Good to know FAQs
When is the Best Time to Go On Safari?
The Best of South Africa | Useful things to bring | Plugs Phones and Wifi
What to wear on Safari | What Animals will I see? | Best Time to go on Safari?
The Wet Season?
Summer months – October to February, Autumn months – March and April
The ‘green season’ can be stunning, with wild flowers and grasses carpeting the flatlands and green and lush foliage. Many animals are in a mating condition and migratory birds are in full breeding plumage – it’s a great time for butterflies, flowers and colourful insects. Youngsters of many species abound, providing memorable scenes of family group life.
Afternoon rainfall in summer brings cooler temperatures but in general days are sunny and hot. Later on, autumn is usually drier.
The Dry Season?
Winter months – April to August, Spring months – September and October
Daytime temperatures are pleasant and so you can comfortably stay in the sun for longer; game discovery drives can also last longer. Less sun-shading is needed on safari vehicles and this could be important for photographers and birders. However early morning and evening temperatures can be distinctly cold.
In the dry winter months of May/June onwards, animals need to come to dams, lakes, ponds and watercourses to drink and graze lower-lying, greener terrain. This means that the wildlife is predictably seen at certain places and so the chances of finding them there – together with their associated predators – increase significantly as the dry season progresses.
As winter peaks and turns into spring, grassland and shrub foliage dies down even more and so it’s easier to spot game animals that also need to graze for longer to obtain the necessary nutrition. Temperatures rise and conditions can be brown and dusty. Having mated in the preceding late summer/autumn, many animals start to produce their young in spring.