Do I really need malaria pills for a South Africa tour?
The video shows that Elizabeth obtained malaria pills through her doctor, but notes that the EF tour spends most time in Cape Town and Johannesburg rather than high-risk wildlife parks, so risk is lower than in Kenya, for example.
At a glance
Length
11 min
Channel
Elizabeth Clem
Video from
Apr 2024
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Travelers packing for EF Ultimate Break South Africa tours or similar guided group trips.
What this video answers
Do I really need malaria pills for a South Africa tour?
What vaccinations should I get before traveling to South Africa?
Why avoid blue and black clothing in certain areas?
Can I really fit everything into a carry-on backpack for 9 days?
How much cash should I bring to South Africa?
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What to Expect on the EF Ultimate Break South Africa Expedition
This video follows Elizabeth Clem as she packs for an 11-day expedition through South Africa with EF Ultimate Break, a guided travel tour company. Though the full trip spans 11 days, actual time on the ground amounts to roughly 8–9 days after accounting for two long-haul flights (8 hours to Paris, then 12 hours to Cape Town). The tour focuses on Cape Town and Johannesburg rather than remote wildlife reserves, making it suitable for travelers who want curated city and cultural experiences without extensive time in high-risk malaria zones.
The video is a practical packing guide aimed at travelers who want to travel light with only carry-on luggage. Elizabeth demonstrates how to fit everything for a warm-climate trip into a single soft-shell backpack, choosing this approach specifically because the tour uses small vehicles with baggage restrictions. If you're considering a group tour to South Africa and want to see realistic packing strategies, health preparation steps, and honest logistics details—from flight times to medication requirements—this video provides genuine, firsthand insight.
Key Moments
Key Highlights from the Packing Process
8-hour flight to Paris followed by a 12-hour flight to Cape Town, meaning you'll spend most of your birthday traveling if you arrive at the end of March
Compression socks and carry-on soft-shell backpacks chosen specifically for long flights and vehicle-based tours with luggage space constraints
Personal medication strategy including malaria pills, updated vaccinations (Hep A, typhoid, tetanus), and a pharmacy kit for headaches, allergies, and jet lag management
Wardrobe decisions based on tour-specific advice: avoiding blue and black clothing in certain areas (near Kruger/Johannesburg) due to insect attraction, and packing layers for variable wind and temperature
Practical items like packing cubes for organization, a collapsible daypack for safari layers, currency (South African rand) divided into envelopes for specific uses, and South African power adapters
End-of-trip allowances for laundry compression bags and accessible snacks during long flights
Practical Details Before You Book a South Africa Tour
Duration and Travel Time: 11 days total; expect 8–9 days actually in South Africa after accounting for two intercontinental flights totaling approximately 20 hours
Baggage Restrictions: Small tour vehicles limit luggage capacity, making carry-on backpacks preferable to checked roller bags; soft-shell, squishable backpacks are recommended
Medical Preparation: Consult your doctor about malaria prophylaxis, and get updated vaccinations for Hep A, typhoid, and tetanus at least several weeks before departure
Climate and Clothing: Late March is warm but windy; pack long dresses and longer sleeves, especially if visiting areas near Johannesburg or Kruger; avoid blue and black in high-risk insect zones
Currency and Cash: Withdraw South African rand in advance; the video shows approximately $550 USD converted for spending money, plus cash set aside for photographer tips and tour director gratuities
Bug Spray and Sunscreen: The tour director recommends buying bug spray locally (more effective and affordable) rather than bringing it from home; pack only a travel-size sunscreen to share
Flight Route: Flights connect through Paris; arrive at Cape Town at 10:30 p.m., with limited time for evening rest before the first full day of activities
Frequently Asked Questions About Packing for South Africa with EF
Do I really need malaria pills for a South Africa tour?
The video shows that Elizabeth obtained malaria pills through her doctor, but notes that the EF tour spends most time in Cape Town and Johannesburg rather than high-risk wildlife parks, so risk is lower than in Kenya, for example. Your doctor should assess your specific itinerary to determine whether prophylaxis is necessary for you.
What vaccinations should I get before traveling to South Africa?
Elizabeth mentions getting updated vaccinations for Hepatitis A, typhoid, and tetanus before her trip. She already had tetanus coverage. Consult your doctor or travel health clinic at least 4–6 weeks before departure to determine which vaccinations suit your health history and specific travel areas.
Why avoid blue and black clothing in certain areas?
The video notes that blue and black clothing attracts a particular type of fly or mosquito in some regions near Kruger or Johannesburg. Elizabeth brings these colors anyway and plans to wear them only in Cape Town, where the restriction does not apply. If you're concerned, prioritize neutral and lighter colors for the portions of your trip near wildlife areas.
Can I really fit everything into a carry-on backpack for 9 days?
Yes, according to the video. Elizabeth successfully packed clothes, shoes, toiletries, chargers, a camera, medications, snacks, and a Kindle into a single soft-shell carry-on backpack. She uses packing cubes to stay organized, wears one pair of shoes on the plane and brings two others, and relies on neutral, lightweight, multipurpose pieces that layer and mix easily.
How much cash should I bring to South Africa?
The video shows Elizabeth exchanging approximately $550 USD into South African rand for general spending, plus separate cash envelopes for a local photographer (paid in cash) and the tour director's tip. Confirm with your tour operator whether gratuities are recommended and whether local vendors accept cards, as this will affect how much cash you need to withdraw.
This video fills a real gap: it shows not just what to pack, but why. Elizabeth explains luggage constraints, medical requirements, climate-specific clothing choices, and budget planning in a way that actual travelers on this exact tour can trust. She's candid about her own uncertainties (like whether long pants are really necessary) and grounds everything in her doctor's advice and the tour director's guidance.
What stood out most was the attention to small logistics—dividing cash into purpose-specific envelopes, choosing compression socks for circulation, and packing a collapsible daypack for safari layers. These details show someone who has traveled before and thinks through problems realistically. If you're considering EF Ultimate Break or any group tour to South Africa, this is essential viewing before you book.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
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Video transcript for “Pack With Me For SOUTH AFRICA! South Africa Expedition with EF Ultimate Break, CARRY ON ONLY TIPS!” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
[Music] wo wo wo wo wo W [Music]
wo good morning guys welcome back to my channel if you're new here my name is Elizabeth and today we are going to be packing for South Africa my husband and I are going on the South Africa Expedition trip with ef ultimate break it is 11 days long but with all of the travel and stuff I think we're really
only like there for eight or nine days but I wanted to challenge myself this time hello Fe hi baby um I wanted to challenge myself this time in just pack in a carry-on and I'm very proud to say that I did we got these bags from Amazon Amazon we use them all the time and we absolutely love them I will have them
Linked In My Amazon storefront down below but they are carry-on bag size but they are like soft shell and Squishy and they're backpacks so we love that I know that there are some like baggage size restrictions for this trip just because of the vehicles that we will be in so I wanted to have these instead of roller
bags and I think we're going to both make it work that we can just both take these and like that's it so I already have this all packed it's very heavy but I'm I'm going to unpack it with you show you what's in here but before we get into this I'm going to show what I am actually wearing on the airplane shoes
outfit everything like that just so we can like start at the very very beginning just for context for this trip we are also going at the end of March and so it'll still be pretty warm there and I'm really excited all right starting off with shoes I am bringing these Dr scholes shoes they were all
over Tik Tok I wore them in Europe I wore them in South America I really like them I'm just planning on wearing these for the Safari and then through the airport and everything that I need like clo toed shoes for they are white they probably will get dirty on the Safari I am okay with that I know that going in
so if you don't want to bring white shees on a safari don't but I am for the actual plane ride we have an 8h hour flight to Paris and then I think a 12-hour flight to Cape Town so we have long long long flights it's going to take so long to get there I don't really want these flights but EF booked them
and that's what we got um I will spend my whole birthday in an airplane basically and then we land in Cape Town at 10:30 at night but it will be my 28th country on my 28th birthday so that is kind of exciting I just wish I got there earlier but since we have such long plane rides we have compression socks
packed to help with circulation I'm taking just this like really thin zipper jacket I take it on a lot of my trips nice and warm t-shirt travel more and then just like leggings with pockets so that's what I will be wearing on the plane these are random things that I'm going to be putting in David's bag once
I finish packing it but but we're bringing sunscreen um since we're not checking a bag we cannot bring a bigger thing so we're just having a little thing to share and then I need to go to the store I have a big thing of bug spray packed from our last trip but our tour director in our group chat said to
just wait until we get there for bug spray he said it works better for over there than the kind that we sell here so we're going to wait and get bug sprayed there and then we won't have to worry about like flying with it anyway he said it's really affordable there and super easy to find I am bringing this tiny bag
also in addition to this one because this would be like my personal item for under the seat in front of me so I like to put little things in here that I just like want access to on a flight this bag is so nice perfect size and we'll like carry it around and like put Waters and stuff in the sides while we're doing
like day-to-day stuff over there but as of right now in here I have a bag filled with like my GoPro accessories extra batteries memory cards everything like that and I'll take this camera that I'm filming with now I already got money out for our trip so I got the South African currency and I div it out an envelop so
we are getting pictures taken with a local photographer there she wants to be paid in cash so I have cash set aside for her cash set aside to ship our tour director and then our other cash I believe we got just for like transparency purposes I believe we got $550 us converted so that's what we'll
be using to spend money there and then we also have a card I will be bringing my Kindle I love this and with all the plane rides I will need it also in here I have a hair clip my fanny pack I like to wear this while I'm traveling it'll have my passport in it wallet with money and some like headphones I also have
this little purse packed in here I'm still not sure if I'm going to take this or just use the backpack while we're there but currently in this little purse I have sunglasses a pen and then I have a portable charger so not too much in there but it's nice to carry around if I want to but I think I might just do this
like black bag instead and then last but not least in here I have this is like my little Pharmacy so I have like some in here I have Dramamine Advil melatonin headache medication allergy medication everything like that then in addition to this trip specifically I have malaria pills so so exciting so fun um got those
I know I'll probably get questions about medication you're supposed to go talk to your doctor but we did get just personally David and I we both got malaria pills and got updated Hep a typhoid and we already had tetanus shots so talk to your doctor about what you'll need but this trip we don't really spend
a lot of time in the Parks and in high-risk areas we're mainly in Cape Town and Johannesburg so we're not really going to be around animals a lot like we would be in Kenya anyway now to this one all right so opening it up I do like how it opens like a suitcase still in here I have some snacks so I like to
pack my own snacks I just have applesauce some candy and then those like that's at fruit bars in here I do have a supper pock P for David's bag and in David's bag we're going to have some animal crackers and Sour Patch Kids this is a big like compression bag that we just put dirty laundry in and then
squish it down throughout the trip link to my Amazon shop down below I have this shirt on top since it's the shirt that I'm going to wear for photos we have photos the first full day that we're there so I don't want this to get wrinkled but it's just like a white shirt and this little tiny bag I have
toiletries in this bag I have shoes so I'm going to wear those white Dr should shoes on the plane and then I'm going to wear these sandals for photos and then of course couldn't go somewhere warm without my Tas both of these pairs of shoes actually all three shoes are linked in my Amazon shop because you can
get them all on Amazon we love that also in here this is a little backpack we got it for our Patagonia trip it squishes up this small and then it can get bigger into like the hiking backpack but I have it just in case we want to take this on like the Safari so that we can like shed
jacket layers and stuff or pack snacks or like whatever we need I just felt like it was so small might as well throw it in there just in case we need it also in here I have a hat and then the rest of this should be clothes so I like to pack my clothes in packing cubes not really because it saves space but it
keeps me extremely organized and I love that I'm not sure if I am packing the right things but I'm just following my gut and we'll see where it takes me first I just have a pair of like really thin fulllength leggings I'm not sure if we will need like long pants and long shirts to sleep in at night I'm seeing
that online but I don't know what like type of accommodation we were staying in to go along with that just in case I have like a really thin long sleeve shirt to sleep in if needed I was also told that you're supposed to avoid wearing blue and black in some areas in I believe it's Krueger or near
Johannesburg but I think in Cape Town you're okay it attracts some type of like fly or a mosquito or something I really own a lot of blue and black so I'm bringing it and just going to like we in Cape Town but I have a black T-shirt packed I have a blue t-shirt packed I have black leggings that end
just below your knee I'm planning on just like sleeping in these shorts they're just like gray sleep shorts I also have a pair of jeans I'm bringing these because I'm going to wear them for photos I have this blue halara dress that has the shorts underneath so that it's like really good for like if we're
walking around and it's hot I don't think it's going to be super super hot I think it's going to be a little chillier just because it's so windy there I was also told to pack a lot of longer dresses instead of shorter dresses but this is like a thick material and if it like blows around and blows up like it
has built-in shorts so I'm not super concerned about that I also got a similar dress this one is from old naeve it's just white it also has the built-in shorts underneath so and then last but not least I have a f length floral of course it's blue and black maxi dress I really like it we're bringing it even
with the colors we're just going to put all the this back here and here also I have our chargers and adapters so that we can charge our things I should have the right South African one now so we should all be good I got this on Amazon again it's linked down below and the last packing Cube so in here I have
socks Andy swimsuit I don't really see any swimming or like beach days in our itinerary but I'm packing it just in case because I feel like the hotels will have pools I have jean shorts this is an another floral more like a maxi dress t-shirt to sleep in green shirt another t-shirt another t-shirt sweatpants for
the flight back a cropped neutral colored shirt a light colored t-shirt another neutral colored shirt I also have some like tannish colored linen pants they don't go all the way down to my ankle because I am tall but I think they're supposed to just in case it's cold on the Safari I have a neutral
colored long sleeve shirt I also have these fun WID leg pants got them on Tik Tok but I think they from cider and then last but not least I have this Banana Republic white button-down linen shirt to layer with anything that I would need that is all that's in the bag the only other thing that we might bring
depending on how everything of David's fits in his bag is this bag that fits under the seat in front of you we would put the black backpack in here in all of our snacks we just have really long flights so we might want access to more stuff and this like gets really tiny if we don't need
it but we might just bring this just in case have decided so that is all that I'm am packing for South Africa I am so so so excited this is a trip that I've been looking forward to for so long can't wait I'm a little nervous but it's going to be a good time I hope I will be vlogging every single day of the trip
and I will be sharing those on my channel so be sure to subscribe that is it for today's video I hope it helped you be sure to give it a thumbs up if you enjoyed it and if you are interested in taking a trip with ef ultimate break you can use my link down below it'll give you $100 off your first trip with
them that is it for today's video I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you guys guys next time [Music] bye
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