Where and When to Go

Specialist Reports Special Interest Holidays Safaris Where and When to Go 

The Different Countries

South Africa has the pluses and minuses of colonial British style: plenty of accommodation options and ‘facilities'; but in many of the best an old-fashioned antipathy to children. On the other hand, it offers food likely to be familiar to your children and is cheaper than either East Africa or its nearer neighbours, and is more developed than neighbouring countries Mozambique or Namibia though this second does have a good road network and little traffic with driving on the left, with long drives through some of Africa's most varied landscape with deserts, mountains, dunes and even castles and rock paintings for example at Damaraland. (The dunes are best visited on a 4WD tour, not self-drive.) The national parks can be booked through African Ethos (01403) 243 619 .

Zimbabwe might have been a good alternative with again a good combination of landscape, wildlife and history, plus Victoria Falls, Kariba Lake and Hwangi National Park and with particularly well trained guides ? four years rather than the usual six months in South Africa reports one operator, but is best avoided right now.

Botswana is making determined efforts to take its place with more effort put into its tourism business though traditionally camps have tended to exclude the under 12s ? at least in high season.

East Africa has more animals and also good beaches with hotels offering plenty of watersports.

Kenya is usually considered preferable for children because cheaper and more tourism development means more properties with family rooms and swimming pools for example. This has been for mass market tourism and indeed, for many years the country looked for the fast buck. However, there are genuine pluses. At least one tour operator reports that drivers, guides and hotel staff get on better with children than in other countries and wildlife is reasonably accessible by road. This does mean that with the less specialist operators a visit to the Masai Mara can mean trails of minibuses chasing the same animals, but some operations are now looking for ways of including the local community in the conservation process, not denying access to national parks, limiting the grazing and living areas for pastoral nomads and ventures like Sarara Lodge have enabled for example the Samburu to benefit directly from tourism, owning 50% of the tented lodge at the foot of the Matthews.

In Tanzania, the distances are more significant and you would usually have to fly. It is also a more expensive destination than Kenya but offers some of the best wildlife reserves in the world and Zanzibar is a more upscale beach destination than Mombasa though the hotels do not offer the same types of adventure clubs for children. On the other hand it is considered marginally safer in terms of personal security than Kenya.

When to Go

January to March
Kenya, Rwanda, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa

April to June
Botswana, Namibia, south Africa, Malawi, Zambia

July to September
Botswana, Rwanda, Kenya, south Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia and Zambia.

October to December
Kenya, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Mauritius, Tanzania and Zambia.

Our summer is their winter once you get south of the Equator. During the European summer holidays certain areas of South Africa for example can be chilly, though usually dry with less malaria, lower vegetation and less water, gathering game into fewer defined areas where they are more visible. Temperatures tend to be better suited to Anglo-Saxons - in the upper 20s during the day though falling to around 10ºc at night. If you do go at this time of year ensure you stay somewhere within easy striking distance of one of the major areas of water. In addition air fares and accommodation prices are generally lower. Mid September and October weather is usually decent, November hotter and stormy. December to March is mild or in some areas hot, especially in January and February, and sometimes rainy. This is the period when young are generally born and viewing is best in arid areas such as the Kalahari.

The winter versus summer comparison is even more marked in Zimbabwe and Botswana as summers are very hot and wet bringing mosquitoes and malaria (though dramatic afternoon storms). Best time in Botswana is the dry season May to November. In Botswana the high season is July to end December, it rains December to early March, April, May and June the animals are generally in good condition.

Closer to the Equator the more temperatures tend to be similar year-round, the main temperature variants due to altitude with highland areas generally cooler. In East Africa, April May June and even July - rainy season with high humidity on the coast and game viewing sometimes limited because of impassable roads. June to October is dry cool season when it can be crowded on the Masai Mara. July through September - The wind can bring in seaweed. August to November ? mid season August being the time for the wildebeest migration from the Serengeti and the weather usually warm, dry and fine. During school holidays ? local as well as European ? generally extra busy. November sees the short rains and December to March is high season when it is generally dry.