Green Season: Why the “Off” Months May Be the Best Ones

Safari marketing loves the dry season: animals crowded around waterholes, golden grass, cloudless skies. It is spectacular. But some of the most rewarding safaris happen when the rains arrive and most visitors stay away.

What changes

In southern Africa, the rains generally fall from around November to April; in East Africa there are long rains around April and May and short rains around November. The landscape turns green almost overnight. Animals disperse because water is everywhere, so game viewing takes more patience — but the bush is full of life.

The rewards

• Newborns. Many antelope give birth with the first rains, and predators follow.
• Birds. Migrant birds arrive and residents put on breeding plumage — it is the best time of year for birders.
• Light. Clean air and storm skies make for dramatic photography.
• Space. Far fewer vehicles at sightings.
• Price. Many camps offer significantly lower rates.

The trade-offs

Rain usually falls in afternoon storms rather than all day, but some roads become impassable and some remote camps close completely. Thicker vegetation makes animals harder to spot, and it is hot and humid. Malaria risk is higher, so take medical advice seriously.

Where green season works best

• South Luangwa, Zambia — the “emerald season”, with boat safaris on the flooded river.
• Botswana’s Kalahari and Makgadikgadi — zebra and wildebeest migrations and predators.
• Southern Serengeti, Tanzania — the calving season, around January to March.

Plan carefully, choose camps that stay open, and you may find the “off” months are the best ones. See our month-by-month guide.