Travel

A Guide to Africa’s Green Season

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With African tourism numbers increasing significantly every year a lot of the increase in visitor numbers can be attributed to the appeal of safari adventures

Africa is a uniquely scenic with destinations such as Kenya and Tanzania offering particularly exceptional experiences for adventure-lovers.

However, if you’re considering travelling on safari during the so-called ‘Green Season’, it can complicate your safari experience, This phenomenon occurrs each year between (or just after) the annual rains and it’s capable of having a detrimental impact on the number of animals that you see.

Despite that face, there are also many benefits of visiting Africa during the Green Season and we’ve listed just a few of them below.

Road in the savannah

What is the Green Season?

As we’ve already said, the Green Season is a specific period in Africa that usually occurs between the annual rains.

During this time, the wildlife tends to spread out from the waterholes and the rivers, as they look to make the most of the abundant surface water and capitalise on the suddenly lush, rolling grasslands.

This new grazing triggers a number of large and iconic migrations across Africa (we’ll have a little more on this later), which in theory means that animals can no longer be found in high concentrations around permanent water sources.

These are popular hotspots for safari goers, especially the Serengeti and there’s no doubt that it’s more difficult to see high volumes of species during the course of the Green Season.

As well as being considered to be a bad time for game viewing, it’s often suggested that the Green Season is an uncomfortable time for people to visit on safari. This is due to the stifling summer heat and significant humidity, while the heavy thunderstorms can also take their toll on your daily excursions.

What are the Benefits of Travelling During the Green Season

Despite this considerations, there are actually benefits of heading out on safari during the Green Season.

One of the most compelling is the aforementioned herd migrations that take place during this time, which create once-in-a-lifetime experiences that are hard to top.

Take the Great Wildebeest Migration, for example, which typically takes place across East and South Africa during the Green Season and see hundreds and thousands of wildebeest, zebra and aardvarks make their way into Tanzania and Botswana.

Not only this, but this period also ushers in the birthing season, filling the vast, open planes with adorable fawns, calves, cubs and foals. This is a considerable boon for some visitors, particularly younger families who are travelling with small children.

Similarly, a range of migrant bird species tend to arrive in their thousands during the Green Season, and this transforms the landscape into a divers and colourful entity that is truly spectacular.

The Last Word

Throw in the fact that Green Season safaris are less popular and more competitively priced, you have a travel experience that is unique, deceptively rewarding and capable of gifting the African wilderness to you and your party.

On a final note; we’d recommend that you seek out an expert service provider who can connect you with the best Green Season packages.

African safari holiday companies such as Africa Odyssey supply a range of suitable itineraries which will help you decide where to stay, what to visit and how/when to travel.

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