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When is the best Season to go on a safari to Zimbabwe?
Weather of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa and so follows the same weather patterns as South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. When deciding when to travel to Zimbabwe, you need to consider a few things that will help determine when the best time is for you.
Traditionally, the rainy season starts in mid-November and ends in March, so is not the best time if you are looking for large herds of animals or if you are looking to go to Mana Pools as it closes during the rains. Hwange is considered a year-round destination as many of the animals are resident, so lion, cheetah, wild dogs and other game remain in the park, they just tend to spread out a bit more as there is more surface water available. Birding at this time of the year is fantastic as the migrants have arrived and are in full breeding plumage. From about December/January Victoria Falls starts to increase as the flood waters from the catchment areas start to reach the falls.
The rainy season is one of the best for wildlife photographers as the colors are vivid with bright blue skies, thick green bush and large white clouds. There are plenty of baby animals around as most antelope and elephants will give birth while there is plenty of food around. The rain also washes the dust out of the air making the skies clear and bright. There are fewer tourists in the parks and so guests get a more exclusive safari experience and best of all, the rates at the safari camps and lodges are a fraction of the price.
From April, Mana Pools reopens as the dry season sets in. The bush is still thick, and the animals are still spread out as there is still a lot of surface water around and walking safaris may not be possible as the thick bush makes it dangerous. This is a great time of year to be on a safari in Zimbabwe as the bush is changing and animals are having to adapt to drying conditions. The later in April and into May you can travel the better the game viewing gets as the smaller waterholes start to dry up and the animals start moving towards the permanent rivers and pans. Rate wise, this is considered the shoulder season and the rates reflect this. Temperatures are warm during the days, but from May nighttime temperatures can drop quite dramatically and it is advised to have jackets on hand for morning and afternoon game drives.
Victoria Falls is pumping now, with some of the highest water levels crashing 120 meters in the gorge below. With so much water going over the falls at this time of the year, the spray often prevents you from getting a clear view and so it is best to get up in a helicopter and get a bird’s eye view of the falls.
From June, the smaller pans have dried up and the bush has started to thin again, making it easier to see the animals. This is the start of the peak season at many camps which is reflected in the highest nightly rates. The larger herds of elephants start congregating around the main waterholes in Hwange and in Mana Pools the animals like eland and buffalo start to make their way down onto the floodplain.
Temperatures in Hwange can drop as low as 43 Degrees at night (sometimes even lower, causing waterpipes to freeze) and so warm clothes are a must for the morning and afternoon game drives. Victoria Falls is in full flow now making it tricky to see the falls from the ground.
The later into the dry season you travel, the bigger the herds of the animals that congregate at the main waterholes, especially in Hwange where you can see over 1,000 elephants at one waterhole within 24 hours. Most of the waterholes in Mana Pools have dried up and the animals are all out on the floodplain relying on the water from the Zambezi River to sustain them through the dry season.
Day time temperatures start to rise from August, through to October when daytime temperatures can rise to well over 95 Degrees with very little wind to cool things down. This is however the best time for game viewing as there is little surface water and the animals congregate around the permanent waterholes and rivers.
Victoria Falls start to dry up from August time until the rains start again. In September, October and November, Victoria Falls can be very disappointing as there is very little water cascading into the gorge below.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa and so follows the same weather patterns as South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. When deciding when to travel to Zimbabwe, you need to consider a few things that will help determine when the best time is for you.
Traditionally, the rainy season starts in mid-November and ends in March, so is not the best time if you are looking for large herds of animals or if you are looking to go to Mana Pools as it closes during the rains. Hwange is considered a year-round destination as many of the animals are resident, so lion, cheetah, wild dogs and other game remain in the park, they just tend to spread out a bit more as there is more surface water available. Birding at this time of the year is fantastic as the migrants have arrived and are in full breeding plumage. From about December/January Victoria Falls starts to increase as the flood waters from the catchment areas start to reach the falls.
The rainy season is one of the best for wildlife photographers as the colors are vivid with bright blue skies, thick green bush and large white clouds. There are plenty of baby animals around as most antelope and elephants will give birth while there is plenty of food around. The rain also washes the dust out of the air making the skies clear and bright. There are fewer tourists in the parks and so guests get a more exclusive safari experience and best of all, the rates at the safari camps and lodges are a fraction of the price.
From April, Mana Pools reopens as the dry season sets in. The bush is still thick, and the animals are still spread out as there is still a lot of surface water around and walking safaris may not be possible as the thick bush makes it dangerous. This is a great time of year to be on a safari in Zimbabwe as the bush is changing and animals are having to adapt to drying conditions. The later in April and into May you can travel the better the game viewing gets as the smaller waterholes start to dry up and the animals start moving towards the permanent rivers and pans. Rate wise, this is considered the shoulder season and the rates reflect this. Temperatures are warm during the days, but from May nighttime temperatures can drop quite dramatically and it is advised to have jackets on hand for morning and afternoon game drives.
Victoria Falls is pumping now, with some of the highest water levels crashing 120 meters in the gorge below. With so much water going over the falls at this time of the year, the spray often prevents you from getting a clear view and so it is best to get up in a helicopter and get a bird’s eye view of the falls.
From June, the smaller pans have dried up and the bush has started to thin again, making it easier to see the animals. This is the start of the peak season at many camps which is reflected in the highest nightly rates. The larger herds of elephants start congregating around the main waterholes in Hwange and in Mana Pools the animals like eland and buffalo start to make their way down onto the floodplain.
Temperatures in Hwange can drop as low as 43 Degrees at night (sometimes even lower, causing waterpipes to freeze) and so warm clothes are a must for the morning and afternoon game drives. Victoria Falls is in full flow now making it tricky to see the falls from the ground.
The later into the dry season you travel, the bigger the herds of the animals that congregate at the main waterholes, especially in Hwange where you can see over 1,000 elephants at one waterhole within 24 hours. Most of the waterholes in Mana Pools have dried up and the animals are all out on the floodplain relying on the water from the Zambezi River to sustain them through the dry season.
Day time temperatures start to rise from August, through to October when daytime temperatures can rise to well over 95 Degrees with very little wind to cool things down. This is however the best time for game viewing as there is little surface water and the animals congregate around the permanent waterholes and rivers.
Victoria Falls start to dry up from August time until the rains start again. In September, October and November, Victoria Falls can be very disappointing as there is very little water cascading into the gorge below.
