Visiting Africa for a safari or a vacation will be one of the best experiences you will ever have in your life. There are many unique and amazing activities that awaits a Traveler to Africa. If you have any doubts, you 
should tune in wildlife and natural world channels. African has some of best places to view wildlife in the world. After making a decision to visit Africa for a safari, the question that comes to mind is when the best time to do so. This article considers East, West, Central and Southern Africa.
The best time to visit Africa for a safari will always depend on the country you plan to visit, the climatic seasons, the activities you plan to register for and other personal needs. Tourist who plan to visit Africa for a safari or vacation need to do research about their trip and gather all the necessary information in order to make informed decisions. This research should focus on 
travel seasons, climatic patterns, costs and security among others. Doing research before deciding on a travel date ensures that you do not miss out on experiencing a specific natural phenomenon or spotting certain wildlife. Some natural phenomenon like the great migration of wildebeests in the Serengeti national park of Tanzania only occur during specific seasons. You also don’t want to visit a specific country at a time when unwanted cyclones devastate the tropical beaches you plan to visit.
Although the continent of Africa is largely characterized by warm temperatures all year round, some regions in the southern part of Africa may have different conditions. South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia experience slightly different climatic conditions that can go from very cold to very hot during the dry seasons. Determining the best time to visit Africa can also depend on the nature of your trip. Is it restricted to a specific vacation, country or time/season? If one is limited to traveling during the summer, he/she can plan to visit countries that offer outstanding tourism activities during the summer holidays.
As we will discuss more shortly, a wildlife safari in Africa is excellent between June to September. That is 
also the time when most Travelers in Europe and North America are on vacation. If one only has the month of March to May to go for a safari, they should not hesitate but proceed with their plans of visiting their favorite countries in Africa. Generally viewing the majority of the wild will be more difficult around this time because of the rains and resultant thick vegetation cover. As we will discover shortly, the rain season comes with its own advantages. You might want to read more about the best season to visit Uganda or what to pack for a safari in Africa. For those planning to travel with children, read about traveling with kids in a safari. If you are concerned about safety, go to the article about safety while traveling in Africa.
Best Time to visit Africa – Low Season (Rainy season)
In general, most African countries have what we call the low and peak Tourism seasons. The low season is characterized by fewer Tourists visiting the continent for a safari. The fewer number of tourists during the low season is attributed to unfavorable climatic conditions (heavy rains and cyclones). Heavy rains and cyclones are experienced in some of the tropical beaches of the Indian Ocean (Kenya and Tanzania) or other beaches in the southern parts of Africa. Countries close to the equator experience similar climatic patterns with two wet and dry seasons. However, other factors like presence of oceans, mountain ranges and deserts have ensured that some countries in Africa experience different climatic conditions. For example, Namibia can be very hot with arid conditions while the western cape of South Africa experiences winter conditions.
A Traveler can choose to visit Africa during the low season or go to areas experiencing extreme weather conditions to enjoy discounts from luxury accommodation facilities. Hotels at the Kruger National park and Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa can be very expensive during the summer. The same can also be said of Botswana’s Okavango National park and Chobe national park. These two parks have accommodation facilities that get expensive during the peak season but low during months with fewer tourists.
Eastern African generally has more pleasant weather patterns with temperatures remaining consistently warm all year round. There are two rainy seasons and two dry seasons in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda). The sun shows up immediately it has stopped raining in East Africa. The stability in weather conditions in East Africa makes it an excellent safari destination regardless of the month one chooses to travel.
Why you should or shouldn’t visit Africa during the low/rainy season.
What are the advantages of traveling during the low season? If one is a budget Traveler, they should consider traveling during the low season. There are discounts given out by accommodation facilities and even national parks. There are gorilla permit discounts in Rwanda and Congo during the low season. The 
safari camps and national parks are less crowded during low season thus enabling Tourists to have more private wildlife encounters. Since the low season is characterized by heavy rains, the scenery is generally more beautiful with lush green vegetation which are excellent for photography. There is also less dust and birds are everywhere. The low season is excellent for birding because during this time, Africa receives millions of migrating birds from as far as Europe and Asia. The rains enrich the soils/vegetation and hence plenty to eat for wildlife.
The rainy season is also the best time to observe the great migrations of animals like wildebeests, zebras and antelopes among others. During great migration in East Africa, animals cross the Mara and other river to go find greener pastures. It’s very thrilling to see how they skillfully cross rivers while dodging the hungry crocodiles. It’s during the rainy seasons that grazing animals in the Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Crater produce their young. The calving period coincides with the rainy season because there is plenty of water and food for the mothers and newborns. During the low/rainy seasons, gorillas have plenty to eat and tend to move down to the lower slopes of the mountains to get warmth. They move less and can easily be seen by tourists without having to trek for long distances.
So what are the disadvantages of traveling during the rainy/low seasons? Because of the heavy rains, the vegetation cover is denser hence making it more challenging to spot certain wildlife. Moreover, because of the abundance of water, the animals do not converge at drinking holes which would be the perfect place to observe all the species in one place. It has been observed that heavy rains can delay travel schedules by causing roads to become muddy/slippery. Gorilla Tracking or any outdoor activities can become more challenging under muddy conditions. Although safari vehicles are built like a tank and with all-wheel drives, they struggle to navigate through muddy roads in the park. Some national parks may be closed if the rains bring floods or become too heavy.
Best Time to visit Africa – Peak Season (Dry Season)
The peak seasons occur during the drier months of June to August and December to February. These seasons cut across most of the countries close to the equator or within the tropics. During this time, wildlife behavior is more predictable due to the dry climate which means less food and water. The animals 
are forced to get out of hiding to search for food in the scanty drying vegetation. During game drives one will see animals wondering about in the jungle looking for food or gathering around the few remaining water holes to drink/cool themselves. Predators like lions, cheetahs, leopards and others also show up and take advantage of the weak/hungry animals gathered to drink. The hot sun tends to dry up the vegetation making it scanty hence enabling clear distant views of the animals during game drives. Viewing the great animal migrations in the Serengeti National park is best during the peak seasons.
What are the disadvantages of traveling during the peak/dry season? Most Travelers visit Africa during the peak seasons. As such, it is difficult to get discounts because of the high demand for accommodation facilities and other services. Gorilla trekking permits and other Park fees are more expensive. It is therefore important to book your safari or trip to Africa a few months earlier so that you don’t get any last minute disappointments.
To conclude, there is no specific best time to visit Africa. It all depends on the time you have available to travel and the activities you wish to do. One thing to keep in mind is that most parts of Africa don’t have extreme weather changes. With climate change and global warming, it’s becoming more and more difficult to predict weather patterns and even wildlife behavior. It is possible to visit during the dry season and find the rains still in place or go during the rainy season and find that the dry spell is still ongoing.
