It’s most common for safari-goers to aim for the dry season, when the bushes are sparse, the water spots concentrated, and the animals apparently easier to see. But don’t be tempted to blindly follow this rule, as moments of safari magic can be enjoyed in the depths of the green season – if you know where to look.
The most obvious reason to visit Tanzania in the green season is because the nightly rate is greatly reduced. You can get some exceptional lodges for half price at this time of year in comparison to the ‘peak’ season months. The best season however is that you want to explore the busier parks of Northern Tanzania, you quite often can even get a leopard, lion, or cheetah sighting all to yourself, without the buzz of other tourists.
Just because wildlife can be harder to spot, it doesn’t mean it’s not there: the Serengeti is always home to an exceptional array of species throughout the year – as long as you’ve got a good guide who can find them for you. (Luckily, we know where to find those!)
The stereotype of safari can sometimes be tumbleweed dancing in the wind and scorching, undulating horizons dotted with struggling wildlife, desperate for a droplet of water. In the depths of dry season, it can sometimes seem this bleak for vulnerable limping antelopes, and irritable lions rarely emerge from the shade to face the day’s heat. In the dire straits, safari action can of course be explosive, with wildlife chaos around every turn.
But the wildlife is much more vibrant in the green season. The parks burst into life, flowers bloom, migratory birds arrive and the newly born skip about like lambs at Easter. It’s a joyous time to see nature at its most abundant. New life is also a feature of the green season, making it a wonderful time to feel immersed in the thriving life cycle of the African wilderness; to feel its boundless possibilities, rather than witness its most brutal realities.
For photographers, the ever-present clouds provide an atmospheric background to any shot!
