Best time of year for African Photo Safari

So you want to get those fantastic safari photos, which guarantee they’ll be a roaring success…

Not sure when is the best time of year for African Photo Safari?

Do you fancy a bit of an African adventure, to soak up the atmosphere, the heat, the scenery, and of course, to establish your reputation amongst your friends as the photographer amongst them?
Nothing beats the thrill of capturing on film a beautifully crafted photo of that lion, tiger, or elephant that you witnessed while away on safari.
An African safari journey will take you across vast and ever-changing landscapes that will enable you to look at close-up at some of the world’s most beautiful animals in their natural environment.
When you go on that once-in-a-lifetime adventure, you want to ensure that you go at the best time of year for an African photo safari.
So, before you go packing your bags to start your remarkable journey, a little bit of extra planning is advisable.
It also depends on where in Africa you want to go for that spectacular safari. Still, the best time is generally from July through to October, when the animals are easy to find in substantial numbers.
Deciding when to go on your African safari depends on which country you would like to visit and when you can plan your trip.
Seasons differ in East and Southern Africa so that you can plan an excellent safari for almost every month of the entire year, but only if you are flexible about where you want to go to.

Let’s have a look country by country for the best time of year for African photo safari to ensure you can capture the best pictures on film.

Kenya

The best time to see a vast range of wildlife is from July to October when there is the annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra, and gnu, which descend on the Mara plains with those predators behind just waiting to be shot – by your camera.
There are other Kenyan parks, which, through the dry season of January to March would be an excellent time to visit for that spectacular photo.

Tanzania

If you want to have the opportunity to see the Great Migration unfold, then head to Tanzania’s parks from February to March, where you can see photo opportunities from baby animals to predators in high numbers.
June to November is Tanzania’s dry season, and this is the time when you can take photos of animals congregating around the permanent water holes.
If you don’t fancy spending hours in the bush for that amazing photo, avoid December through to March when it’s hot and humid and a bit too sticky for waiting for a photo chance.

Uganda

If you want that superb shot of the mountain gorillas, which will be the envy of your friends, then you need to head to Uganda.
The best time of year for an African photo safari of these fantastic animals is out of the rainy season, so avoid the months of March and April or October and November

Zambia

Now, this is the place to visit for those African wildlife shots as from September through to mid-November, which is the end of the dry season, you can have the chance to see an abundance of elephants, large herds of buffalo, impala, and zebra.
From November, you can see the 30, 000 wildebeest gather – it’s a rare photo which is taken of this image, that’s not witnessed by many, but perhaps this is your chance to stand out from the crowd.

South Africa

The main, outstanding, and well-organized safari areas in South Africa make the opportunities for photographers probably the best place to go to feel safe in the knowledge you will come back with some pretty fantastic wildlife photos taken by your right hand.
You’ll be able to travel further afield as South African roads are better built than many other African countries, so when the rainy seasons start, you’ll still be able to get around as the roads won’t be washed out.
The best time of year for an African photo safari in South Africa is probably from June to September – head for the vast game parks where you’ll find safari guides on hand to take you to the best places at the best times, for that all-important picture.

Wildlife

The best time of year for an African photo safari also depends on what photos you want of which animals – you are spoiled for choice in Africa, of course!
If you are keen on taking pictures of chimps head to Tanzania or Uganda – photos can be taken all year round, but remember that rainy season…
Gorillas are a year-round attraction since their habitat has been reduced so dramatically thanks to poachers.  They can’t roam far even if they wanted to.  However, they make fantastic photo subjects, and you’ll only get an hour or so with them, so it’s worth getting a shot or two.
The main rainy seasons in Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC are from March to April and October to November, so if you’re brave and can bear the thought of rain, it might be a time to go for that all-important shot…

Birds are another fascination with photographers as they are alive with superb color and movement. In essence, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi are all excellent destinations for birders, and there are many birding safaris available.
Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya are also all popular birding destinations that offer an extensive and exciting variety of different birds to focus on.

Best Time of Year for African Photo Safari

Realistically speaking, the really in the dry season period, which will ensure you’ll avoid floods, mudslides, and downpours – not a great look in a photo.
The dry season also offers the best time of year for animal viewing as animals tend to migrate and congregate around certain predictable watering spots.
Because of this, if you really want to focus on the best photo opportunities, the best time of year for an African photo safari is during the dry season in East Africa’s Uganda and Tanzania from May through December or December through April.
And you should really visit South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe from May through October. Central Africa destinations like the Congo are driest from June to September.

There you have it “best time of year for an African Photo Safari” Happy snapping!