I won’t lie, I miss discussing safaris with my clients every day, working on itineraries, finding the right lodge or camp and the experiences that will leave them in awe. I used some of my down time to create an Africa & Wildlife activity pack for children, to help busy parents finding various form of entertainment for them while being educational. I was overwhelmed by the response as I receive no less than 100 requests from parents and made over 120 personalised certificates for each child! Requests are still coming through, so if you are interested, please email me with the name of your child(ren) and I will send you a free activity pack too.
Like all travel agents, I am spending most of my time helping clients to rebook or obtain a refund for their recent and upcoming holidays. I am very much hoping that all departures to safari destinations this summer will be possible, and when it comes to new bookings, I would suggest to look at departures from September onwards.
In fact, this is the industry’s new recommendation, but of course we can never be 100% accurate. At the moment, 2021 is business as usual and you can already make plans now! I’ve started to work on October holidays and this has immediately filled me with the enthusiasm and energy I love to have when I do my job.
4 REASONS TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY NOW:
1. Now is a great time to start looking at your Autumn and Winter holidays because travel companies (airlines, operators, hotels) are more flexible as they really need to bookings now to manage the crisis, which will not be the case when we can travel as usual. They will all need to make their money back and this, you guessed it, means price increase.
2. Also, bear in mind that many recent holidays have been postponed to Autumn, Christmas or next year and all bookings already made in October onwards have not been cancelled. This means that availability will not be greater closer to the dates, don’t book last minute! Some hotels may have even closed down by then making availabilities possibly worse. In addition, when it comes to safaris, they should never be booked at the last minute, so now is the perfect time to discuss your plans for later this year or 2021!
3. I imagine that you are thinking: ‘better safe than sorry, I won’t book if there is a chance of my hotels closing down or my airline ceasing to operate.’ I understand this. But this is exactly why you should book all your trip with a travel agent / agency so that your holiday is protected, as opposed as booking each element separately believing that you are saving a few pounds. Discuss the few pounds as a discount instead but book with peace of mind. Indeed, Rare Encounters (safaris) and Morelli Travel (rest of the world) are ABTA bonded.
4. Lastly, Africa NEEDS tourism to survive, both the wildlife and people. Tourism is a major industry that generates revenues to African countries by securing jobs but also protecting its wildlife. In other words, wildlife conservation is possibly thanks to tourists. Poaching has increased with reported seizure of 6 tonnes of African pangolin scales in Malaysia, at least 9 rhinos poached in South Africa since het lockdown and 6 in Botswana, but sadly the list keeps going on. These are direct effect of the lack of tourists making poachers taking advantage of the situation.
Without tourists, national parks and reserves become a playground for poachers who do not risk been seen, especially as there aren’t enough anti poaching rangers to control them.
So, if you are considering Africa anytime from September 2020 onwards, here is a quick overview of where you could go. If you are looking at 2021 holidays, send me an email or give me a call: +44 7815553834 for a free consultation so we can discuss what would be best for you, as the time will also impact the destination.
WHERE TO GO ON AFRICAN SAFARI BETWEEN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER:
- Southern Africa: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana
South Africa: September and October provide excellent game viewing in the Kruger, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and KwaZulu-Natal. September is also the best time to watch whales when their number is the highest though you can see them until November.
For Christmas in Cape Town, book well in advance!
The rest of South Africa is great all year around!
Zebras in Karongwe Portfolio, South Africa
© Geraldine Morelli 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Zambia: from September through mid-November which is the end of the dry season. In November, there's a smaller version of the Great Migration where 30,000 wildebeest gather in Zambia's Liuwa Plain National Park.
Baboon in Lower Zambezi National Park ,Zambia
© Geraldine Morelli 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Zimbabwe: July to October is the best time to go to Zimbabwe's excellent wildlife parks, especially Hwange National Park, the largest game reserve in the country. Note that Victoria Falls won’t be as impressive at the end of the dry season in October though.
Elephants in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
© Geraldine Morelli 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Bostawana: June through September is the best time to go on safari in Botswana, but you can also go to the country incredible parks in October where the prices might be kinder to the wallet. There is also a Zebra migration in Botswana between November to February.
Fish Eagle on the Chobe River, Botswana
© Geraldine Morelli 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Namibia: May to October winter months are dry and the best time to visit Namibia for game viewing - especially in Etosha National Park. Note that September and October can be extremely hot.
Many birders come to Namibia, and the best time to visit is during the summer months from December to March, but be prepared for some scorching and humid weather.
Note: If you’d like to do a specific activity o want to see specific animals, then there might be a narrower window for your travel dates, I can help with this.
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Note: If you’d like to do a specific activity o want to see specific animals, then there might be a narrower window for your travel dates, I can help with this.
- Eastern African: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda
East Africa is a safe place to go all year around with the exception of April to May, which is the ‘long rains’ period, though this is when prices decrease.
Kenya and Tanzania: September and October are wonderful months, with a chance to witness the great migration with the crossing of the Mara river of thousands of wildebeest and other grazers. A spectacle not to be missed!
November to December has ‘short rains’, which shouldn’t put you off as it isn’t bad and again will be more gentle on the budget.
Lion pride in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
© Geraldine Morelli 2019. All Rights Reserved.
Uganda and Rwanda: the main attraction being Gorilla trekking, September and December are great months to go while October and November are the rainy season, making it less pleasant to trek in the forest. Then again, January, February and from June are the drier and cooler months.
Mountain Gorilla in Magahinga National Park, Uganda
© Geraldine Morelli 2017. All Rights Reserved.
- Add Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius or Zanzibar for the perfect safari beach combo.
Beach in the Seychelles
For non African destinations, checking when is the best time to go is also important, so do not hesitate to contact me should you need help and recommendation.
If all fails, why not going on a virtual safari with a real guide or watch African wildlife on live webcams?
Enjoy the weather, keep smiling, stay safe and have an amazing holiday to look forward to!
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