Many travelers on a trip to Africa prefer to bring just a carry-on bag instead of having to lug a giant suitcase around during the whole trip. Plus, if you’re flying on domestic, light aircrafts, luggage weight, size, and materials are restricted. So, if you’re planning on visiting various parts of southern or eastern Africa during your journeys, it’s recommended to just bring a duffle carry-on bag.
With that said, many travelers panic that they won’t have enough clothing on their 14-day trip to Africa if they just bring a carry-on. Well the good news is that many accommodations throughout southern and eastern Africa provide laundry services (some offer it complimentary and others offer it at a cost). Therefore, you will never have to worry about re-wearing dirty clothing.
Prior to departing for your trip, inquire at each property whether or not they offer laundry service so that you know where you can wash your laundry. Most properties will have a laundry bag in your room where you can place your items and while you’re out on a game drive, the staff will pick up your clothing and wash and fold them within a 24-hour period. It is important to ask though how long they will take because if you are departing from that property in less than 24-hours you might have to leave with wet clothing!
And, for the rare instances where an accommodation does not offer laundry services, you can always wash your clothing in a sink or tub, using detergent. All you have to do is purchase a travel-size pack of laundry detergent and put it in a plastic Ziploc bag. Then, when you need to wash some undergarments, shirts, or pants, all you have to do is wash them in the sink after an evening game drive, wring them out thoroughly, and then place them along a counter top or side of the tub to dry. In the morning all your items should be dry or pretty close to it! Then, you’ll feel fresh as a daisy for the next few days ahead.
