Planning to visit Africa but not sure where to start? Let us whet your appetite with our month-by-month guide to this incredible continent. Rest assured, whenever you want to travel, there will always be something spectacular to see and do. So, get your calendar ready for some of our favourite bucket list safaris!
January
Bear witness to one of Africa’s lesser-known wildlife migrations as around 15,000 zebra make their way from Botswana’s Okavango Delta to the remote Makgadikgadi Pans, enjoying their fill of fresh grasses following the rains. Put your intrepid ‘hat’ on and venture into Bwindi’s (almost) impenetrable forest where families of endangered mountain gorillas live protected and undisturbed. For a good helping of island bliss, Zanzibar is truly sublime at this time of year, and you’ll find whale sharks around the coastline and epic diving, with water clarity of 25 metres or more.
February
Be enthralled by the calving season in Tanzania’s southern Serengeti, where around 500,000 newborn wildebeest, zebra and antelope take their first shaky steps, and the big cats are never far away! Sunny South Africa beckons and Cape Town is at its best in the southern hemisphere summer, when ripened grapes fill the vineyards, the beaches are heavenly and the views from Table Mountain are wonderfully clear. Take yourself well and truly off-the-beaten-path on a trip to Zakouma National Park, Chad’s wild and lively gem, where animals gather round the waterholes in impressive numbers.
March
Head to Zambia’s iconic South Luangwa when the rains have left behind a shamrock-green landscape and a brimming river, where crocodile and hippo are sure to amaze on a boat or walking safari. It’s also one of the best times to see African painted dog, a staple on many a bucket list! Venture further south on the continent to the mountain kingdom of Lesotho, a unique and startling place where the hikes and horseback adventures are always memorable.
April
There is plenty of adrenaline-inducing fun to be had at Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. During high water season, go white water rafting over level five rapids, bungee jump into the mist-enveloped gorge or get an angel’s point of view on a helicopter flight over the waterfall. Just next door, enjoy boating safaris along the magnificent Chobe, a river that boasts one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. Discover one of South Africa’s more under-the-radar destinations on a horseback safari through the Waterberg, where you’ll get closer to the wildlife than you ever thought possible.
May
Ever fancy getting in a car and just driving into the sunset? Well, there are few better places to do so than Namibia, where honey-coloured dunes, desert-adapted wildlife and fairytale landscapes are the name of the game. And the best part is, you can spend as much time as you like admiring them. Next up, Madagascar is an island as magical as they come with forests filled with animated creatures (80% of them are endemic) and sensational reefs to dive. Get to know Zimbabwe’s wildlife greats, beginning with cruises on Lake Kariba (hello world-class fishing and melting sunsets) and ending in Hwange, the land of the elephant – they’ll even wander through camp!
June
Explore ‘The Selous’, where you can spot African painted dog and a cast of epic wildlife on foot, before fly-camping under a blanket of stars. Did someone say bucket list safari? Africa is full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences but seeing mountain gorillas in the mist of Volcanoes National Park is one of our favourites. You’ll trek through the forested foothills to see them grooming, foraging and, if it’s timed just right, building a nest for the night. Get to know Kenya’s conservation giants, beginning with Laikipia where you can see the last remaining northern white rhino in the world, before spotting rare northern species in Lewa Downs.
July
Come face to face with Africa’s megafauna on their own turf whilst exploring the remote North Luangwa on a walking safari. Discover the icons of Botswana, beginning with game drives to see the majestic pachyderms of Chobe and ending in the iconic Okavango Delta, which you’ll experience on mokoro rides and island walks. Follow the sunshine and surf to Mozambique for snorkelling in crystalline water, reclining on beaches lined with mango trees, and watching migrating humpback whales from the shore.
August
Arrive in the Serengeti as the tumultuous herds of wildebeest gather on the banks of the Mara River in the hopes of seeing them make their perilous dash across crocodile-infested waters. Escape into the second largest rainforest in the world, Odzala, where you’ll trek to see Western lowland gorilla in their leafy sanctuary and canoe down tranquil rivers. There’s always time to wiggle your toes in the sand and we know just the place: pick one of the pristine islands of the Seychelles and let the relaxation commence.
September
Get to know Namibia in its extremes, from game drives in Etosha (you merely have to park at a waterhole and wait) to the untouched landscapes of Sossusvlei where lone oryx tread their way amongst the dunes and the petrified forests of Deadvlei. Head for one of Zimbabwe’s wildlife gems, Mana Pools, where canoe trips reveal banks heavy with hippos and a steady flow of wildlife arrives to drink. During Victoria Falls’ driest season, the usually inaccessible Devil’s Pool is revealed and taking a dip here trumps any man made infinity pool. There’s nothing quite like it…
October
Take the photograph of a lifetime on an open-topped drive through South Luangwa, one of southern Africa’s most spectacular wildlife areas, also known as the ‘Valley of the Leopards’ – hint, hint. When the summer crowds have left and the foliage is still helpfully bare, take the chance to go wildlife-spotting (the numbers and biodiversity is incredible) in South Africa’s safari King, the Kruger. End off with a flying safari along the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, where weather shipwrecks and sun-bleached whale bones punctuate the rugged, dreamy shore.
November
Where few have ever travelled or seen, the Danakil Depression is the hottest and lowest place on earth, and a fantastical location for a mobile expedition. You’ll meet its only residents, the impressive Afar people, hike across salt pans and lava lakes, and gaze into the rim of an active volcano. As summer arrives in South Africa, take a road trip down the Garden Route, hiking the flourishing trails of Tsitsikamma, canoeing along the coast, and watching for whales in Hermanus. Among the best of the best bucket list safaris is the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, a lush caldera where black rhino, giant tuskers and black-maned lion roam.
December
A true beauty spot along South Africa’s coast, Knysna is an idyllic town with charming art galleries, bird-happy forests and every manner of water activity – bob along the canals on a stand-up paddleboard or follow dolphins through the Knysna Heads on a catamaran. For the more adventure-inclined, the rainforests of Virunga in the DRC are calling, where you’ll trek through the greenery to spend a precious hour with a family of mountain gorillas. End off your year on an island paradise off the East Coast of Africa, where the diving is sublime and there’s always a hammock to swing in.
