Travel tips for east frica,Why Your Safari Clothing Matters: How to Avoid Tsetse Flies

I realized that there is another side of safari that does not get nearly as much attention.

The insects.

It sounds like a small thing, but when you are actually spending time outdoors in the bush, insects are part of your surroundings whether you pay attention to them or not. They are in the grass, around the trees, near water and around camps. Some you will never notice. Others will make sure you notice them.

And honestly, I found that part of safari quite interesting.

When people talk about going on safari, the conversation usually revolves around lions, elephants, giraffes, the Big Five, beautiful landscapes and maybe what to pack. Nobody really wants to make insects the highlight of the trip.

But they are there.

And if you are going to spend time walking through grass, sitting outside your tent, travelling through wildlife areas or getting out of a safari vehicle, it makes sense to know what you might actually encounter.

Tsetse flies caught my attention

Tsetse flies were probably one of the things that caught my attention most while researching safari travel.

Before looking into safari travel, I knew about mosquitoes and the usual advice about protecting yourself from insect bites. Tsetse flies were different.

For one thing, their bites can actually hurt.

A mosquito can bite you and you may not even realise it happened until you start itching later. A tsetse fly bite can be much more noticeable. It can cause pain, irritation and swelling around the area.

And then there is the reason tsetse flies are taken seriously in some parts of Africa.

Certain tsetse flies can transmit the parasites that cause African trypanosomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness.

That sounds alarming when you first read it, but this is where I think travel information needs some context.

Not every tsetse fly carries the disease. The risk is also not the same everywhere. It depends on the particular area and whether transmission occurs there.

That is something I think is important when researching travel in Africa generally.

You cannot just say, “Africa has this risk,” and leave it there.

Africa is huge.

Different countries have different environments, climates, wildlife and health risks. Even within the same country, conditions can vary from one region to another.

So if you are planning a safari, the useful question is not, “Are there insects in Africa?”

Of course there are.

The useful question is, “What am I likely to encounter where I am actually going?”

That small change in how you think about the problem makes travel preparation much more useful.

What you wear can matter

One of the things I found interesting while researching tsetse flies was the relationship between these insects and colour.

Tsetse flies are known to respond strongly to certain visual cues, including darker colours such as blue and black. Blue and black materials have even been used in tsetse-fly traps and targets because of the insects' attraction to them.

That does not mean you put on a black shirt and suddenly every tsetse fly in the reserve is coming after you.

It also does not mean that wearing khaki guarantees that you will not be bitten.

There are other things involved, including movement and the presence of a person or animal.

But it does give you another reason to think about what you wear.

If I were preparing for a safari in an area where tsetse flies are known to occur, I would lean towards practical, neutral colours such as khaki, beige, olive green or brown rather than making dark colours my first choice.

There is another reason I like this approach.

Long trousers and a lightweight long-sleeved shirt are useful beyond insects. They give your skin some protection from the sun, grass and vegetation as well.

So you are not dressing differently just because you are worried about a fly.

You are dressing for the environment.

And that is probably the better way to think about safari clothing in general.

A game drive is different from walking through the bush

This is something I think is easy to forget when imagining a safari.

A game drive is one thing.

Getting out and walking through the bush with a guide is another.

When you are sitting inside a vehicle, you have considerably less direct contact with grass, bushes and other vegetation. Once you start walking, that changes.

You are moving through the environment instead of simply looking at it.

That is when things like long trousers, closed shoes and insect repellent become much more useful.

If your safari involves walking, hiking or spending extended periods around vegetation, I would rather be slightly overdressed than discover halfway through the walk that sandals and shorts were a terrible idea.

Not because something dangerous is guaranteed to happen.

Simply because the bush is the bush.

What happens if you get bitten?

This is probably one of the more useful things to know before travelling.

Most insect bites are going to be an irritation rather than a major event.

You might get a small red area. It might itch. It might swell a little. Sometimes it can be sore.

And then comes the temptation to scratch it.

And scratch it.

And then scratch it again because scratching it feels good.

That is usually not the best idea.

For a mild bite, keeping the area clean and using a cool compress can help with swelling and discomfort. If you normally use an appropriate antihistamine or anti-itch treatment, that may also help with a mild reaction.

The important thing is to pay attention to what happens afterwards.

If the area keeps getting worse instead of settling down, becomes increasingly painful or swollen, becomes hot, starts producing pus, or you develop a fever, it is worth getting medical advice.

And if you have been travelling in an area where a particular insect-borne disease occurs, tell the healthcare professional where you have been.

Your travel history can be important.

Then there are mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are probably the least surprising part of this whole conversation, especially when talking about travel in Africa.

Most people already know that mosquitoes can be more than just annoying. Certain mosquitoes can transmit diseases, and the risks depend heavily on where you are travelling.

What I found interesting is how much of the basic protection comes down to simple habits.

You do not have to spend your entire safari constantly thinking about mosquitoes.

Use insect repellent.

Cover more of your skin when appropriate.

Use a mosquito net at night if your accommodation provides one.

Follow the health advice relevant to the particular destination you are visiting.

It is not particularly exciting advice.

But it is practical.

And sometimes practical is exactly what you need when travelling.

Ticks are easy to forget

Tsetse flies and mosquitoes get most of the attention, but ticks are another reason to be sensible if you are going into grass or thick vegetation.

They are easy to overlook because they are not flying around your head.

If you have been walking through tall grass or bush, checking your clothes and exposed skin afterwards is a simple habit worth having.

This is particularly relevant if your safari involves more than sitting in a vehicle.

Again, it comes back to understanding what kind of safari you are actually doing.

A person spending most of their time on game drives has a different level of exposure from someone who is hiking, camping, walking between locations or spending long periods in vegetation.

What I would actually carry

This is probably the simplest part.

If I were putting together a small day bag for a safari, insect repellent would be one of the things I would make sure was easy to reach.

Not buried underneath everything else in my main luggage.

A repellent containing a recognised active ingredient such as DEET or picaridin can be useful when used according to its label directions. If you are also applying sunscreen, sunscreen generally goes on first and insect repellent afterwards.

I would also want:

Lightweight long trousers

A long-sleeved shirt

Closed shoes, particularly for walking

A hat

Sunscreen

Insect repellent

A small first-aid kit

Any personal medication I normally need

If ticks are a concern in the area, light-coloured clothing has another practical advantage: it can make it easier to notice small insects on your clothes.

None of these things guarantee that you will not get bitten.

They simply reduce some of the unnecessary exposure.

The thing I would actually remember

The more I researched this, the more I realised that the biggest mistake would be to think of Africa as one giant place with one set of rules.

It isn't.

An area in Kenya is not automatically the same as an area in Tanzania. A wildlife reserve is not the same as a coastal environment. A game drive is not the same as a walking safari.

Even the same country can have completely different conditions depending on where you are going and what time of year you visit.

So rather than worrying about every possible insect before a safari, I think the better approach is to find out what is actually relevant to the place you are visiting.

Ask about the area.

Check the current travel-health advice.

Find out whether mosquitoes, ticks or tsetse flies are a particular concern there.

Pack accordingly.

And then go enjoy the safari.

Because yes, the insects are part of it.

But they do not have to become the whole story.

The animals are still there. The landscape is still there. The experience is still there.

You just might come home with a few bites to add to the memories.

While researching this article, I looked at guidance and research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on tsetse flies and African trypanosomiasis. 

WHO notes that tsetse flies are the vectors responsible for transmitting sleeping sickness, while CDC travel guidance recommends practical measures such as wearing neutral-coloured clothing and covering exposed skin in areas where tsetse flies occur. 

Research and WHO materials also document the use of blue and black traps and targets because of the flies' strong visual attraction to these colours.

Sources: World Health Organization (WHO) • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)