I will admit that we are rookies compared with the friends we travel with who have been visiting Africa for over 20 years. Our first trip to Africa was in 2015. We returned in 2018 and was going to return in 2020, but Covid-19 pushed that safari out to 2022. We are currently planning our next safari for 2023. Our recommendations are then based more on what we have learned from our friends as well as online research, mixed in with our limited experiences.

Generally July-Oct is the hot dry season where the wildlife are gathered close to water as the watering holes are drying up. In fact, the great migration of the Wildebeest and Zebras through the Masa Mara is because of their search for green grass as they leave the hot-dried-up grass behind. Temperatures range between 75°F and 95°F, so you’ll enjoy warm, sunny days — just remember the nights can get much cooler, so pack accordingly.

June and November are considered shoulder seasons in most parts of Africa, which have milder temperatures, fewer people, and usually lower prices.

If you are planning to visit Zambia or Zimbabwe to see Victoria Falls, it is best in April-June as it will be in high flow just after the rainy season. I would recommend June so that you can enjoy the falls as well as spend the shoulder season viewing local wildlife.

Heavy rains, long rains as they are called, can be expected in Kenya and Tanzania during April & May which is why they show up as not a good time for a safari below.

We visited Zambia in May 2022, during the Emerald Season. Everything was green and beautiful. We were one of the first in the camps. They had just completed the repairs from the flooding along the Luangwa River. River flows were still pretty high, and there was a lot of climbing up the river banks after crossing from the camps to the national park for our game drives.

We have visited the countries in red!