When Is the Best Time to Go on Safari?
Nothing but breathing the air of Africa, and actually walking through it,
can communicate the indescribable sensations”
– William Burchell
As soon as you can!
Seriously, we get asked this question all the time, and the truth is that we can give you a good reason to go on safari to our beloved Zimbabwe any month you name! That’s because the Wilderness concessions in Hwange National Park are one of the most prolific year-round wildlife areas anywhere.
Don’t be waiting for the ‘perfect’ time of year, or for the perfect time in your life! Don’t put it on a bucket list that you hope to get to ‘one day’. Circumstances can change without warning, and then you may always regret missing your chance to go on safari. If a safari is really important to you – and the fact that you are reading this at all suggests that it may be – then make it happen! Do it now.
We generally plan our Tasimba trips in April/May and October/November to give our guests the choice between two equally incredible but quite distinct seasons.
Fall and early winter
April & May are fall in the southern hemisphere. The summer rains are over and the long dry season has begun but there is still plenty of nutritious savannah grazing for wildlife like buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, impala and their fast-growing young.
As the natural waterholes of summer dry up, elephants return in increasing numbers to the 14 pumped waterholes in the concession. And wherever there are herds of plains game, there will be predators, particularly lions, cheetahs and hyenas.
As an added bonus, this is the time of year that Victoria Falls (where our safari starts) is at its’ annual peak flow. It earns its place as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it is absolutely breathtaking!
It’s a wonderful time to be on safari! Daytime temperatures are in the low 80’sF (27 – 29C) and overnight temperatures in the mid-50’s (+/- 12C).
Early summer
October & November are early summer but the seasonal rains are yet to arrive. The land is parched after 7 months or more, and nature and wildlife are waiting for the rain. At this time of year, the sun is directly overhead at noon and daytime temperatures are in the mid-90’sF (35C).
Everything revolves around the life-sustaining, pumped waterholes. We will see literally hundreds of elephants coming to drink their daily requirement of 45 gallons of water and to roll in the mud to cool themselves down. All the other animals also flock to the waterholes, including huge herds of buffalo arriving in great clouds of dust. The predators keep watch nearby.
It’s a wonderful time to be on safari! We can sit by waterholes in the 4X4 vehicles for hours at a time, fascinated to watch the interactions of animals as they come and go.
If we’re really lucky, we will get to smell what is called petrichor, the evocative smell of the first rains on hot, dry soil. It’s a smell you will never forget and that, for the rest of your life, will take you back to Africa.
Anytime
Whichever season you choose, to all of the inspiration of nature and wildlife you encounter in this amazing wilderness, Tasimba adds our own deeply immersive passion and purpose in a week-long experience that will remain in your heart, mind and soul forever.
The truth is that the best time to go on safari is just as soon as you can book your Tasimba experience! Do it now!
If not now, when?”
– Author Unknown
Tasimba. Do it now. Naturally.
Our Next Trip Dates:
Tasimba Signature Safari: April 23rd to 30th, 2024 (Book now)
Tasimba Signature Safari: May 6th to 13th, 2024 (Sold Out)
Tasimba Signature Safari: October 28th to November 4th, 2024 (Book now)
We also offer customized Tasimba Safaris for families, friends and affinity groups
View our stunning safari brochures here
Contact us about our next safari. We’d love to have you join us!
