Talk to us about beach holidays in the Indian Ocean - a popular extension to Africa
December - February
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December - February

African Travel & Safaris in December, January and February

December, January and February are the warm summer months in Africa. This makes for the ideal time to escape the northern hemisphere winter and head southward to warmer, sunnier skies. It is an excellent time of year for beach vacations in southern Africa, to experience Cape Town and the Cape Coast, and for active outdoor travel generally.

These warm summer conditions mean it is also the rainy season for many safari regions - days are hot, sunny and clear and short afternoon thundershowers are common. Whilst the summer is a prettier time to be on safari, these lush summer months aren't quite as good as the cooler, drier winter months from a wildlife viewing point of view because the grasses are thicker and greener, which makes wildlife a little harder to spot. This is however made up by the fact that it is calving season in many areas, which can be great to see.

SOUTHERN AFRICA

As a starting point, consider heading to Cape Town, the Winelands, the Cederberg, The Garden Route or the eastern Cape. Weather is lovely throughout this region and conditions are perfect for active outdoor vacations, al-fresco dining, sightseeing and family activities. These areas combine particularly well with a safari in the greater Kruger area or Madikwe. It can be a time of plenty in the Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Thornybush and Klaserie game reserves in South Africa as animals flourish and the impala lambs are born.

Continuing on the theme of beach vacations, the beaches and remote islands of Mozambique can also be idyllic at this time of year, with conditions being sunny, warm and balmy both on the beach and in the water.

Early summer - during December and January - is also the best time to visit the Savute region of Botswana if you wish to see the migration of zebras as they move from Linyanti through the Savute marsh area. In addition, the second largest game migration in Africa can be seen on the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans as wildebeest, zebra and antelope flock toward the greener, wetter pans brought by the fresh rains, in search of fresh grazing. The game reserves of The Central Kalahari can also be full of life in the summer months, as many antelope give birth at the beginning of summer, which also means a lot of big cat predators on the scene.

The greener season between November and March can also be excellent bird-watching season in the Okavango Delta, Selinda and Chobe areas of Botswana, as well as in South Africa.

In Zambia or Zimbabwe, from late February and on the higher rainfalls bring the impressive sights of much greater water flow over Victoria Falls.

EAST AFRICA

In East Africa, since you will be closer to the equator, seasonal variations are generally lower than they are in certain parts of southern Africa. The Great Migration moves toward the southern Serengeti and through the Ngorongoro Crater at this time of year, so be sure to pay careful attention to the location of your camp if you're looking to see it. It can be a scenic way to experience the migration as the herds move through the vast plains of the southern Serengeti and Ngorongoro conservation area, but the crater itself can also get just a little crowded.

SAFARI AND BEACH COMBINATIONS

For safari and beach combinations, we like the coastal areas of Cape Town and the Cape Winelands; these summer months are definitely the best time of year to visit and this is the ideal time of year to do safari and beach combinations here. Whilst it can be windy at the beginning of summer in Cape Town, the fresh mornings, clear blue skies, warm dry sunny days, outdoor beach lifestyle and the bright colours of the Cape Winelands and surrounding areas are simply not to be missed. These are also an extremely popular destinations for Christmas and New Year's holidays, so we advise trying to miss those peak weeks whenever possible.

GORILLA TREKKING

This is also one of the times of year during which we suggest heading out gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda. December and January are before the longer rainfalls that take place later in the summer, so one can take advantage of the slightly drier conditions in these areas.


 


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Great Itineraries for December - February:

The Ulitimate Treat: The Seychelles,Kenya & Cape Town
18 Days
From US$37 000 pp.

On this, the ultimate private journey covering the Seychelles and Africa, step into the soft, powdery sands of paradise where turquoise waters gently...
The Ulitimate Treat: The Seychelles,Kenya & Cape Town

Experienced in December - February

Follow Your Heart Through The Delta
8 Days
P.O.A

Experience a safari from the point of view of the wildlife as we make our way on a whim through the winding waterways of the Okavango Delta by...
Follow Your Heart Through The Delta

Experienced in December - February

A Riding Safari in the Okavango Delta
8 Days
From US$8 840 pp.

Experience the heart of a fantastic wildlife reserve on this exciting horseback safari through the floodplains of Botswana’s Okavango Delta…
A Riding Safari in the Okavango Delta

Experienced in December - February

Mountain Gorillas In The Bwindi Forest
4 Days
From US$4 030 pp.

This short but effective itinerary focuses on the exciting experience of spending time with some of the world’s only 300 remaining mountain...
Mountain Gorillas In The Bwindi Forest

Experienced in December - February

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As a first time safari-goer everything beat expectations and we will definitely be travelling again.

I wanted to pass on that it was a truly EPIC adventure in every way possible! I have genuinely never been on a trip that worked so seamlessly, so just can’t thank you enough for what you and your team did to make that happen.

Andrew

Compliments to the fantastic adviser Natalie, who I have been dealing with in the past few weeks. Natalie is the person who made me choose your company over (xxx) and (xxx) safaris. She is extremely personable accepting calls during the weekend and being available on Whatsapp any time of the day. She exemplifies service and professionalism at the highest level.

H. H., New York

We have arrived back safely to Bangkok. We want to personally thank you and your team at Robert Marks for recommending and helping to organize one of the best trip of our lives. We both fell in love with Kenya and Tanzania and was sad to leave. Mahali Mzuri and Mnemba Island were well over our initial expectations.

Wansit, Bangkok

Catherine, we have just made it back after our wonderful holiday. Thank you so much for your efforts. We would definitely recommend you and the team to others!

Again, thank you so much for organising probably one of our best holidays to date! It was incredible.

Reena, Singapore

We had an amazing trip. Thank you for organizing such a great vacation for us. It went very smoothly. All the transfers, accommodations and activities were very well organized. We also liked your app, it was very useful. Overall it was the best vacation we had so far, and we traveled a lot. Thank you for organizing it so well.

Yana, New York

We arrived back in HK earlier this morning and I would like to thank you for the fantastic arrangements at the safaris.

Our family had a great time and we will not hesitate to recommend you to our friends.

Rajat



Overall, we had a great trip, thank you for helping us organise everything!

Jolene, New York


Overall we had a fantastic trip to the Okavango Delta. Everything was perfectly organised. Thanks a lot for making this trip memorable and totally hassle free. Our entire family loved it.

Jay


Thank you - everything went well, all the arrangements went well and it was exactly the kind of thing that we wanted out of this trip.

Beatta, Germany



We had a great time on Safari - thank you so much for planning a fantastic trip!

Sian, U.K.


We had a fantastic time, everything ran very smoothly. The visas were all easy, Rwanda is now a full visa on arrival service for U.K. Citizen, so no need to apply online at all before hand.

Samantha, UK


We are back in Sydney, I'm not back at work until Wednesday, Absolutely amazing - I don't know where to start. I would rattle on email so perhaps we can chat when you are free. Happy to give you feedback, suffice to say we will be booking all future African trips with you.

Millie, Sydney


Thanks Catherine, all went on well. Kapama was really excellent. We had awesome experience there. And the overall arrangement was great.

Kausalya G

In all, we were very pleased with your recommendations and the overall arrangements, and we would happily recommend RMS to friends who consider an African holiday. I must also add that you have been a pleasure to deal with, always prompt in your responses to queries even when you have been away in the bushes !! Well done.

Sri



Greetings from Singita, you've killed it again!!! Cheers, awesome place!!

Sunil, Switzerland

Thank you for xxxx. Once again. This clearly demonstrate the excellence of your after sales service. I must say, you couldn't have done better. We greatly appreciate every prompt and fruitful assistance you provide during this whole event (from planning to event completion). We will definitely come back for more and recommend your services to friends.

Mac, Singapore

We had a fantastic time, everything ran very smoothly. The internal flight times changed (I think for every single one!) but the guides knew what was going on and had us there at an appropriate time for each. Thanks for all your hard work organising this magical trip for us.

Sam L


The safari was a success and the wife was deeply satisfied. the game in Masai mara was great, the kindness of the people was amazing.

Frederick - Singapore


We had a fantastic honeymoon, absolutely loved Kenya and Tanzania - both really wonderful countries. Our safari at Eagle View was great - beautiful scenery, great animals and wonderful staff. Thanks for all your help in organising it!

Matt, Hong Kong



We are finally back.. Thanks alot for all your help..We really enjoyed and had a terrific experience in both Namibia and SA..

Jose, Mexico

Thanks to you, your expertise and your attention to my needs, this trip was the best of my life! and i had fabulous trips in my life already, but this one surpassed them all. there was not a single hiccup with accommodation or transportation. nothing. flawless!

The trip was well organised and i am happy i finished it with Namibia. Wow!

Karen, France

We had a simply wonderful trip especially in Botswana. Super accommodation, wonderful guides. Everything was so organised with the food and we were a little worried that we might not have much to eat as vegans, but everyone was very accommodating and we ate so very well! :-).

Sebastien, Vancouver

I'm very impressed by every detail, particularly the seamless guidance from the moment I landed Nairobi. This took away my biggest concern with safety. Thank you very much again Catherine for all efforts made. Africa now becomes a preferred option for our family holiday. I'm sure I'll need your help again not too long.

F. Y. - Hong Kong


Thanks for the follow up. We had a great time and the organisation all went very smoothly, so many thanks. The private plane charter was a big success – the kids loved it. And very swish service etc. – all very impressive, felt rather special and was a wonderful start.

John, Singapore


Hi Stacey, Thank you for this! And thank you for this amazing trip, we can't quite believe it, it's been so magnificent so far and we are totally in love with South Africa, it's been incredible. And these places!!! We've toasted a few times to you so far, this is amazing!!!

Gen, Hong Kong


Hi Rob, My Fiancee and I had a wonderful time on the trip. All of the camps you chose for the safaris were top notch and we saw pretty much everything (4 of the big 5). Thanks again for you help and setting up a most memorable trip.

Kenneth, Hong Kong

Thank you so much for your email and for organising this trip for us.

Yes everything went smoothly and me and my buddies, we had a great time. Thanks for your help in arranging this trip. It was fantastic and memorable!

Joey, Singapore

Ol Donyo was really magnificent. The managers of the camp - Shaun Mousley and Amy both are very warm and friendly. They made us feel very welcomed and we thoroughly enjoyed staying at Ol Donyo. The camp is on par in terms of standards with Singita group, in terms of quality of their accommodation and service.

Joey, Singapore



We had an absolutely wonderful time in SA! Thank you for all your arrangements!

Peggy



The tour you organised to Cape Point was excellent and our guide for the day, Jerry, was very engaging and knowledgeable.

Jeremy



Our recommendation for first timer safari goers is that 5 days is an absolute minimum to go for.

Karen, Singapore


We were very happy with the whole trip and are planning to visit different lodges in Africa. Next up we are looking at Tanzania for next year and we think it will likely be a yearly trip for us to Africa!

Karen, Singapore


The feeling at Mara Plains was really good. The managers were great, a lovely couple, and the guides were really good as well.

Nick, Hong Kong



Everything went really, really well with the whole trip. In hindsight the highlights were the Gorillas and Victoria Falls.

Nick, New York



Botswana - The safari was incredible!

Daniel G

The safari turned out to be the absolute highlight of our trip.

Thank you so much for recommending Sabi Sabi. It was perfect for us. We loved every minute of the safari experience and each day saw The Big 5 - and more!! It was a truly remarkable experience.

Linsey

Thanks Stacey, we had a great time, everything went very smoothly. By far the easiest trip we have taken. Kim was there to meet us in Johannesburg and everything went very smooth from there, pickups, flights, reservations, etc. Ate way too much, saw lions on a kudu hunt, leopard finishing off a little duiker, rhino, elephant, impala, bush bark, water buffalo, wildebeest, nyla, etc. Very sad to leave!

Robert, Malaysia


Suffice to say we had a great time! The organisation worked as clockwork, and all thanks to you for organising it perfectly. The two guides we had were excellent and we saw the Big 5 in both Tarangire and the Serengeti.

S. S. - Malaysia


We really had a fantastic time. Thanks for putting together such a great itinerary for us, we really were impressed with the quality of the itinerary that you put together for us.

Ray - Hong Kong


Little Tubu was our favourite of the three camps we stayed at but even the others were also really good. Small camp and far away from everything, really great. Suggestions from Robert Mark were very good and the staff at the camps looked after us well. Very exciting.

Danny Ng - Hong Kong



Spent 10 Days in Kenya Oct 2014, had a great time, everything was superb, thanks a lot RMS for organizing everything. Tarryn & Glen

Tarryn & Glen - Dubai

We utilized Robert Mark Safaris for a recent adventure holiday to Serengeti & Ngorongoro. It had always been on our bucket list. Robert Mark Safaris were fantastic in ensuring that out trip went seamlessly, and we were especially pleased with the detail that they placed on our personal requests. They also provided some great recommendations that added special memories to our trip. Thanks again, we will be back.

Steven Rowe - Australia

Amazing experience that took us to two different safari lodges.

With plenty of opportunities for hiccups along the way the whole trip ran very smoothly and was the trip of a life time. I highly recommend Robert Mark Safaris if you are looking for a hassle free, safari experience.

David S - Hong Kong



Our expectations were high, but the reality topped all preconceptions.

Dave

A group of my friends and I were looking for an African Adventure when we were recommended Robert Mark Safaris, and we were not disappointed. We had the most fabulous tour ever - Initially we spent a week in the beautiful Cape Town. The service we received from the Robert Mark Safaris team were second to none and we could not be more thankful. Thanks again, and we cant wait to return!

Pierre V - Australia


We could hear the elephants walking through the camp at night, hyenas cackling away close by and even hippos as they left the water to graze in the cool of the evening.

Fonty Z


Elephants were a frequent visitor around our tent particularly one which liked to sleep beside our tent, buffalo tended to wander past and numerous small animals delighted us with their antics.

Bev P



Mombo is one of the premier camps in the Okavango Delta. Food, accommodation and service are absolutely top class.

M Witul



E - for excellent, excessive and exceptional.

Eud - Hong Kong


Excellent Trip! King's Pool will be first on our list for our next visit to Botswana.

Spencer L



Our entire experience at Chitabe was first-class. The wildlife we were able to see in a few short days was unbelievable.

Paharlan


"Abu Camp on the Okavango Delta in Botswana is surely at the top end for luxury African safari camps… There is an incredible amount of game to be viewed… Finally, the great attraction of the camp is the Abu elephant herd."

Gordon D

My Boyfriend and I were very happy with the service provided by Robert Mark Safaris on our visit to the South Africa - we went to the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Cape Town They made sure we were taken care of the whole way through and even planned ahead of us to make sure our activities were scheduled according to the weather conditions. Two Thumbs up!

E Lim - Singapore

I was fortunate enough to get to spend two nights at Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge. What a great Experience. Sabi Sabi is a top class reserve and the game viewing was brilliant. Robert Mark Safaris did a great job & the lodge itself is luxurious and modern and a really nice place to return to after sundowners and a night drive!

Gary D - Sydney


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