What To Wear In Zambia
To sum it up - Casual and cool
- Casual, comfortable clothes are the key when travelling in Zambia.
- During the day it is hot so our advice is to pack light weight loose fitting clothes in natural fabrics such as linen and cotton that will keep you cool and are easier to wash and dry.
- We suggest keeping to light colours; khaki, green, brown but not white, it will get dirty and dusty very quickly.
- Avoid blue clothing - the tsetse flies are drawn to the colour blue, and their bite can give you African Sleeping Sickness.
- It is important to note that camouflage or military clothing is not permitted.
- Zambia is a conservative country and knee length or longer skirts or trousers are ideal.
- Generally women wearing revealing clothes are regarded as women of ill repute and will attract unwanted attention. In the towns and villages it is more acceptable for men to wear long trousers rather than shorts.
- If you plan to do much walking, either on safari or with a backpack, then lightweight walking shoes or trainers are fine, the bush is not always smooth and even, and anything that minimises the chance of a twisted ankle has got to be a good idea.
- May to November is the dry season and it will be hot everywhere.
- The wet season between December and March, is totally different, and the days can vary enormously from one to the next. Even within a day, skies will often change from sunny to cloudy within minutes and then back again. Downpours are usually heavy and short, and often in the late afternoon. Even so it will still be hot during the day and a little cooler at night so packing a light weight raincoat and a shawl or jacket would be a good idea.
- It gets really cold in the winter and June and July are especially cold but May and August can also get chilly. Its pleasant in the daytimes when the sun is shining but for nights, evenings and early mornings you'll need a thick jacket and a woolly hat and gloves.
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