip to South Africa during the holiday season & we left on no other but December 23rd ..
It has always been a dream of mine to go on an African Safari. We spent 16 days traveling South Africa, visiting natural wonders of the world, game driving in animals natural habitats, and enjoying each others company while disconnecting ourselves.

We traveled to South Africa in the summer season, 40 degree days & cool nights, the occasional rain in December. It was by far the toughest trip I have ever had to pack for! We had serious weight restrictions due to all the traveling throughout the trip, & used ‘soft’ suitcases’ which apparently are lighter! I had made sure that each item I packed  with everything, it made packing so much easier & I ended up packing very efficiently, in the end I found I was able to re-wear many items.

Here is my quick list of a few things I had packed & would suggest for a Safari trip to South Africa:

• Cozy sweater: Ideal for travel days & early morning/evening game drives.
• Leggings: these were ideal for travel days, nothing is worse then sitting on planes for two days & freezing, they also came in handy for some early morning game drives.
• Athletic shorts: I lived in my Lululemon shorts on this trip, there was no need for fancy clothing, they are easy to pack & comfortable for when you are seated all day in moving vehicles or adventuring.
• Button-up long sleeves: I packed a Columbia long-sleeve safari shirt, it had SPF 30 in it, along with a button up from Eddie Bauer & both were absolutely amazing for wearing over top of tank tops in the early mornings.
• T-shirts: I definitely did not pack many t-shirts, this would have been a good idea especially to keep the hot Africa sun off your shoulders.
• Athletic tank tops: you are constantly in the heat, & moving around, not only do these absorb sweat but also keep you a little cooler.
• Simple lightweight dress: I packed only one very simple, black lightweight dress that I got on sale from Tommy Bahama. It was great for the occasional dinner & also New Years, it was also very easy to pack & did not wrinkle in my suitcase.
• Socks & underwear: just pack double what you normally would!
• Bathing suit: we didn’t have a lot of downtime but having a bathing suit came in handy for outdoor showers as well.
• Headband/hat: this is by-far the most clutch item on my list. I have long hair & love wearing it in a bun. Being in a moving vehicle all day, I found my hair was a mess & all in my face (even while up), I made sure to wear a headband to keep my hair out of my face or wear a hat to keep the hot sun away.
• Running shoes: make sure you have a comfy pair of running shoes you can wear all day.
• Backpack: I am not a backpack kind of gal, but having a backpack made it easier to carry everything needed on travel days.
• Travel yoga mat: I loved my Manduka Eko Superlite Travel Mat. It was not only super light but also fit extremely well in my backpack or suitcase, & was amazing for keeping active while on vacation.
• GoPro: definitely not the most ideal camera since there is no zoom option, but it was great for capturing up-close videos of the animals & was fun to play around with!
• Chia seeds: I brought a pack of chia seeds with me to put in my water, I would put some into a water bottle and would drink it the next day or that evening. They are great for your digestive system & detoxing while you are away! Click HERE to read the benefits of chia seeds.

More coming soon on my trip to South Africa!

Here’s to packing efficiently!
xo cd