BEST TIME OF THE YEAR?
Kenya and Tanzania are great year-round destinations. July through August and the month of December are the busiest times in Kenya and Tanzania. Lodges and parks can be crowded with tourists and reservations often must be made six, eight, or even nine months in advance. July and August also happen to be the best time to catch the wildebeest in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Click here for an overview of the great migration to learn more.
Seasonal rains hit hardest from March to May (with lighter rains falling October to December).
January and February are wonderful months to visit East Africa since the hot, dry weather is considered by many to be East Africa’s most pleasant. It’s also the time of year when bird life flocks to the Rift Valley lakes in the greatest numbers, attracting bird-watchers from around the globe.
WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE IN KENYA AND TANZANIA?
Kenya straddles the equator, and Tanzania is not far south, so both countries enjoy a tropical climate. The coasts are hot and humid, while the inland areas are generally temperate, due to the altitude. The northern parts of Kenya are very hot and dry. The average annual temperature in Nairobi (altitude 4,980 feet) is 77°F maximum and 56°F minimum. The coastal town of Mombasa (altitude 50 feet) is 86°F maximum and 73°F minimum.
There is plenty of sunshine throughout the year and summer clothes are appropriate year round. Nights and mornings can be quite cool. The long rains occur from March to May and short rains occur November and December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and when it does come, it often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The hottest period is from February to March and the coolest is July to August.
WHEN AND WHERE CAN I SEE THE GREAT MIGRATION?
Always; the annual wildebeest migration never ends. The herds roam the grasslands and rolling hills of Tanzania and Kenya in a great counter-clockwise loop. Their travels carry them from their breeding grounds in the southern reaches of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to their summer foraging grounds in Kenya’s Maasai Mara Reserve and back again, over and over. The massive herds, nearly two million wildebeest, zebras, antelopes, and gazelles, generally begin crossing the Mara River into Kenya and the Mara Triangle in late July and begin the return March in late September. During the rest of the year, the herd can be seen in different parts of the massive Serengeti National Park.
You can learn more about the great migration by clicking here.
HOW MANY DAYS?
It largely depends on budget and available travel time. The shortest programs we arrange are three days / three nights. Anything shorter is a blur. Our most popular programs are seven or eight days.
WHERE I CAN LEARN MORE?
First of all, continue browsing Kenyasafari.co.ke. We have included a lot of relevant information in our descriptions of destinations and lodges.
We think Lonely Planet produces good travel guides, and their guide to East Africa is no exception. Ernest Hemingway’s The Green Hills of Africa, an account of his hunting safari on the Serengeti in the early 1930s, remains East Africa’s classic travelogue.
Online, the tourism agencies both East African nations provide worthwhile information for travelers, as well as links to more detailed sources (click here for Kenya, and click here for Tanzania).
The Kenya Wildlife Service is charged with protecting and securing the country’s natural gifts. Their website is filled with information about the flora and fauna found in the parks and reserves.