Field notes & travel guides
Practical planning guides and stories from the guides, camps and communities we work with.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Botswana
The best time for a Botswana safari is May to October, peaking in July to September, when the Okavango Delta flood is at its height and Chobe's elephants concentrate on the river. December to April is better for the Kalahari, Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan, where the green season brings zebra, calving and predators.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Kenya
Kenya's best safari months are July to October, when migrating wildebeest are in the Maasai Mara and the bush is dry and open. Late January and February offer a good, much quieter second window. April and May — the long rains — are the months to avoid for general game viewing.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Namibia
The best time for a Namibia safari is May to October, and specifically August to October for Etosha, when every animal must come to a waterhole. April, May and September offer the best all-round combination of game and comfortable desert travel. January and February are the weakest months for wildlife.
Best Time to Go on Safari in South Africa
The best time for a South African safari is the dry winter, May to September, peaking in August and September when Kruger's bush is thinnest and malaria risk is lowest. But Cape Town is at its best from November to March — the two calendars conflict, and April–May or September–October is the usual compromise.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Tanzania
The best time for a Tanzania safari is the dry season, roughly June to October, when thinning grass and shrinking water sources concentrate game. Late January to February is the alternative peak, for wildebeest calving on the southern Serengeti plains. April and May — the long rains — are the weakest months for most of the country.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Uganda
Uganda's best months are the two drier windows: June to August and December to February, when Bwindi's forest trails are least slippery and savanna game viewing in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth is at its most reliable. March to May is the wettest period — harder trekking, but the lowest prices.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Zambia
Zambia's safari season is June to October, peaking in August to October when the bush is driest and walking safaris are at their best. Most Luangwa and Kafue camps close from around November to May. April usually brings peak flow at Victoria Falls; October and November bring the lowest.
Best Time to Go on Safari in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe's best safari months are August to October, when Hwange's pumped waterholes draw enormous elephant concentrations and Mana Pools walking safaris are at their peak. Victoria Falls is at maximum flow around April and at its lowest around October and November. January and February are the months to avoid.
Great Migration Month by Month: Where the Herds Actually Are
The Great Migration has no timetable. Herds track rainfall and grass quality, so months shift year to year. Typically: calving on the southern Serengeti and Ndutu short-grass plains December–March, Grumeti crossings May–July, Mara River crossings July–October, and a southward return November–December. Crossings are unscheduled events — budget three to four nights near a river to have a realistic chance.
Kenya vs Tanzania for a First Safari
For a first safari of a week or less, Kenya is usually easier: shorter transfers, more varied parks and cheaper access. Tanzania suits travellers with ten days or more who want the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and fewer vehicles. Cost is closer than most comparisons admit once park fees are read properly; neither is reliably cheaper.
Malaria on Safari: What Official Guidance Says
Malaria risk on safari is regional and seasonal. Official sources classify Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia as high risk year-round, southern African destinations as strongly seasonal, and parts of Namibia, the Kalahari and South Africa’s Cape and Eastern Cape as very low or no risk. Prophylaxis decisions belong to a travel clinic.
Masai Mara vs Serengeti: An Honest Comparison
They are one ecosystem split by a border. Choose the Masai Mara for compact, high-density game viewing and July to October river crossings on short trips. Choose the Serengeti for scale, lower entry fees and a year-round migration. The Mara costs more per day and is more crowded; the Serengeti demands more time.
Visas and Entry Requirements for Safari Countries
Nine safari countries now run four different entry systems. Kenya requires an eTA before travel, Uganda an e-visa with no visa-on-arrival option, and Namibia ended visa-free entry for 33 nationalities in April 2025. South Africa’s ETA launched in August 2026 but is not yet compulsory for visa-exempt travellers.
Safari Safety: Wildlife, Vehicles and Camps
Park authorities require visitors to stay in vehicles except in designated areas — and the only systematic study of tourist attacks found that of 21 incidents over a decade, just one involved someone inside a vehicle. The statistically riskiest part of most safaris is not wildlife at all, but the driving.
Safari Vaccinations: What the Official Sources Require
Of the nine main safari countries, only Uganda requires a yellow fever certificate from all arrivals. The other eight require one only from travellers arriving from — or in some cases transiting — a country WHO lists as having yellow fever transmission risk. Requirements are legal entry conditions and change; verify before travel.
Serengeti vs Ngorongoro: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Ngorongoro Crater for guaranteed density in a single day: Big Five including black rhino inside roughly 260 km2. Choose the Serengeti for space, variety and the wildebeest migration across 14,763 km2. Most northern-circuit itineraries include both, because they answer different questions. Ngorongoro is one day; the Serengeti needs three.