Tag: summer

Summer vs. Winter: When to Safari

Posted on by James

When is the best time to go on safari?

This is ultimate question.

But at the risk of sounding non-commital, there’s no such thing as a “best time”. Or maybe “it depends” would be a better way to put it. The question should really be “When is the best time for ME to go on safari?”.
SO much depends on what you want to see, do or photograph, so the simplest way to get to grips with it is probably to look at three of the main components that safari is based upon – wildlife, weather and photography – and look at all three from a seasonal point of view, even thought all three are inextricably linked.

Weather

Winter

Dress warmly in the mornings and evenings, because it can be really cold. The uninitiated may not view Africa as a cold continent, but sitting on the back of an open game viewer in -10° is no joke! Granted that is an extreme, but even the low single digit mornings can be very uncomfortable if you aren’t prepared.
Cold mornings give way to wonderfully temperate days however (shorts and t-shirt weather), and given that this is the dry season, clouds are a rare sight.
As soon as the sun goes down the temperature drops quickly, so make sure you have a couple of extra layers with you on drive!

Summer

Summer is a time of contrasts; it can get very hot on safari, but it can also be wonderfully cool during a week of overcast weather. This is the rainy season after all, so a few downpours here and there should not be unexpected, but often it will simply bucket down for an hour and then clear into the most magnificent sunset.
It’s unlikely you’ll need any clothing for really cold weather during this time of year, but rain jackets are definitely a good idea. Most lodges will offer their guests ponchos in case of precipitation.

The main thing in using weather as a determining factor in your safari decisions is consistency. In winter you are likely to get weeks on end of cool, dry weather, with barely a cloud in the sky, whereas in summer it’s a bit more of a lucky dip. It might not rain for three weeks, but it could also set in and drizzle for three days. It’s hard to predict, but that also makes it kind of exciting…

Wildlife

Winter

When it’s cooler, things tend to be more active. Understand this and you won’t go too far wrong. The winter months in Southern Africa in particular have lower temperatures than the countries closer to the equator, and morning and even temperatures in particular can actually be pretty frigid. This is the time of the year when you are likely to see a bit more action later in the day. It’s not too energy-sapping for lions to be moving around in the late morning, and in fact a significantly high number of lion hunts on buffalo take place around midday (although this can be very much dependent on the area).

Winter is also the dry season so activity tends to be focused around perennial water sources.

Summer

Animals are just like us when the sun is high and hot; they tend to retreat into the shade.
Summer months on safari will often see one returning to camp by mid-morning as temperatures soar, and most of the wildlife starts clustering under trees and bushes to conserve energy.
Having said this, the sheer variety of things you are likely to see rises significantly in summer, as this is the birthing season.
Impala lambs, warthog piglets and wildebeest calves seem to be everywhere, which offers excellent hunting opportunities for predators.

The rains usher in a time of plenty, so summer is when all the fascinating small fauna emerge to take centre stage. Termites, tortoises, migratory birds… it’s hard to drive for 500m without coming across something new and interesting that you wouldn’t have seen during the winter months.

In brief, the idea is generally if you want to see a bit more action, plan your safari for winter, but if you want abundance and diversity, come in summer.

Photography

Winter

Long golden hours define the winter months, and the brown and gold hues match perfectly with the evening and early morning glows.
Less vegetation means more unobstructed views of whatever you might be photographing, and finding things to photograph in the first place is a little simpler with the bush not so thick.
There is quite a bit more dust around in winter so be careful when changing lenses out in the field, but you can use it to your advantage by creating some lovely back-lit images.
Photography tends to be a bit more forgiving in winter as the light tends to be consistently better, and of course the animals are usually more active.

Summer

The verdant greens of the rainy season create a wonderful palette against which to photograph wildlife. The golden hours tend to be quite a bit shorter during summer than in winter, but this is offset by the higher chances of overcast days, which keeps the light softer, meaning you can photograph happily all day, without worrying about too much harsh contrast during the hours when the sun is high.

The variety you will encounter is also astounding, from nesting birds to chameleons crossing the road; you’ll need a decent lens kit to be able to handle the incredible array of photographic opportunities which will likely come your way…

There’s no “best” time to come on safari. It is always magnificent.
Simply do the research, decide what it is you most want to get out of your trip, and plan accordingly.

If you would like more info, don’t hesitate to get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com…

Time & Tide Chinzombo: Gateway to South Luangwa

Posted on by James

South Luangwa National Park is simply breathtaking.

Essentially Zambia’s flagship national park, it boasts a stunning array of wildlife, and although there are a number of accommodation options in and around the park, it still boasts that wilderness feel. At almost 10 000 square kilometres it doesn’t lack for size, and when one considers that only a small portion of this area is touched by tourist roads, you appreciate what a wild and untamed place it really is.

Time & Tide, one of our favourite groups in Zambia, have five different camps to choose from in and around the park. Whereas many camps in the area are seasonal and not open during the rainy season, Time & Tide’s Chinzombo is open the whole year round, providing wonderful access to the park during the green months, when the migrant birds are at their most plentiful and life is everywhere.

Named after a type of tree which grows near camp, Chinzombo’s natural building materials and vintage accents blend modern style with the best of a traditional bush safari camp.

Its six spacious luxury safari tents (including a two-bedroom, two-bathroom family tent) rest beneath ancient msikizi trees. Each has a private pool and soaking tub with panoramic views over the river and its abundant wildlife.

Elephants cross the river regularly in front of camp, and the section of the park opposite Chinzombo – known as Wakumba – is one of the hotspots in the whole of South Luangwa to find leopards…

The luxury safari tents’ award-winning design features canvas, timber and reed, accented with leather and raw linen. Each stretches out onto a shaded verandah where you can wile away the afternoon or unwind with an in-room spa treatment.

Down a winding path, the main lodge beckons. Lounge on the riverfront sun deck with a book from the open-air library. Enjoy dinner under the stars, made with produce we grow ourselves. Sip a drink at the bar while browsing through old books and photos or around the fire pit suspended high atop the river bank.

This is one of the most game-rich areas of South Luangwa National Park. Take a boat across the river with our experienced guides for a game drive, safari walk or boat cruise (seasonal) to catch sight of lions, leopards and other predator action.

Chinzombo is right on the doorstep of an area of prolific game viewing, but as mentioned earlier, is only a part of the Time & Tide portfolio in this area.

Get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com to find out more, and let’s start planning your Zambian safari…

Summer vs Winter: the Difference in Safari

Posted on by James

Knowing what to expect when you touch down in Africa for your safari is paramount in maximising your enjoyment of the experience. You don’t want to pack for tropical conditions only to realise that night time temperatures are close to freezing and you didn’t bring a jacket.
There are significant changes between the heights of summer and winter in the main safari areas, and it’s important that you understand one or two things about these seasonal shifts in order to pack correctly and get the most out of your trip.

We’ll be looking primarily at Southern Africa here (south of the Zambezi River), as conditions change slightly as one shifts further north and east up to east Africa and the great plains of the Serengeti and Maasai Mara ecosystems.

Temperature/Weather

Summer gets warm. Although temperatures around the 30 degrees Celcius mark (high 80s in Farenheit) are the norm during high summer, this can even spike up to the mid 40s (about 113 F). Light layers are going to be just fine in the wardrobe department.
Having said this, summer is also the southern African rainy season, so temperatures may well get offset by cloudy conditions and the occasional thunderstorm. Things can get chilly after a couple of days of precipitation and no sun. A good rain jacket should be enough to both keep you dry and keep you warm. Most lodges will provide ponchos on drive to keep out most of the moisture should the clouds open.
A common day-time cycle is a hot, clear morning, a cloud build-up in mid-afternoon followed by a brief thunderstorm, and then things clear again into evening. It can be pretty spectacular watching the lightning bursts as evening sets in.

Winter on the other hand is the consistent season.
It is cold at night (sometimes very cold; temperatures just below freezing can be recorded, particularly in the interior of the sub-continent) but with the sunrise the temperature starts rising and the daytime will likely be cloudless, with temperatures in the mid-20s Celcius (mid-70s Farenheit). Shorts and a t-shirt are just fine.
Night skies are clear, and the southern stars are utterly spectacular.

Make sure you have a good jacket and long pants for the night and early morning drives.

Safari Conditions

With the rain of summer comes a beautiful flush of green; trees that lay dormant in winter come into leaf, and the bush becomes a verdant sea of foliage. Grasses that were previously nothing more than shoots now rocket up, in some places growing higher than the vehicle. Summer is spectacular in terms of the prevalence of life, but thicker vegetation can make wildlife harder to spot.
Having said that, excess foliage tends to push the animals onto the more open paths and roads, so finding the big cats in particular can be a bit more predictable.
Leopards are more likely to be up in trees; out of the itchy grass and with better visibility to look for prey species.

Winter is the open season. Leaves fall off the trees and the grass wilts away until next summer, so visibility increases tremendously. It becomes easier to spot things in the distance (make sure to pack your binoculars).
Since it’s also the dry season, access to water becomes all-important. Waterholes become hotbeds for animal activity and the wildlife tends to congregate near them, whereas in summer things tend to spread out more as there are ephemeral pans all over the place thanks to the rain.

For photographic purposes, the beautiful golden hour tends to last a bit longer in winter, although the surroundings are a bit more drab than they are in summer.

Wildlife

Summer and Winter offer very different wildlife experiences.
During winter, things tend to be active far more during the daylight hours, particularly the big cats. It’s not as hot, so they don’t lose energy as quickly by moving around. The safari focus during this time of year is generally on the bigger game due to heightened activity levels.
The focus on waterholes also plays a part as many of the resident big cats are well aware of the buffet that is likely to come parading past during the day.

Summer on the other hand is about pure variety. The rain has brought all the smaller creatures out from their winter hiding; there are birds everywhere as the migrants have come south to take advantage of the invertebrate boom, animals are giving birth (impalas, wildebeest and warthogs in particular all give birth at a similar time), and life is everywhere you look.
Elephants and rhinos are mud-bathing to keep cool, and the bush is full of a hustle-and-bustle which is an absolute delight to watch.

Big cats tend to go a bit quieter during the day however; the warmer temperature pushes them into the shade, and they will often reserve their hunting for nighttime when it may be cloudy as well, creating pitch black conditions that are perfect for stalking in.

The bottom line is there is no such thing as a “best” season for safari; the wildlife will be there, doing different things at different times.
Weather changes, and can be a bit of a gamble anyway.
It will always be good, so just know what to pack (we can advise you), and understand what it will be like when you get there, and you will have the trip of a lifetime!

Get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com to find out more about the different safari seasons, and let’s start planning your adventure…

Tuludi Camp: the Luxury of Space

Posted on by James

Tuludi Camp is the perfect base from which to explore one of the most productive areas of the eastern Okavango Delta. Set in the renowned Khwai Private Concession, and overlooking a stunning Delta landscape – rippling floodplains fringed by ancient riparian forest – the camp sits next to a permanent waterhole that is frequented by elephants in particular, and the local big cat population are regular visitors.

Tuludi is one of the newest luxury camps in the World Heritage Site that is the Okavango Delta, with tree-house style rooms – each with its own private plunge pool – shaded by magnificent leadwood trees. Those who like to wile away the warm afternoons with a book will love the treehouse library.
The seasonal changes to the area result in either floodplains, lily-covered lagoons and the spectacular Khwai river, depending on what time of the year you visit, and what type of safari you would like to experience.

Twice-daily 4×4 game drives take you on excursions into the wilderness, expertly choreographed by local Setswana guides. You also have the chance to take to the water by motorboat or mokoro and gain a different insight into the Okavango’s ecology, although these activities are dependent on the Delta’s water levels.
And since the camp lies in a privately-run reserve, you can also choose to go on guided bush walks – a must for keen birders and photographers, and those who want to discover the minutiae of the environment.

Built in partnership with the local community and contributing to the social upliftment of the surrounding areas, Tuludi is a small camp comprised of only seven luxurious suites.
Each is extremely spacious and elevated for stunning views; you will not just have an indoor and outdoor bathroom but a private plunge pool and a station at which you can charge phones and batteries.
The intimate feel of the camp lends itself perfectly to  couples and honeymooners, but Tuludi also welcomes families with children aged six and over. Privately guided vehicles are available and one of the suites is slightly larger, sleeping a family of four more than comfortably.

Enjoying the advantage of both water and land habitats, Tuludi Camp is open all year round. Water levels are highest during the dry winter period – May to September – when the annual inundation of the Okavango is in full spate, and so offers the best time to explore by boat as well to see impressive concentrations of wildlife. The summer rains trigger an explosion of greenery and many animals such as impala and warthog give birth – good for predator activity – and the birding is at its peak with the migrant visitors all down to take advantage of an abundance of food.

With over 200 000 hectares of pristine wilderness to explore, at Tuludi you will find an exclusive oasis that you’ll be delighted to return to after a day soaking in all the extraordinary ecosystem has to offer…

Safari in Summer: 5 Things to Know

Posted on by James

A major consideration about going on safari is what time of year to go. Is one season better than another? Is there a best time to visit?

The reality is that things simply change. There is no “best” time to visit the African Bush. It is simply a matter of what you want to see and the type of experience you want to have that should determine you visiting month.
Given that the Southern African summer is almost upon us, we thought we’d discuss five elements of the coming season that will help you prepare better, both in your mind from an expectation level, and in your packing so you don’t bring the wrong things.

Here then, are five key points to know:

It’s Probably Going to Be Warm

This may sound obvious, given that summer equals higher temperatures, but some parts of Africa can get very warm. This isn’t a problem when on safari; lodges shift their game drive and activity times to allow for the changing times of sunrise and rapidly climbing temperatures. The general approach is simply to do what the animals do; get active early while it’s still cool, rest up for the day in the shade (read: in the pool at the lodge with and ice cold G&T in hand) and then get active again in the late afternoon when things get comfortable once more.

Clothing-wise be sure to pack light clothes and most definitely a sun-hat. The sun is high by 8am and you’ll already be wanting to apply the suncream. And remember to drink lots of water.

It May Rain

Despite the heat (it’s not always hot, so don’t worry), summer is also the rainy season. For the most part rain in the Southern African bush falls as spectacular showers that build up in the afternoon, unleash briefly, ands then subside again into a spectacular sunset punctuated with a rainbow and everything looking washed clean and revitalised.
A rain jacket is most certainly a good idea when visiting the bush between October and March. Most lodges will provide ponchos for game drives but bring your own rainwear just in case. It’s usually warm rain at this time of year but you may get a day or two with some extended clouds and showers, so have a warm under-layer just in case.
And remember to take any rainstorm or adverse weather in your stride and treat it with a sense of humour; the bush can be at its most spectacular when the challenging conditions arrive.

It’ll be Green

Water is life, and the plants reflect this, flushing into the most beautiful verdant foliage over the summer. Photographs are vibrant and life seems to be everywhere. Many birds nest during this time of year, migrant species come south to take advantage of the plentiful food, and one can fill an entire game drive of four overs covering only four hundred metres of road, so much is there to see. Impala lambs and wildebeest calves are being born, as well as warthog piglets and monkey infants around the camps, and everywhere you look you feel the sense of reawakening that the rains bring.
The bush is a bit thicker during this time of year though so predators can be harder to spot, but the landscape is at its most beautiful.

Days are Significantly Longer

Bring a book. Or at least be prepared for some downtime. A mentioned in point 1 above, summer days mean an earlier return to camp in order to avoid the heat, as well as a later departure in the afternoon, so you will be able to spend some lovely relaxing time back in camp, swimming in the pool or lounging on your deck or catching up on some of the sleep you missed having woken at 05:00 to be on game drive. Summer in the bush is when you really feel like your on holiday, as that three hour nap which is so hard to come by is just begging you to take it between game drives.

The Bugs aren’t Bad

Many people fear the insect life in summer (a lot of the smaller things come out with the rain), but truth be told, there aren’t that many to worry about. Occasionally a combination of heat and rainfall brings about a termite emergence and there may be quite a few of them buzzing around, but in actual fact this is one of the bush’s most spectacular events. Everything benefits from the termites swarming; eagles, frogs, jackals, leopards… you name it. The feast of protein on offer doesn’t go to waste, and spending time at a colony pouring out its dispersers is a sight to behold.

For many die-hard safari-goers, summer is the time to visit the bush. It is less predictable than winter, but that is the appeal. The lucky dip of life and conditions gives this time of year its own unique X-factor, and we at Iconic can’t recommend a summer visit highly enough.

Get in touch to find out more…