When to go - Best times of the year for safari or climbing Mt ...

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Tourists tend to visit East Africa from December through March and from July to September. However, if you're looking to see the wildebeest migration or want to climb Kilimanjaro with beautiful sun, then you should plan accordingly. The long rains tend to start in March and last until late June.

The short rains happen at the end of the year, right before December, but sometimes, like IN 2003, they don't even arrive. The weather is fairly mild, compared to other equatorial countries, and the warmest months tend to be December through March. You can, however, visit East Africa any time of the year - and you can, with luck, find transportation to get you to your desired locations.

The coolest months are June to October, with the warm summer from December to March. Conversely, Zanzibar is a pretty much year-round destination, with cool weather from June to October. In February, you need to be in the shade or in the water, otherwise, the heat and humidity are close to unbearable.

When to go on safari It's always important to think about the weather before venturing out on safari. Do you want a safari pop-top Land Rover with your head peaking out the top in the sun, enjoying the cool breeze while you see a lion prowling around acacia trees. Or, would you like to be smashed in a car while it's raining (africa rain, which is intense), with no animals in sight, and your vehicle getting stuck in the mud? I would imagine it would be the first option.

Roads in almost all of the game parks are rough dirt, sometimes completely non-existent, sometimes fairly descent. However, on safari, it's best to err on the side of caution. Therefore, it's best to generally go on safari in July, August, or September - or even January and February. This doesn't mean that it won't rain - it just means you might have better luck. There is honestly no rule for rain in East Africa, it just comes and goes as it pleases.

While the aforementioned dates are a good rule of thumb, remember that East Africa is huge, and that the seasons different in various parts of the country. Again, I am only giving a general guide for when things might be best.

When to climb Kilimanjaro Mt. Kilimanjaro is why people come to East Africa. Perhaps because it's named "the top of Africa," it has a natural seductiveness that had drawn travelers, missionaries, and slave traders for the last two hundred years. Even though more than 25,000 attempt to climb it every year, it's a fairly simple mountain that that is relatively easy to summit and looks relatively unimpressive compared to other mountains, that is, until you get to experience her.

Most climbers want to summit Kilimanjaro when the weather is the best. The problem is, Kilimanjaro has its own weather system; a set of rules that are not bound by any conventional wisdom or formula. During the long rains, generally April, May, and June, she will disappear behind the clouds and might not return for months. The rest of the year, however, the weather could be good or bad - there might be a freak snowstorm, intense rainfall or there might be a month of sun. Most climbers attempt the mountain in July, August, January and February.

Questions? If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Africa Insiders page.

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