Every year in the African bush, at a specific time in December, the bushveld of Africa begins a magical transformation.
The storm clouds gather, and the thirsty veld lands open up to the new rainfall. Within a matter of weeks, the dry and hot landscape is painted with hundreds of shades of green; new flowers burst from the ground; the colourful migrant birds arrive from the north; the herds gather on the plains to feed, and the tiny young impala drop from their mothers as they begin their new life in the wilderness.
This is the Green Season in Africa!
If you speak to some safari experts, they will tell you to travel to Africa in the dry season—when most of the game is concentrated around water sources and the bush is a little thinner and easier to see through.
But that’s not the whole story. What they are negating to tell you is that the Green Season is far more spectacular than the dry season in many important ways. So, in order to feel fully in the loop, here are some of the reasons why the Green Season is so special .
The colours
It’s as if a painter arrived in the bush and splashed all his greens on the landscape. Full-leafed acacia trees cast deep, cool shade over rolling green lawns; flowers leap up out of the sand, and crusty salt pans turn into shimmering wetlands full of honking waterbirds and colourful migratory species. The rich colors of each sunrise and sunset makes every day of the Green Season a wonder to witness.
The wildlife
Aside from the spectacular colours that appear, the Green Season also brings new life. It may be a little harder to see some of the big animals in all the new foliage, but the diversity of creatures that comes with the rains more than makes up for it. The insects, birds, antelope and reptiles all appear in the bush as if by magic.
Photography
Green Season is a photographer’s dream. The spectacular display of colours makes landscapes pop out like no other time of year, and if you enjoy photographing some of the smaller things: like insects, birds and young animals, then you won’t find a better time to snap away on your camera. The clean-washed air makes colours richer and deeper, the cloud-stacked sunsets are more intense.
New Births
One of the most spectacular displays of the Green Season are the new impala births that happen in all the areas of the bush. The gangly little lambs drop down onto the ground and are up and walking in minutes, ready to take on the world. Following close behind, though, are the leopards! It’s easy pickings for the cats, and if you follow one of these predators for long enough, there is a good chance you will see a kill.
Gathering herds
In the Savuti area of Chobe National Park, the Green Season marks the beginning of a great annual zebra migration as they go marching across the country to meet the new rains and the summer grazing, eagerly followed by big cats and wild dogs. In the Kalahari, the Green Season conjures lines of wildebeest and zebra that wind their way onto the Makgadikgadi grasslands. Buffalo and elephant arrive at Nxai Pan National Park while the Central Kalahari Game Reserve – home to huge herds of springbok – echoes to the sounds of contented fat-bellied lion, leopard and cheetahs.
The Birds
Green Season is the magnet that brings in the migrants. During the warm summer months, numerous species of birds arrive in sub-saharan Africa as they make their way down from the cold European winter. Their magnificent colours litter the bush with bee-eaters, swallows, cuckoos, kingfishers, kites, swallows, bee-eaters and rollers fill the air with extravagant song and colour…. even non-birders will get caught up in the excitement during a Green Season safari.
Affordability
The great irony of the Green Season is that it is the low season for travel in Africa. While there are many factors that make the green season one of the best times to travel in Africa, most travellers are told to rather come to Africa in the dryer months. But this presents wonderful opportunities for travel deals, as the lodges lower their prices and offer special rates.
So, not only can you get better prices, you are also sharing the parks and reserves with less people, making your experience all the more exclusive!
