Safari Seasons

Best time to go on safari in Southern Africa

In Southern Africa summer is wet and winter is dry. The wet and dry seasons have a significant effect on game conditions.

The dry season generally runs from May to October through the southern autumn, winter and into spring. Game conditions generally improve as the season gets drier and wildlife tends to concentrate near remaining water sources.

The wet season generally starts in November, and signifies the arrival of migrant birds as mammals disperse in search of fresh growth. The bush gets thick, insects flourish, birding improves, game viewing deteriorates. The summer rains are generally characterised by torrential rainfall followed by sunshine during the day. The wet season generally makes the remote areas more inaccessible.

We regard October and November as our "suicide months" with day time temperatures exceeding 40 degrees and not dropping below 30 degrees for nights on end. This time of year is exceptionally good for game, but you have to be quite dedicated to handle the heat! The rains usually start mid November.

Best time to go on safari in East Africa

There are two rainy seasons in East Africa (kenya and Tanzania), the first, known as the long rains is from April to June and the shorter season from late November through to December. Many properties in the game viewing areas do close during April and May, mainly due to bad road conditions.

The islands of Zanzibar are also affected during this period. The dry seasons are generally better for game viewing, as game concentrates around the water sources. The weather patterns play a major role in the great migration, as the animals follow the new grasses, which are dependent upon the rainfall.

Read more about the annual Wildebeest Migration.