Tag: winter

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…

Mala Mala Winter Madness

Posted on by James

Winter is almost upon the South African Lowveld, which encompasses the Kruger National Park and its adjacent private reserves like the Timbavati, the Sabi Sands, and more relevant to this particular post, Mala Mala.

One of the original photographic safari lodges in the country, Mala Mala has had its doors open to wildlife aficionados since the late 60s, and although the camps have been upgraded since then, the menu has been refined and the experience developed somewhat, the thing that has remained unchanged over all those years is what makes the place part of the epicentre of Big 5 viewing in the region; the wildlife.

Attracted by the perennial Sand River (along which Mala Mala enjoys 20km of frontage), the wildlife flocks in in droves during the winter months – the dry season in this region – when surface water is scarce but the river remains constant.
Lions lounge on the high banks, waiting for the buffalo herds to descend down the dead-end sandy culverts. Leopards slink through the Phragmites reeds, sneaking up on unsuspecting bushbuck, and the ever-present elephant herds march between their feeding grounds and the steady trickle of water that sustains life throughout these cold harsh months of the middle of the year.

And above it all, ever-present and inviting, lies Mala Mala Camp (formerly known as Main Camp).
A haven of understated luxury, combining warm comfort and superb service with unrivalled views of the Sand River and surrounding bushveld, it is truly a place of legends, where rare photographs, old maps and extraordinary mementos rub shoulders with the works of renowned contemporary wildlife artists.The camp is an unfenced oasis in the middle of the bush.

Ten luxury suites, eight luxury rooms and one luxury single suite comprise this unique slice of Africa that is sure to fill up your memory cards faster than the

The spacious and unbelievably comfortable rooms all feature the following:

  • Private decks or verandah with a view over the Sand River or a waterhole
  • En-suite bathroom with private toilet – the suites have both a bath and a shower whilst the luxury rooms only have a shower
  • 24-hour temperature control – air-conditioning, heating and overhead fan
  • Direct dial telephones
  • A mini-bar
  • Tea and coffee making facilities
  • A mini-safe
  • Bathroom amenities, insect repellent and hairdryers

It’a good all year, but winter is the time when Mala Mala truly comes alive.

Thankfully there are a number of different accommodation options available, as competition is fierce to get a booking during the peak of the game viewing months. Rattray’s and Sable Camps offer just as – if not more – luxurious stays, whilst still providing access to just as incredible game viewing experiences.

Get in touch NOW (info@iconicafrica.com) to start planning your Mala Mala safari. This is one you don’t want to miss…

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…