African Safaris in May – Top places for Mountain Gorillas and Wildlife safaris in Africa – Best time with no crowds
African safaris in May – May sees East Africa at the peak of its heavy rains. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania receive their largest rainfall at this time of year, making days unpredictable. In southern Africa, May sees the end of the green season. Visitors start to become interested in the parks in this area, as the bush thins out and animals are attracted back to the permanent sources of water. Beach destinations like Mauritius, Seychelles, and Mozambique all experience dry days with comfortable temperatures.
Botswana
We are huge fans of Botswana in May, as the Okavango is in full flood and the country becomes probably the most beautiful place in Africa at any time of year. The Okavango Delta in full flood is one of Africa’s most beautiful sights. Regarded by those in the know as the ‘secret season, there is a huge advantage to traveling to Botswana during May – Africa’s most expensive safari destination is still in its low season for rates!
Zambia
Zambia’s famous Luangwa bush camps tend to open in May, and the wonderful Lower Zambezi National Park sees the majority of its camps re-open. This is the start of Zambia’s season and is a lovely quiet time to come to the country.
Africa’s cooler temperatures coincide with drier weather as summer’s great rain clouds wring themselves out and fade into winter’s empty blue sky. Having been soaked in summer, Southern Africa’s best safari destination Kruger National Park is now drying out quickly. Game viewing is becoming easier as summer’s generous greenery fades and big herds of zebra, elephant, and buffalo move from rainy-season pastures to dry-season wetlands – their stragglers attracting the attention of predators.
Much of South Africa basks in some of the year’s finest weather and the paradisiacal Indian Ocean islands are some of the best places to visit in May. Considering that May is a ‘shoulder season’ month (a pleasant combination of the almost-peak-but-certainly-not-low season), travelers to Africa will also benefit from more room availability and no high-season crowds.
Africa has long been one of our best places to visit in May. The weather is just about perfect if you go to the right places, and its status as a ‘shoulder season’ means you get most of the advantages of high/peak season without all the downsides of low season. It also marks the start of the best time for game viewing in Southern Africa (June to October), so you can get in first before the crowds arrive and the prices go up.
