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Is it okay to wear red on a safari?

Wearing white increases your visibility to wildlife, while bright colours, particularly red, can frighten animals.



It is generally not recommended to wear red on a safari, though the reason is more about "visibility" and "insects" than inciting animal rage. Most large cats, like lions, are dichromats and cannot distinguish red from green; to them, a red shirt looks like a dark, high-contrast blob against the bush. However, red is a "conspicuous" color that stands out to other wildlife and can make you a target for biting insects like tsetse flies, which are attracted to dark or vibrant colors. Furthermore, red is the traditional color of the Maasai "Shuka" in East Africa; wearing it as a tourist can sometimes be seen as culturally insensitive or confusing to the animals who associate that color with a specific human group. To blend in and stay cool, you should stick to the "Big Four" safari colors: khaki, olive, tan, and muted brown. These colors help you "disappear" into the landscape, ensuring the animals stay relaxed and you get a better, more natural viewing experience without attracting unwanted attention.

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We've put together a short guideline on dressing for the best safari experience. This is pretty straight forward. Khaki, olive, tan, brown and earthy greens tend to be your best bets. The idea is to blend into the bush so that wildlife is undisturbed, and you can view them in their natural habitat.

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Black clothes attract mosquitos and other insects. Additionally, trekking around the jungle under the Amazonian sun, wearing black clothes, will leave you tired and exhausted.

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We recommend neutral safari clothing for your African travels. This includes shades of khaki, brown, beige/tan, and green. These colours blend in well with the bush and are best-suited to safari travel for a few important reasons.

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Some subjects reported seeing the forbidden reddish greens and yellowish blues. Others saw hallucinatory textures, such as blue glitter on a yellow background.

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Camouflage clothing is illegal in some African countries and bright colours, black, and white should be avoided unless around the lodge. Dark colours also tend to be more attractive to insects. Technical fabrics are also preferable over natural fibres for their comfort and performance in hot climates.

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Khaki, olive, tan, brown and earthy greens tend to be your best bets. The idea is to blend into the bush so that wildlife is undisturbed, and you can view them in their natural habitat. Blue is the least favorable color, as it's most visible to the animals and can spook them.

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