July and August in Africa: how to make the most of high season

For many, July and August are the only possible months. The good news is that for a large part of Africa they are also among the best: dry season in East and Southern Africa, concentrated wildlife, clear skies. The downside is well known: higher prices, availability that runs out early, more vehicles at the most famous spots.

Where they really work

In the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara, where the herds of the Great Migration arrive. In Tarangire, with elephants along the river. In Etosha, where the wildlife gathers at the waterholes. On Kilimanjaro, which has one of its driest windows in these months. Zanzibar makes a fine end to the trip, and in Madagascar, between July and September, whales can be seen off Sainte Marie.

Booking early is not advice, it is a requirement

Small camps in the most sought-after parks sell out six to eight months in advance. Those who decide in May for August will still find a place, but rarely in the best-located properties: and on safari, location matters more than category.

How to avoid the crowds

Head out at dawn, before the vehicles arriving from outside the park. Choose a conservancy or a less-visited area for at least part of the trip. Do not chase the sighting reported over the radio when there is already a queue of vehicles: often the finest is the quiet one that nobody is watching. We have written about this in When there are too many vehicles.

Two details people forget

The cold: on the highlands and on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater at dawn, it is around ten degrees, and open vehicles do not help. The costs: in the Masai Mara, from July, the daily entry fee doubles compared with the first half of the year.