SAFARI ADVENTURE

SAFARI ADVENTURE

When to Go on Safari

The best time to go on safari in Africa is usually the dry season. A safari's success is often measured by the number of animals you've seen along the way, especially if these include the 'Big Five'. Wildlife parks and reservations are enormous and during the dry season animals will tend to congregate around water holes. This makes it much easier to see a lot of animals in a small amount of time. Many parks and reserves also have small shelters that overlook water holes so you can sit in one spot and just watch the animals come to you.

The dry season also means the vegetation has thinned out. I've been on safaris in smaller game parks where you could literally see nothing beyond the road because the grass was so tall. This can be very disappointing if your time is limited.

The dry seasons:

• In East Africa the dry seasons are from January through March and July through October.
• In Southern Africa the dry season runs from May through October.

If you are interested in the annual migration of wildebeest and zebra then you also need to time your trip with the weather in mind. In the Masai Mara (Kenya) they usually arrive between August and September, stay through October and head back over to the Serengeti in Tanzania between December and January.

If you want to go on a Gorilla safari, the best time to go is also during the drier seasons (December to March and May to September). The paths are not quite so slippery so the gorillas are easier to track.