Post
by Jaunted
A
female lion lounges on an overcast afternoon in Kenya's Masai Mara
The
calendar is ready to turn over to April, which means that safari season will
officially kick off in many parts of Africa as the wet,
rainy summer season ends and we enter the dry, winter months (Africa seasons
are the opposite of North America).
Things
have been up and running for a couple months now in Eastern Africa, including
Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, where two rainy seasons break up the safari
season. But since rain falls from November to December and between April and
June, the best times to go are January through March and then again June through October.
But
as Eastern Africa prepares for a quick break in the action, Southern Africa (South
Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi) is just
getting started. In most parts of this region, the rainy season runs from
November to March, with the dry season lasting the entire summer, beginning at
the start of April.
While
each region has its prime time, keep in mind that safaris can take place any
time throughout the year - it's just a matter of rolling the dice. Off-peak
months have the best deals and fewer crowds, but the weather definitely makes a
huge difference in the experience, from the rain itself to the tall grass
it creates. The further you get into the dry season, the less coverage the
animals have to hide.
That
said, there are also less watering holes and smaller rivers later in the
season, so there are perks to going early in the season. Landing somewhere in
the middle is your best bet, when you are likely to have nice weather and a
balanced ecosystem.
[Photo:
Will McGough]
