East Africa doesn’t have four seasons but two, dry and rainy, and they reverse as you travel south. Choosing the wrong month won’t ruin your journey, but it may make you miss exactly what you came for.
June to October: the dry season
This is the classic time for a safari. The grass is short, animals gather around the few waterholes and sightings are easier everywhere. Clear days, cold nights: at altitude, at Ngorongoro or in the highlands, it is around ten degrees at dawn.
It is also high season: higher prices and properties that sell out six to eight months in advance.
December to April: the southern Serengeti
The herds of the Great Migration move down to the southern plains and to Ndutu. Around February most of the year’s young are born: it is the time with the highest concentration of predators. The landscape is green, very different from the golden savannah of the postcards.
March to May: the long rains
Difficult tracks, some camps closed, unpredictable movements. On the other hand, the parks are empty and prices fall considerably. It is not a season to rule out from the start: it is a season for those who welcome the unexpected.
Southern Africa
In Namibia the dry season runs from June to October: the best time for the waterholes of Etosha, with cold nights in the desert. At Victoria Falls peak flow comes after the rains, between February and May; at the end of the year the water is low and the face breaks up into channels.
The beach follows its own calendar
For Zanzibar the best periods are June to October and December to February. Watch out for the tides: on the east coast the water recedes hundreds of metres, while in the north you can swim at any time of day.
In Madagascar the good season runs from April to November; between January and March is cyclone season. Whales can be seen at Sainte Marie from July to September.
If August is your only option
It is the month when most Italian families are able to travel, and it is excellent for the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara. It costs more and there are more people, but the wildlife is at its best. The practical advice comes down to one thing: book early, because the tented camps in the north are few.
