October

October reveals the first signs that the end of the dry season is near but in general, it’s another top choice for a safari in most of Eastern and Southern Africa – particularly if you like the heat! It's a hot month, and in some places, you may notice a spot of humidity creeping in and rain clouds gathering towards November. But the weather is an unpredictable old thing and it certainly shouldn’t put you off a safari, especially when the game viewing is still as fabulous as it is. It’s also a dreamy time to combine a South Africa safari with the city lights of Cape Town and a spot of Indian Ocean beach-lounging.

HIGHLIGHTS

Best places to visit in October

Kenya

The Masai Mara: possibly the continent’s most loved and most loathed wildlife destination, especially when the herds of the Great Migration are plunging across the Mara River in their great show of life and death. So, what to do if the migration is on your bucket-list, but the crowds of tourists definitely aren’t? Visit in October. The masses have left (thank you, European summer holidays), but the weather is still lovely and, even better, many of the wildebeest are still in residence and will be crossing back over the river to Tanzania’s Serengeti.

South Africa

Finding the best time of year to combine the Kruger with Cape Town and a dreamy Indian Ocean island isn’t as easy as it sounds. But if you’re travelling in October, you’ve hit the jackpot. Cape Town is emerging into a sparkling spring, and you’ll find the Mother City bathed in crisp sunshine and blue skies – ideal for wine-tasting, restaurant-hopping, mountain-climbing and just about anything else you fancy. Game viewing in the Kruger in October is excellent and most animals will be congregated around the waterholes in the dry bush, making wildlife-watching a dream. And then Mozambique: calm water, clear skies, hot temperatures, cold cocktails. Perfect.

Botswana

Another classic combination for October is the marvellous Victoria Falls combined with a Botswana safari (and a spot of Indian Ocean lounging too if you please). Vic Falls is starting to dry out a little, but it’s still pretty damn impressive, and a few days chilling out on the banks of the Zambezi is a great way to start any trip, especially in the heat of October. Concentrations of game across Botswana will leave you dazzled, and no matter where you pick on the Indian Ocean coast, you’re only a couple of flights away from some serious Vitamin D.