The best locations for safari in Africa in June

June is generally considered to be a very good time to visit Tanzania.

The weather in Tanzania during June is usually very good. It’s during this month that the dry season really gets under way. There remains a slight risk of light rain, quite pronounced in some localised areas, but overall we should be looking at decent sunshine hours, with skies possibly becoming a little hazy at times.

Although slightly cooler than usual at night, temperatures should still reach 25-30C/77-86F during the day, with low humidities inland, high humidities along the coast. The weather in Ngorongoro can be very cold, even dropping below freezing at night and often with heavy fog in the mornings. The summit of Kilimanjaro can drop to -35C/-31F and snow showers may be heavy.

Down on the coast the chance of rain showers remains high and there are likely to be strong winds that can rattle the palm trees mornings and evenings during the first part of the month.

Safari in Tanzania in June ranges from good to very good. As the dry season gets underway, areas which have been closed for the past two months at last start to open back up. The animals are likely to remain widely scattered and grass cover continues to be an impediment to wildlife viewing, but the bush should still be quite fresh and pretty. A major highlight is the migration movement in the Serengeti, which in early June should still be crossing the Grumeti Stream.

Conditions on Kilimanjaro are variable, but we do reopen our mountain operations to a wider range of trekkers. Temperatures are at their lowest and heavy snow is often experienced on the summit approaches.

Visitor traffic in June ranges from low to high. This month tends to be populated by well-informed visitors who are getting in early to avoid the peak season traffic. During the first half of the month traffic is therefore less of an issue, but in the latter two weeks core areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti Central and Zanzibar will be starting to get busy and strategic planning will be needed to avoid the crowds.

June is the first month of the cool dry season in Botswana, the prime period for wildlife viewing.

By now, the landscapes should be almost dried out, with the long grasses having yellowed and toppled and the wildlife significantly migrated back towards permanent water, making for strong and reliable wildlife viewing.

This is the first month when the floods typically fully arrive into the west and northcentral parts of the Okavango and Linyanti wetlands, which can be fun to witness and can create a clustering of wildlife.

The night time temperatures remain low, meaning hot water bottles in bed and ponchos on morning drives.

Unfortunately, the prices in almost all lodges are now at their highest, but the lodges are unlikely to be totally full.

The Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) has a converse seasonality to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. It is early winter at this time, which is not perfect, but still pleasant. There are also options to combine with tropical beaches.

June is generally considered to be a reasonably good time of year to visit Uganda, with lower rainfall in some key areas.

In the Bwindi Forest area, the temperatures are stable at around 22C (70F), but rainfall has now dropped to around 50mm (2”) through the month.

This rainfall is about as low as it gets in this part of the world, leading to good conditions for gorilla tracking.

Temperatures can get relatively cold at night, dropping to around 7C (45F). Early morning activities can therefore be quite chilly so travellers should bring appropriate clothing.

In the savanna safari areas at this time, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls share similar conditions to the above, but Kidepo Valley continues to experience considerable rain and is really not good.

Visitor traffic tends to be medium in June, but it is always good to book permits as early as possible, to get on the best gorilla families.

By June, the dry season should be fully underway in Zambia, with pleasantly cool temperatures, but with sunshine levels remaining down at around 8 hours per day.

Most of the key reserves are now fully open and all the little backtracks should again be passable.

The bush is starting to yellow and the long grasses should be dropping. As the seasonal waterholes continue to dry out, the animals continue to move in towards permanent water, making wildlife viewing significantly more reliable.

Visitor numbers are relatively low in areas that cater to international visitors, but self-drive areas can get very busy due to the long school vacation in South Africa.

The Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) has a converse seasonality to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. It is early winter at this time, which is not perfect, but still pleasant. There are also options to combine with tropical beaches.

By June, the dry season should be fully underway in Zimbabwe, with pleasantly cool temperatures, but with sunshine levels remaining down at around 8 hours per day.

Most of the key reserves are now fully open and all the little backtracks should again be passable.

The bush is starting to yellow and the long grasses should be dropping. As the seasonal waterholes continue to dry out, the animals continue to move in towards permanent water, making wildlife viewing significantly more reliable.

Visitor numbers are relatively low in areas that cater to international visitors, but self-drive areas can get very busy due to the long school vacation in South Africa.

The Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) has a converse seasonality to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. It is early winter at this time, which is not perfect, but still pleasant. There are also options to combine with tropical beaches.

June is a good time of year in South Africa if you are looking to prioritise weather conditions in the safari areas, rather than the Cape.

The Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) is in midwinter at this time, still with generally pleasant conditions, but with occasional prolonged storms.

The safari areas of South Africa (Kruger, Madikwe, Tswalu, Waterberg) are in the second month of the cool dry season, with good weather and with the long grasses starting to yellow and fall, improving wildlife visibility.

Visitor traffic in June can be relatively low in the Cape, but is starting to build in the safari areas, making it necessary to deploy traffic avoidance techniques (such as sticking to private concession areas).

June is generally considered to be a good time to visit the Congo.

In the key Odzala-Kokoua gorilla areas, temperatures are stable year-round at an elevated 33C (86F), dropping to only 21C (70F) at night, which can be a little bit challenging, especially in lodges with fans and no air-conditioning.

This is the first month of the long dry season, albeit with rainfall still up around 100mm (4”) for the month. However, this does mean that the tracks should be slightly easier to navigate when out gorilla tracking.

By June, the dry season should be fully underway in Malawi, with pleasantly cool temperatures, but with sunshine levels remaining down at around 8 hours per day.

Most of the key reserves are now fully open and all the little backtracks should again be passable.

The bush is starting to yellow and the long grasses should be dropping. As the seasonal waterholes continue to dry out, the animals continue to move in towards permanent water, making wildlife viewing significantly more reliable.

Visitor numbers are relatively low in areas that cater to international visitors, but self-drive areas can get very busy due to the long school vacation in South Africa.

The Cape (Cape Town, Whale Coast, Cape Winelands) has a converse seasonality to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. It is early winter at this time, which is not perfect, but still pleasant. There are also options to combine with tropical beaches.

June is considered to be an excellent time to visit Madagascar.

In the Andasibe area of the Central Highlands, June is the first month of the cool dry season. Temperatures have dropped to a pleasant 15C (60F). Rainfall is still up at 75mm (3”) for the month, but that is considered low by local standards.

Up in Nosy Be, in the tropical northwest, the always high temperatures are up around 31C (88F), with rainfall around 50mm (2”) for the month.

Down in Tulear, in the arid southwest, temperatures are down around 27C (81F), with rainfall at 15mm (0.5”) for the month. Much lower humidities make these temperatures feel much more comfortable.

Visitor traffic in June is starting to increase, but is well below that of the next three months.

June is generally considered to be a relatively attractive month to visit Kenya.

All just about all the various areas, conditions are not perfect, but they are improving fast and the bush is pretty and green, with lots of flowers and baby animals.

In the Maasai Mara, June is the transition month into the early dry season. Temperatures should be a pleasant 25C/
77F and rainfall drops to around 50mm/2″ for the month. The main migration herds are yet to arrive from the south. There should still be reasonably strong general wildlife viewing, with plenty of predator action. However, the grasses are long and the backtracks may remain muddy, both of which can impede the safari experience.

In the northern areas of Laikipia, Samburu and Mathews Range, conditions are also much improved. Temperatures should still be comfortable and rainfall continue to fall back to around 15mm (0.5”) for the month. Wildlife viewing is starting to improve, as the grasses yellow and start to drop.

Conditions are much improved down on the tropical coast, where temperatures are down to a more comfortable 28C/82F and rainfall has dropped to 75mm/3″ for the month.

Visitor numbers in June are starting to increase, but are well off the peaks of the next few months.

The Jun-Oct period covers the main winter dry season, the most popular time for visiting Namibia.

As the seasonal waterholes out in the surrounding hinterlands dry out, the animals become obliged to migrate in towards the permanent waterholes of the Etosha area, clustering together in the densities for which the reserve is renowned. This effect is also true of other wildlife areas like Damaraland North and Twyfelfontein.

Temperatures in Etosha during the early part of this season, Jun-Aug, can be relatively cool, the day time average being around 25C/77F, dropping at night to around 8C/46F. It can get a great deal cooler at night out in the western deserts.

Visitor traffic is often very heavy through June due to the South African school holidays. Traffic avoidance techniques (like staying on private reserves and visiting more remote areas) should definitely be deployed.

June is generally considered to be a really good month in which to visit Rwanda.

In the Virunga Mountains area, the temperatures are stable at around 25C (77F), but the rainfall drops dramatically to only 50mm (2”) for the month.

The lower rainfall makes for considerably better conditions for gorilla tracking.

By June, the long grasses in Akagera should be starting to die back, making for more productive wildlife viewing.

Visitor traffic tends to be relatively high at this time, so it’s best to book well in advance in order to ensure gorilla permits and rooms at the best lodges.

June is the first month of the cool dry season and is generally considered to be a great time to visit Mauritius.

The daytime temperatures at this time drop to a relatively comfortable 25C (76F). However the constantly high humidities can make it feel a good deal warmer, especially at night, so air-conditioning is widely used.

Rainfall is relatively low, but is still up at a significant 100mm (4”) for the month. There tends to be much higher rainfall in central and southeast areas.

June is approaching the high season in Mauritius, so you need to book early to get accommodation in the best resorts. Prices are at their highest.

June is considered to be a very good time of year to visit Sao Tome and Principe.

Temperatures are marginally lower at this time, at around 28C (82F).

Most significantly, June is the first month of the short dry season, with the usually very high rainfall dropping to just 25mm (1”) over the month.

June is the tail end of the cacao harvesting season, which is interesting to witness.

Visitor traffic should be starting to build into the main season.