Safari by Season
A safari is so much more than just game viewing. You get water-based safaris, guided walking safaris, photographic safaris, birding safaris, self-drive safaris, and your typical open-air vehicle safari. All of these come with different weather requirements.
Below is a list of our recommended countries and their seasons throughout the year.
January
BOTSWANA
Green (wet) season. Much rain. Good for birding, baby mammals, dramatic skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Clouds and rain increasing. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Baby mammals and migratory birds.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Wet season. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds spread throughout the southern Serengeti for calving.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
ZIMBABWE
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
February
BOTSWANA
Green (wet) season. Much rain. Good for birding, baby mammals, dramatic skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Clouds and rain most days. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Baby mammals and migratory birds.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Wet season. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds spread throughout the southern Serengeti for calving.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
ZIMBABWE
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
March
BOTSWANA
Green (wet) season. Some rain. Good for birding, baby mammals, cloudy skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Thunderstorms and persistent rain. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Baby mammals and migratory birds.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Wet season. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds spread throughout the southern Serengeti for calving.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
ZIMBABWE
End of wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals.
April
BOTSWANA
Green (wet) season. Some rain. Good for birding, baby mammals, cloudy skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Thunderstorms and persistent rain. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
End of Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Migratory birds start to leave.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Wet season. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds spread throughout the southern Serengeti for calving.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
End of wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife starts to move back to permanent water.
May
BOTSWANA
Start of Winter. Little rain. Few clouds. Migratory birds have mostly left. Mammals easier to see. All camps open. The famous Delta flood starts to peak and some tracks are impassable. Lower Malaria risk.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Thunderstorms and persistent rain. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Dry season. Clouds and rain unlikely. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
End of Wet season. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds head towards the Grumeti.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
June
BOTSWANA
Best months to visit. Winter. Cold mornings. Rain is rare. Few clouds. Migratory birds have mostly left. Mammals easier to see. All camps open. The famous Delta flood starts to peak and some tracks are impassable. Negligible Malaria risk.
KENYA
Start of Dry season. Wildlife easier to see around permanent water. Clouds and rain unlikely.
NAMIBIA
Dry season. Clouds and rain unlikely. Cold mornings. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
TANZANIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Lower Malaria risk. Great Migration herds gather in the Grumeti River area.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
July
BOTSWANA
Best months to visit. Winter. Rain is rare. Cold mornings. Few clouds. Migratory birds have mostly left. Mammals easier to see. All camps open. The famous Delta flood starts to peak and some tracks are impassable. Negligible Malaria risk.
KENYA
Dry season. Wildlife easy to see around permanent water. Clouds and rain unlikely. Great migration herds start to arrive from Tanzania.
NAMIBIA
Dry season. Clouds and rain unlikely. Cold mornings. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
TANZANIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Lower Malaria risk. Great Migration start moving towards the northern Serengeti. Game viewing best in Tarangire, Katavi, Selous and Ruaha.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
August
BOTSWANA
Best months to visit. Winter. No clouds. Cold mornings. Mammals easy to see. The famous Delta flood has peaked and some tracks are impassable. Negligible Malaria risk.
KENYA
Dry season. Wildlife easy to see around permanent water. Clouds and rain unlikely. Great migration herds continue to arrive from Tanzania.
NAMIBIA
Dry season. Clouds and rain unlikely. Cold mornings. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
TANZANIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Lower Malaria risk. Great Migration herds straddle the Serengti/Maasai Mara border. Game viewing best in Tarangire, Katavi, Selous and Ruaha.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
September
BOTSWANA
Best months to visit. Winter. No clouds. Mammals easy to see. The famous Delta flood has peaked and some tracks are impassable. Negligible Malaria risk.
KENYA
Dry season. Wildlife easy to see around permanent water. Clouds and rain unlikely. Migratory birds start to arrive. Great migration herds spread out through the Masai Mara.
NAMIBIA
Dry season. Clouds and rain unlikely. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
TANZANIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Lower Malaria risk. Great Migration herds are mostly in Kenya. Game viewing best in Tarangire, Katavi, Selous and Ruaha.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
October
BOTSWANA
Start of Summer. Hot days. Some clouds. Migratory birds start to return. Mammals easy to see. The famous Delta flood has peaked and most tracks are open.
KENYA
Dry season. Wildlife easy to see around permanent water. Clouds and rain possible. Good for migratory birds. Great migration herds start to return to the eastern sectors of the Serengeti in Tanzania.
NAMIBIA
Start of wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
End of dry season. Clouds and rain possible. Wildlife possible to see at waterholes. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds are mostly in Kenya.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
ZIMBABWE
Dry season. Wildlife easier to see at waterholes. Clouds and rain unlikely.
November
BOTSWANA
Start of the Build-up. Green (wet) season. Quite hot. Good for birding, baby mammals, dramatic skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Start of Wet season. Wildlife reasonably easy to see. Clouds and rain likely. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Baby mammals and migratory birds arrive.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Start of Wet season. Wildlife possible to see at waterholes. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds return from Kenya.
UGANDA
Wet season. Baby mammals.
ZAMBIA
Wet season. Good birding. Migratory birds start to arrive. Some camps close.
ZIMBABWE
Wet season. Good birding. Migratory birds start to arrive. Some camps close.
December
BOTSWANA
Green (wet) season. Quite hot. Good for birding, baby mammals, dramatic skies. Mammals are harder to see. Some camps closed.
KENYA
Wet season. Wildlife more difficult to see. Clouds and rain increasing. Great birding.
NAMIBIA
Wet season. Clouds and rain possible. Baby mammals and migratory birds arrive.
RWANDA
Wet season. Best for Chimpanzee trekking.
TANZANIA
Wet season. Moody skies, thunderstorms. Higher Malaria risk. Great Migration herds congregate in the southern plains of the Serengeti.
UGANDA
Dry season. Best for Gorilla Trekking.
ZAMBIA
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
ZIMBABWE
Wet season. Good birding, including migratory species. Baby mammals. Some camps closed.
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