Safari British Airways With Insect Protection

Stay bite-free. Not being bitten is your best protection against disease-carrying flying and biting insects. Protect yourself with our choice of anti-insect products. As part of your anti-insect strategy combine our best-selling BUGTech™ range of clothing with the protection provided by the insect repellents which we sell.

Safari Shirts Read our Safari Shirts Advice Guide

The advice below is a summary. If you are looking for more information & expert advice then please click here for our full safari shirt advice section

  • It is important that you pack safari-suitable shirts for your children on safari which also offer maximum protection from the elements and defence from most biting insects.
  • Pack children's safari shirts in neutral, natural tones such as shades of khaki, brown, and green.
  • We recommend long-sleeved safari shirts for children with roll-up sleeve tabs over short-sleeved shirts. These enable boys and girls to roll their sleeves up and down to stay cool, keep warm, or to avoid sunburn on their arms. It also increases defence from most biting insects when sleeves are rolled down, which is further increased when the fabric is treated with insect repellent.
  • Kids' safari shirts with a collar also give your kids added protection from sunburn - and, again, from insect bites.
  • Look for children's safari shirts which have the following key characteristics: the ability to wick moisture to keep them cool, high level of sun protection (SPF50+ is best), and an anti-insect fabric finish assists in reducing bites from most flying and biting insects.
  • Pack more children's safari shirts made from man-made fibres (polyamide) than natural fibres (such as cotton). Man-made fibres are better at wicking moisture from the skin - and it is this movement of moisture which will keep them cool.

Number of children's safari shirts to pack for their safari:
Up to 4-day safari: x 2; Up to 8-day safari: x 4; Up to 12-day safari: x 6

Safari Trousers & Shorts Read our Safari Trousers & Shorts Advice Guide

  • When packing safari trousers for your children, pack children's safari pants made from safari-suitable colours (shades of green, khaki, and brown) and lightweight, strong fabric. Nothing beats the feeling they will get when they wear safari trousers worthy of a great conservationist or early explorer.
  • Children's safari zip-off/convertible trousers are the simplest safari trousers to pack for children as they allow for maximum versatility. By removing or adding the legs, you are able to convert them from trousers when cool to shorts when hot. Children's convertible zip-off safari pants also save on valuable packing space by being two garments in one. The legs on the children's safari convertible pants also give added protection from the sun and defence from most biting insects - even more so when their safari trousers are treated with built-in sun protection and anti-insect treatment.
  • The ideal children's safari trousers and safari shorts should offer the perfect blend of the following functionality: lightweight with built-in ripstop for added strength, a high level of built-in sun protection (SPF50+ is best), and an anti-insect finish.
  • Children's safari trousers which are made from man-made fibres (such as polyamide) are preferred over those made from natural fibres (such as cotton) to keep your children cool while on safari. These fabrics also allow your child to dry off faster should their safari trousers get wet from a rain shower or from mucking about in a stream (a crocodile- and hippo-free stream of course).
  • What is more, you will be able to wash and dry your kid's safari trousers much faster when made from man-made fibres such as polyamide.

    Number of children's safari trousers to pack for your safari:
    Up to 4-day safari: x 2; Up to 8-day safari: x 3; Up to 12-day safari: x 4

Safari Insect Repellent Read our Safari Insect Repellent Advice Guide

  • Pack a highly-effective safari insect repellent for your safari - whether or not you are going to a malaria area. If you don't pack an effective insect repellent, the constant annoyance of insects such as mosquitoes, midges, and flies may dampen your enjoyment of your safari.
  • In areas with tropical diseases which are carried by insects - such as malaria - the higher the quality of the safari insect repellent you pack and constantly apply while on safari, the lower the chance of contracting any disease or illness. "Don't get bitten" just about sums up this line of thinking.
  • Insect repellents that are made and tested in tropical areas - and which are used daily in places such as Australia - we have found to be the best on numerous field tests in Africa. This is the reason why we personally use Australian-made insect repellent on our own safaris and expeditions and why we believe that you should too.
  • Apply insect repellent frequently to both your skin and clothing. For your face, spray the repellent into your hand and then apply it to your skin. Do not get it into your eyes and follow the instructions on the insect repellent bottle. For your clothing, check first that the safari insect repellent you use does not stain or damage your clothing and then apply it all over your trousers, shirt, hat, and shoes.
  • Always re-apply insect repellent after physical activities, sweating, swimming, or towelling yourself down.
  • Only use insect repellents for your safari which contain up to a maximum of 40% DEET. Some manufacturers include more DEET than that in their formula, but it does not increase the efficacy of the repellent - only the length of time it stays on your skin. Rather re-apply more frequently than use a repellent with more than 40% DEET.
  • Travel tip: Many of our clients make the mistake of only packing insect repellent for their safari and not for their beach holiday after their safari. Simply put, the risk of malaria is greater in coastal, tropical areas where there are usually much higher concentrations of people than in the wilderness and back country of Africa where you will go on safari. Pack enough insect repellent to cover your beach holiday - or onward travel in Africa - too.
  • Number of bottles of safari insect repellent to pack:
    Up to 4-day safari: 1 x bottle per person; Up to 8-day safari: 2 x bottles per person; Up to 12-day safari: 3 x bottles per person


    *Local conditions such as the time of year and presence of rain will determine the number of insects you may encounter on your safari. We prefer to err on taking a few too many bottles on safari than running out. For any extras after your safari, note that most insect repellents should last for a number of years and you will be able to use them at home during the summer months.