When to go: Tanzania and Zanzibar month by month

People ask us this before anything else, and the honest answer is that Tanzania works in every month for somebody. What changes is what you see, how many other vehicles see it with you, and what you pay. Here is the year as we experience it from Stone Town.

January and February

Hot, dry and quieter than the European summer. On the coast the sea is calm and the visibility for diving is at its best. In the south of the Serengeti, around Ndutu, the wildebeest drop their calves in a few short weeks, and every predator in the ecosystem is there to meet them. If you want to see hunting, this is the time.

March to May: the long rains

The rains build through March and fall hardest in April and May. Some Zanzibar hotels close, roads in the parks get heavy, and afternoon storms are the rule. In return the country is green, the lodges are at their cheapest, and you may have the crater floor almost to yourself. We take guests in these months and tell them exactly what they are getting.

June to October: the dry season

The safest months for a first safari. Grass is short, animals gather at water, and the days are clear and cool in the mornings. The migration moves north through the Western Corridor in June and reaches the Mara river from July, where the crossings happen through September. Prices and vehicle numbers peak in July and August; June and September give you most of the same for a little less.

On the coast the south east wind blows from June to September. It keeps the heat off and brings the kitesurfers to the east coast; the north and west are more sheltered.

November and December

The short rains come in November, usually as an hour of storm in the afternoon rather than a wet day. The herds turn south again through the eastern Serengeti. From mid December the weather settles, the Christmas and New Year fortnight is the busiest of the year on Zanzibar, and lodges charge accordingly. Book that fortnight early or avoid it.

So when?

For a first bush and beach trip with no particular event in mind: June, September or October. For the calving and the cats: late January to early March. For the river crossings: August. For the lowest prices and the fewest people, and a tolerance for rain: April. Tell us what matters most and we will tell you the month, not the other way round.