East African Safaris in May – When to go where in East Africa – Top safari destinations in May
East African safaris in May – When is the best time to come on safari in East Africa?’ Africa is a vast continent straddling the Equator, boasting six time zones. The upshot of this is a vast area of profoundly differing vegetation covers, climates, topography, and animal life that occupies the myriad niches provided by these variations. The good news is that there is always a good safari season in Africa. You just need to be aware of what you want to see and where you would like to see it then the ‘when’ becomes pretty simple.
Great Adventure Safaris split the periods, rather arbitrarily into four see the other three periods at the end of this feature. These roughly equate with the seasons (such as they are in the areas far enough from the equator). As you will see, however, there is overlap, and Africa, being Africa, always offers unpredictability and excitement.
Overview to May
Weather conditions in most and East Africa are best at this time of year with clear skies, stars forever, and golden warm temperatures. Wildlife viewing can be a little patchy in some places as much of the vegetation remains thick, and animals do not need to travel far for water. It’s the beginning of safari season in Zambia and the wetter parts of northern Zimbabwe. East Africa is experiencing their long rains, but there are still some fantastic opportunities to travel in the low season. This is the perfect time to adventure to Chad in Central Africa.
This is not the best time to visit East Africa as, with luck, it will be experiencing the famous long rains. Many lodges will be closed in the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park in Tanzania and other destinations will have limited access to their reserves. Remember, however, that the Ngorongoro Crater is accessible at all times of the year. Much of the Masai Mara National Reserve is accessible and there are very few people so it is possible to have a wonderful time on your East African safari and always make sure you have a good rain jacket. In Tanzania, Serengeti National Park the Great Wildebeest Migration is in the southwest of the park, with plenty of youngsters around.
Uganda, much of the country is very wet but mostly still accessible especially in the northern part of the country. If you can cope with the rain and slippery conditions, then all the classic destinations are accessible Bwindi Impenetrable, Queen Elizabeth, and Murchison Falls National Parks being the best option.
Rwanda is also wet, but Mountain Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is possible if you are fit and able to cope with the slippery conditions. You could be lucky with discounts. In Ethiopia, you might find light rains, but this should not hamper trekking and you could find some good discounts in the northern highlands and Bale Mountains National Park.
