When to go?

Africa is huge and there are so many interesting and different places to see in East and Southern Africa that it is a year round travel destination. We can either help tailor an excellent safari for your available travel window or, if there are specific experiences you hope to have, we can help you plan a trip during the best time of year to do it. We have included a 'when to go' section about each country that discusses in greater detail the different seasons of the country.

In general, the drier seasons are the 'high' seasons when game viewing is considered to be preferable. This is from June to October. Animals move into higher concentrations at the remaining permanent water sources which can make them easier to find. The dry season coincides with winter when the grasses have usually been eaten so are lower and many deciduous shrubs and trees have dropped their leaves making it easier to see into the bush. These prime game viewing conditions also result in the highest prices of the year, the highest occupancies at properties and the most traffic in game reserves. To get space at the sought after properties in more remote areas, it is required to book well in advance.

The green season is generally the wet and warm season from November to May. It is often less expensive to travel during these seasons. The rains typically start in mid November and pause after about a month sometime in December. There are a few warm months with spotty rain January to March. The heavy rains kick back in from the beginning of April to the end of May.

East Africa

With the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara and Serengeti ecosystem, the movements of the migration will dictate the desirability of particular areas at certain times. This will affect your itinerary, recommended properties and cost.

Southern Africa

As you travel further south, the months of late November to early March turn into beautiful warm summer along the South African coast.

Indian Ocean Islands

For the most part, the islands in the Indian Ocean enjoy lovely warm weather year round. The northeast monsoon from December to May marks the months of little rainfall, calm waters and lots of sunshine. The southwest monsoon brings more wind which can result in passing clouds to some showers and less visibility for snorkeling and diving. This is the time when there is increased plankton in the water so whale sharks and manta rays congregate to these rich feeding grounds.

Mauritius is pretty far south so the winter months of May to October will see highs in the high 60's/low 70's which is great golf weather but not really bikini weather in our book.