If you happen to’re questioning whether or not a safari in October is price it, let me prevent a scroll: sure, completely. It’s dry sufficient for wildlife to be concentrated close to water sources, heat sufficient to skip the thermals, and late sufficient previous peak season that some lodges and camps have relaxed their pricing. Some name it the shoulder season. I name it the candy spot.
Lions are in full settlement {that a} safari in October all the time delivers, Picture Credit score: Mahali Mazuri
The Sensible Month No one Talks About
Let’s be sincere: October doesn’t scream “peak vacation season”. It’s not a part of the shiny mid-year winter rush, nor does it include the festive sparkle of year-end. And but, that is the half I like. October is hands-down one of many smartest months to go on an African safari. Why? As a result of all the most effective elements of the dry season are nonetheless in play, with out the frenzied mid-year crowds.
Golden hour goes airborne over the African plains, Picture Credit score: Chris Joubert, Usawa
What Makes October So Good for Safari?
By October, a lot of Southern and East Africa is nearing the top of the dry season. Water is scarce, which is good news for recreation viewing as animals are likely to congregate round everlasting waterholes, riverbanks, and pans, making them simpler to identify. Grass is low, timber are naked, and visibility is great. Plus, migratory birds start returning, which supplies the twitchers one thing to cheer about.
Nonetheless, right here’s the catch: October may be sizzling. And I imply correctly sizzling, particularly in Southern Africa. However if you happen to plan your vacation spot nicely, you’ll get all of the safari magic while beating the warmth.
Dry season runway stroll with zero viewers strain, Picture Credit score: Usawa Serengeti
1. Kruger Nationwide Park, South Africa
If I may bottle the sensation of an October morning within the Larger Kruger – heat, golden, alive – I might. The park affords very good recreation viewing presently of 12 months, with the bush nonetheless sparse and wildlife clinging to dwindling water sources. Non-public reserves like Sabi Sand and Timbavati come into their very own right here, the place usually-elusive leopards proudly strut their stuff and lion prides rule the roads.
Tip: Mix a Kruger safari with just a few days in Cape City whereas it is nonetheless comparatively quiet.
Peak Kruger vitality, no camouflage required
2. Botswana (Okavango Delta and Linyanti)
October is Botswana’s final dry gasp earlier than the rains. Within the Okavango Delta, floodwaters from Angola are nonetheless excessive in some elements, creating unimaginable boat and mokoro safaris. In the meantime, Linyanti Wildlife Reserve and the Chobe Area supply huge predator sightings and elephants en masse. It is sizzling, sure. However the recreation viewing? Unreal.
Entrance-row seats to Botswana’s elephant-dominated drama, Picture Credit score: Kings Pool Camp
3. South Luangwa, Zambia
That is the month when South Luangwa Nationwide Park makes it private. Its famed strolling safaris are nonetheless in full swing, and visibility is peak-dry-season sharp. You’ll discover excessive predator exercise and the occasional hippo showdown in shallow swimming pools. It’s uncooked, it’s actual, and it’s one in every of my favorite locations for a safari that feels utterly off the grid.
Strolling safaris the place the wildlife units the tempo, Picture Credit score: Puku Ridge
4. Maasai Mara, Kenya
October marks the tail finish of The Nice Migration as wildebeest begin their sluggish march from the Maasai Mara again into the Serengeti. Whereas large-scale river crossings within the northern Maasai Mara are principally over by now, the early a part of the month can nonetheless ship just a few surprises. However the true stars in October? The resident wildlife.
Non-public conservancies like Mara North, Olare Motorogi, and Naboisho supply phenomenal predator sightings, like lion prides, leopards in acacia timber, and cheetahs surveying the plains. And with the Migration crowds scaling down and the quick rains not but underway, recreation drives really feel decidedly much less congested.
Tip: If you happen to’re after correct predator motion with out the high-season hustle, October’s your second.
Resident predators steal the present on safari in October, Picture Credit score: Mahali Mzuri
5. Northern Serengeti and Zanzibar, Tanzania
Within the Serengeti Nationwide Park, the herds are heading south, and the motion begins spreading out. However that does not imply it is quiet. Resident wildlife holds the fort whereas the landscapes begin reworking forward of the rains. And if you happen to’re after a post-safari detox, Zanzibar affords balmy waters, spice markets, and seashores that provide the gentle touchdown you didn’t know you wanted.
Stillness earlier than the quick rains within the Serengeti, Picture Credit score: Usawa Serengeti
6. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
October could not ship a thunderous curtain of mist, however what you lose in quantity, you achieve in visibility. Victoria Falls reveals its rocky, sculpted face this time of 12 months, with clearer views and fewer soaked digicam lenses. It’s additionally prime time for white-water rafting, scenic flights, and sundowners on the Zambezi. Consider it because the adventurous exclamation mark on the finish of your safari.
The Zambezi delivers golden hour with further sparkle, Picture Credit score: Victoria Falls River Lodge
What to Know Earlier than You Go
Earlier than you zip up your duffel and begin dreaming of lion sightings, there are some things price realizing. Nothing dramatic, simply the form of insider prep that may make a superb safari really feel like an excellent one.
October is Sizzling!
Pack breathable materials, sunscreen, and a big brimmed hat. Lodges will hold you comfy, however mid-afternoon siestas aren’t all the time non-compulsory. They’re typically a much-needed escape from the solar.
Pack mild, relaxation typically, and respect the noon solar, Picture Credit score: Londolozi
Mosquitoes Are Round (However Manageable)
October remains to be throughout the drier stretch, so mozzie ranges are comparatively low. That mentioned, pack repellent and take malaria precautions, particularly in high-risk areas like Zambia and elements of Botswana.
Dry season nightfall, the place the one buzz is pure
Crowds? Much less Elbows, Extra Elephants
In contrast to July and August, October tends to fly below the radar, which suggests fewer autos at sightings and simpler lodge availability. In my books, that’s a win.
Off-season, excessive reward within the Delta’s quiet corners, Picture Credit score: Camp Okavango
FAQs About Safari in October
You’ve bought questions. I’ve anticipated them. Right here’s all the things you is perhaps googling at 1 AM whereas attempting to determine if October is definitely a good suggestion (spoiler: it’s).
Is October a superb time to go on safari?
Sure. October is the tail finish of the dry season in lots of elements of Africa, which suggests distinctive wildlife sightings round water sources and sparse vegetation for higher visibility.
The place’s finest to safari in October?
High picks embrace Kruger (South Africa), Okavango Delta (Botswana), South Luangwa (Zambia), Maasai Mara (Kenya), and the Serengeti (Tanzania). Add Victoria Falls or Zanzibar for distinction.
Is October a part of the Nice Migration?
It’s the tail finish. In early October, some crossings should happen within the northern Serengeti and Maasai Mara. After that, the herds start transferring again south, however this modifications year-on-year relying on many various pure components.
Is it cheaper to safari in October?
In some areas, sure. October can fall into shoulder season pricing relying on the lodge and site, particularly after the height of July–August.
Huge questions, uncommon sightings, zero second guesses, Picture Credit score: Wilderness Duma Tau
So, Ought to You Guide a Safari in October?
If you happen to’ve learn this far, you already know the place I stand. October may not be the show-off of safari months, however it performs the lengthy recreation. It’s dry sufficient to ship critical wildlife motion, heat sufficient to get pleasure from it, and quiet sufficient to really feel just like the wild is yours alone.
And that, pricey traveller, is strictly what makes this so-called “shoulder month” one in every of Africa’s strongest contenders. Get in contact, and we’ll enable you craft a journey that proves nice safaris don’t want a peak-season label.
Featured Picture Credit score: Mahali Mzuri
