Cold season · Nov–Feb
The dawn drive is the coldest you will be all trip.
- A proper insulated jacket
- Hat, gloves, a scarf or buff
- Thermal base layer for early mornings
- Layers you can shed by 10am
What to pack
The two things that catch people out: how cold a December dawn is in an open vehicle, and how much dust gets into everything.
Start here
Dress for two climates in one day
In the cold season a safari day starts near 5°C and reaches the high twenties by lunch. In the hot season it starts pleasant and passes 40°C. Either way you are dressing for a range, in an open vehicle, moving — which is colder and windier than standing still in the same temperature.
Layers, in muted colours. Nothing white, nothing bright, and no camouflage print — several Indian states restrict camouflage clothing for civilians and it is a pointless argument to have at a park gate.
By season
Hot season · Mar–Jun
Sun and dust management is the whole problem.
- Long sleeves in light cotton or linen
- Wide-brimmed hat that survives wind
- High-factor sunscreen and lip balm
- Electrolyte sachets
- More water than you think
All year
The things people wish they had brought.
- Muted greens, browns, greys — no white
- Closed shoes; the dust is relentless
- Sunglasses and a spare pair
- A buff or scarf for dust, not just cold
- Any prescription medicine, in hand luggage
- A power bank