Safari seasons are mainly determined by the weather, is this is what will affect the flaura and fauna, as well as the animal behavior in each park. In Africa there are mainly wet (green) seasons and dry seasons.
Dry Season
The dry season is also the high season in most African parks, which is between June and October. During this time the weather is cooler, clearer, the roads are not as muddy. It is also easier to spot animals as they tend to gather around water holes and vegetation is thinner giving them fewer hiding spots.
The Great Migration
Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara are also affected by the great wildebeest and zebra migration which usually happens between July and September. This is a phenomenon where the animals cross the border from one park to the other in order to find fresh grass in the Masai Mara and then return to the Serengeti at the end of the season. The main attraction is watching the flocks of wildebeest cross the Mara river while avoiding the crocodiles and hippos that live there.
This makes the demand during the high season in those parks even higher. The main down sides of this season, especially in those two parks is that they become a lot more expensive and very crowded, which can often ruin the experience. It is also not guaranteed that you will get to see a crossing as the seasons are shifting.
Green Season
The low season is between November and April, with the exception of popular school holidays. November tends to be a wet month as there are rains, which makes the vegetation grow – hence the name Green – and the rains are not enough to ruin your trip. During the Green season, you will be able to enjoy the parks with fewer crowds, and the accommodations at better prices and often better and more personalized service.
When we would go
If your are not exclusively looking to catch the great migration, we personally recommend considering to travel outside the great migration season, especially in October, when if you are lucky you might even catch the last movements of the migration. Our experience tells that the benefits of doing a safari in October or between January and March definitely make it worth it.
When not to go
The only month we do not advise planning your safari trip to Africa is May, as it is the month when a lot of lodges and operators shut down for their yearly maintenance ahead of the high season.
