January
Green season · calvingWildebeest calving begins across the southern Serengeti and Ndutu, with predators close behind. Southern Africa is green and warm, newborns are in the Kruger grass, and Cape Town is at its summer best.
Plan by season
When to go on safari
Africa has no single best month — it has the right month for what you want to see. Pick your travel window below and read what is happening on the ground, from calving and the Mara River crossings to the Okavango flood, whale season and the quiet-value months. Each one links through to the detailed timing guide for that region.
The safari year at a glance
July – October
The Mara crossings
For the Mara River drama, aim for the Masai Mara between late July and October. Crossings are never on a timetable, so book a longer stay to raise your odds.
Read the timing guide →January – MarchCalving season
For newborns and flat-out predator action, the southern Serengeti and Ndutu in February are hard to beat — the single most concentrated wildlife event of the year.
Read the timing guide →July – NovemberWhale season
Southern right whales calve close inshore along the Cape coast, with Hermanus and the Overberg at their peak from August to October.
Read the timing guide →April – May, NovemberGreen-season value
The shoulder months trade a little dry-season predictability for green country, newborns, dramatic light and the lowest rates of the year.
Read the timing guide →Month by month
February
Peak calvingCalving peaks in the Ndutu plains — up to 8,000 wildebeest born a day and the busiest predator month of the year. Namibia carries its green flush and Cape Town stays warm and dry.
March
Shoulder · valueCalving tails off and the herds start their slow move north. Southern Africa stays green with fewer vehicles about, and the Cape winelands come into harvest.
April
Low season · best ratesThe quietest, best-value window of the year. The last rains clear, the Okavango floodwaters begin to push in from the north, and lodge rates sit at their lowest.
May
Dry season opensThe dry season takes hold across East and Southern Africa. Bush thins out, water sources shrink, and game viewing sharpens by the week. The Okavango flood is rising fast.
June
Peak game viewing beginsThe Okavango is in full flood — mokoro season at its finest. Victoria Falls runs at high water, and the migration herds spread through the western and central Serengeti.
July
Mara crossings start · whales arriveThe first Mara River crossings begin as herds reach the Kenya border. Sabi Sand and Kruger game viewing is at its sharpest, and southern right whales arrive off the Cape coast.
August
Peak crossings · peak whalesThe Mara crossings are in full swing — the classic river drama. Southern Africa game viewing peaks, and whale numbers off Hermanus and the Overberg are at their highest.
September
Crossings continue · dry-season peakCrossings carry on in the Mara while the bush is at its driest and animals cluster at water. Spring returns to the Cape, and the Namaqualand wildflowers open in the west.
October
Last crossings · big-game at waterThe final big crossings happen before the herds turn south. Hot and dry conditions pull elephant and buffalo to the waterholes of Hwange, Mana Pools and Kruger — the year's best big-game month.
November
Short rains · green returnsThe short rains draw the migration back toward the southern Serengeti and Ndutu. Southern Africa greens up into its emerald season — dramatic skies, newborns returning and lower rates.
December
Festive · islands & coastCalving starts again in the south as the herds settle on the short-grass plains. Cape Town peaks for summer, and the Indian Ocean islands — Zanzibar and the Mozambique coast — are at their warm, clear best.
Tell us the month you can travel and we will build the journey around what is at its best — herds, water, weather and rates. One named specialist plans it with you from start to finish.