Best time for Safari Tanzania - Africa Natural Tours ( africanaturaltours.com )
Best time
for Safari Tanzania:
Africa Natural Tours
AFRICA NATURAL TOURS (The best tour
company in Tanzania)
Specialized in: Mountain climbing,
Wildlife safaris, Cultural tourism and Beach holidays
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Best Time to Go To Tanzania
The
question of
w
hen is the best time to visit Tanzania is a question that we are often asked
and, in a nutshell, every season has its highs and lows. In this article,
however, we have endeavored to sum up what you should expect at each time of
the year as well as giving you a few of the best accommodation and location
tips to this fantastic country!
The Weather:
The
weather in Tanzania, situated within the tropic of Capricorn, varies little in
its temperature range throughout the year sticking to an average of around 30 degrees
Celsius during the day and dropping to a comfortable 15 at night.
The main
variation to the impact of the temperature is both the humidity and the annual
rains.
The main
rains in the country arrive around the beginning of April and run through until
the end of June, traditionally. We talk about where to head to in this period
below but, needless to say, it is worth considering a raincoat as the downpours
are full and often! The second, slightly less strong, rainy period, is from the
beginning of November (around 2 weeks later on Zanzibar) to the middle of
December, roughly speaking.
The
humidity in Tanzania varies throughout the year with the driest and hottest
period in the country starting in mid-June and running through to the end of
October. This (as discussed below) is known as the “dry period” and is a
reliable time to head out to Tanzania as it offers good game viewing along with
a comfortable climate.
From
November until the main rains in April, the humidity starts to climb in the
country with the most humid (and, arguably, most uncomfortable) period in
January and February. There are, of course, exceptions to this that are
mentioned below.
The Seasons:
This
doesn’t really just apply to the time of year as far as weather goes, but more
as regards the best times of the year to head to the different areas and what
you will be able to see while you are there…
Dec to
March – as
mentioned in the weather section, this is one of the most humid times to head
out to Tanzania and, as such, it feels muggy in most of the destinations. This
is, however, not the end of the world as for many, it can provide some
exceptional game viewing, as well as a much quieter overall experience.
Serengeti
The
Migration herds in the Serengeti will be located down in the very southern
areas of the park and so this is, arguably, one of the best times to visit the
northern parks. While the country is more humid, the high altitude at the
Ngorongoro Crater and the open expanse of the Serengeti mean that you don’t
feel the heat here as you would in other areas such as the Selous. With great
game numbers, and plenty of new calves, this is definitely one of the best
times to go and camps such as Ndutu Lodge, Olakira Tented Camp and Nomads
Tented Camp tend to get booked up well in advance.
Mahale and
Katavi
Katavi
National Park, while one of the best in Tanzania, is a very season park and,
while it is still accessible in these months, this is not considered to be the
best time to head here.
Mahale
National Park, likewise, becomes a lot harder to access by plane as the
airstrip becomes a long mudslide into Lake Tanganyika! For this reason, and the
fact that the park will be very humid, we would not overly recommend heading
here in this period.
The Selous
and Ruaha
This is
probably one of the best times of the year for those that are keen on birders
to come to both of these stunning parks. With the short rains, the Selous
becomes quite a bit greener and, as such, the game becomes quit a bit harder to
actually see. But, this is the time in the year when the European migratory
birds arrive into this region of Africa and, therefore, the park comes alive
with males displaying and the sound of birds of all types and variety.
Zanzibar
As with
the national parks, Zanzibar does become quite a bit more humid at this time of
the year and so it can, if the wind is not blowing, be a little uncomfortable
in the evenings. It is not, however, a bad time to head here as the beaches are
far less busy, and the weather is fairly reliably sunny on the east coast of
the island. Choosing a property with air conditioning such as Mchanga Beach
Lodge, Breezes Beach Club or Essque Zalu is essential!
April to
May – as the main rains arrive into
Tanzania, many of the hotels and properties start to close up shop for the year
and let their staff have a couple of months off. This is not a bad time to
visit though as the Migrations herds in the north are easily accessible, the
parks are empty (comparatively) and the prices are at rock bottom. If you have
ever dreamed of staying in somewhere like the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge then this
is the time to go as they sell at more than half their normal price (of £1,000
per person per night!)
Serengeti
As
mentioned above, this is actually a great time to head up to the northern parks
of Tanzania as the game is still good (with the occasional break for a storm or
two), there is virtually nobody up here, and the prices are at the lowest of
the year. Our top tip is to get yourself a Landcruiser for this period as it
can become very difficult to get around otherwise.
Katavi and
Mahale
As with
the December to March window, this is not really the best time to come and see
either the chimps or the remote Katavi as both parks are very tricky to access.
Selous and
Ruaha
Due to the
use of bush runways in both of the parks, as with Katavi and Mahale, the Selous
and Ruaha, and all of the properties, are closed for the couple of months.
Zanzibar
The island
is a bit of an enigma as far as the weather patterns are concerned as, when it
is raining heavily on the western side, it can be completely dry on its eastern
side. Fortunately the eastern side is where all of the beach properties are
located and, as such, with a bit of luck you can still enjoy really good
weather at absolutely rock bottom prices!
June to
November – far and
away the busiest time of the year to head to Tanzania for all of the parks and
the beaches. This period is popular due to the reliably dry weather and,
therefore, very good game viewing that can be had in all of the parks. For us,
it is a good but expensive time of year to travel and so we tend to recommend
to clients to try, if possible, to travel in the last couple of weeks in June
or the first couple of weeks in November, when prices are low, game is good and
the parks are less full.
Serengeti
The period
when the great migration herds have reached the northern-most point in their
cycle, this is when the herds are crossing rivers, and moving northwards. It
can be an absolutely superb time to visit and, for those that are on a lesser
budget, it is worth aiming for the central regions of the park in June or early
November to have the best chance of seeing game.
For those
with a little more to spend, you are in for a treat! The very northern region
of the Serengeti, known as the “Lamai wedge” is one of the most impressive and
less well known regions of Africa and, on its day, has some of the best game
viewing that Africa offers. It is true that this area is becoming busier and,
as such, more expensive, but, in our view, it is definitely worth the money!
Katavi and
Mahale
As with
the rest of the parks, the dry season is when these two parks really shine…in
particular Katavi. With its open grasslands and vast buffalo herds, the daily
gauntlet to the water side is a spectacle that few will ever witness. Some
would argue that you are better aiming for later in the dry season, when things
become more and more fraught, but we think it is a great park year round.
Mahale and
the chimpanzees are also one of Africa’s highlights and there is no better time
to visit than in this period. The lake shores of Tanganyika provide a welcome
retreat from normal life and are a great substitute for a beach holiday, and
the interaction with the chimps really rounds this magic place off.
Selous and
Ruaha
The lesser
known parks of Tanzania, in the south, are certainly one of Africa’s last true
strongholds for game and safari enthusiasts. Both of these parks complement one
another perfectly with walking and boating safaris in the Selous, and walking
and night driving in Ruaha, completing the “set’ of safari activities.
The game
viewing, as the parks dry back, becomes frenzied in and around the main river
systems and, as such, the parks regularly offer game experiences that rival the
northern parks and with much more intimacy and privacy.
Zanzibar
The final
destination on the list, Zanzibar at this time of year, as with all of the
coastal destinations in Tanzania, becomes the idyllic, Indian Ocean paradise
that you are looking for. White coral sands lapped by azure blue waves…what is
not to love!?
We hope
that this has give you a bit of a taster of what Tanzania has to offer in every
season and please follow the links or give us a call if you would like to
discuss things further or if you would like us to put together an itinerary for
you.
For more information www.africanaturaltours.com
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