October and November in Africa: where to go now

Many people think that once summer is over, the right season for Africa has passed. It has not, but October and November are not neutral months: within a few weeks East Africa moves from the dry season to the short rains, while Southern Africa reaches the hottest and driest period of the year. The choice of destination matters more than usual.

October: the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara

The herds of the Great Migration are still between the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara, and the Mara River remains the place for the crossings. As the weeks pass, the herds begin to move south. October is a calculated gamble: less crowded than August, with good odds and no certainties.

November: the short rains in the east

In November the short rains arrive in Tanzania and Kenya, usually as afternoon showers rather than whole days of rain. The herds move down towards the central and southern Serengeti, the landscape turns green again and many properties lower their prices. Tarangire remains in dry season for much of the month, with elephants concentrated along the river.

The south: hot, dry and full of wildlife

In Namibia and Zambia, October closes the dry season. In Etosha the animals depend almost entirely on the waterholes, and sightings are among the best of the year; the price to pay is the heat of the middle of the day, which shifts game drives to dawn and dusk. In Zambia, in South Luangwa, the lagoons shrink and the wildlife concentrates along the river: it is often the hottest period, too.

Victoria Falls at low water

Those who reach Victoria Falls between October and November find them close to their lowest flow: on the Zambian side some stretches are almost dry, while on the Zimbabwean side the curtain of water remains visible. It is the season of the Devil’s Pool, accessible only at low water. It is not the postcard of the smoke that thunders, but it is a different experience, not a lesser one.

The beach

October is still a good month in Zanzibar; November brings the short rains to the coast too, generally without spoiling a stay. When choosing where to stay, what we wrote about the north and east of the island applies. In Madagascar, October and November fall within the good season, before the cyclone period between January and March.

Our view

If your dates are fixed in October, the most solid choice is the south: Namibia, or Zambia with Victoria Falls. If you can travel in November and care more about prices than about the certainty of the crossings, northern Tanzania with a few days in Zanzibar is a combination that works well at that time and costs less than in summer.

Conditions change from year to year depending on the rains: this guidance indicates a trend, not a guarantee.