Top East African Safari in December – The best time to visit East Africa – Gorilla and Wildlife Safaris
Top East African safari in December – As the wet season starts to set in, wildlife viewing becomes more difficult in some parts of East Africa, as waterholes across the country open up and the herds disperse into the smaller group but still have enough concentrations of the game to guarantee a top-quality East African safari.
An East African safari in December allows you to experience – the African green season – when the bush comes alive with fresh grass growth – flowers, and newborn animals, and being summer it makes for ideal safari and beach holidays.
Enjoy the Great Wildebeest Migration in relative isolation; you could do far worse than be in the central Serengeti during December. With the peak season over, there will be far fewer human travelers just the impressive spectacle of the herds bound for the southern Serengeti calving grounds. Resident lion pride lies in wait, which can result in dramatic hunting scenes.
While summer storms light up Southern African skies, Uganda enters a three-month dry period that creates ideal Mountain Gorilla tracking conditions in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. Paths are less slippery, while the absence of rain means better visibility and you won’t be peering through the mist to see Mountain Gorillas. Similar conditions also occur from June to August each year, with the forest being impenetrable in name only. Go full primate, by tracking the Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park.
Tanzania’s light rains have a substantial effect on the movement of game in the lesser-known reserves – Katavi, Ruaha, and Selous see a dramatic shift in-game volumes as herds disperse across these vast parks. The result is substantially more difficult big game-viewing. However, Tanzania’s Northern Circuit is fantastic at this time of year, with the Serengeti’s Great Wildebeest Migration in full swing.
Kenya’s short rains are usually over by mid-December and the dry season is beginning. After the rains the scenery looks dramatically green and although this can make game viewing more difficult than the dry season do not let this put you off. Kenya in December is a great month for a safari in Kenya and works extremely well for Christmas or New Year breaks, although you must book these key dates a long way in advance to get the best Camps.
