{"id":37165,"date":"2019-07-16T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=37165&preview=true&preview_id=37165"},"modified":"2025-03-26T23:08:43","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T12:08:43","slug":"february-east-africa-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/february-east-africa-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"8 reasons why February is an awesome time to travel to East Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think about it, it\u2019s always a good time of year to travel to East Africa \u2013 it just depends on what you want to see, do and experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Travelling between March and May (the first rainy season of the year) means you\u2019ll have to look a bit harder for wildlife; the bushland is dense, so it\u2019s much easier for the animals to hide \u2013 but the landscapes will be a vibrant green. If you can handle a few showers each day (and the occasional drenching downpour), this is a beautiful time to visit.<\/p>\n

April to September is when the Great Migration northwards happens, when tens of thousands of wildebeest crash their way across East Africa, from the Serengeti<\/a> to the Masai Mara<\/a>, in search of food and water (read more about the Great Migration here)<\/a>.<\/p>\n

June to October is generally dry and cooler \u2013 and the busiest time of year \u2013 while the second wet season rolls through in late-October and lasts until December. By January, the rains have stopped and the area enters its first yearly dry spell.<\/p>\n

So when’s our favourite time of year to visit? February. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

1. It\u2019s the driest time of the year<\/h2>\n
\"Two

Photo by Damien Raggatt.<\/p><\/div>\n

So it\u2019s one of the best times of year for seeing wildlife. The undergrowth is sparser, making it more difficult for the animals to camouflage themselves, and they have further to travel for water. On a safari across the savanna, you\u2019ll be rewarded with giraffes, elephants and gazelles on parade, while a jungle trek makes for an unforgettable mountain gorilla experience.<\/p>\n

JOIN US ON A 16-DAY GORILLAS AND GAME PARKS EXPERIENCE\u00a0\u2013 FULL DETAILS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. It\u2019s shoulder season<\/h2>\n
\"Two

Photo by David Nagle.<\/p><\/div>\n

Flights are cheaper, and you won\u2019t be paying a premium for accommodation and activities (and school holidays are over in most parts of the world, so it\u2019ll be less crowded too). It\u2019s much nicer having front-row seats to animal escapades on the Serengeti or visiting an elephant sanctuary in Kenya or camping out with a clan of Maasai warriors without all the crowds.<\/p>\n

VISIT THE KIMANA ELEPHANT SANCTUARY ON OUR 8-DAY KENYA: WILDLIFE RANGERS EXPEDITION\u00a0\u2013 FULL DETAILS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

3. It\u2019s hot during the day…<\/h2>\n
\"A

Photo by Afonso Martins, Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n

With temperatures around the 30 degree Celsius mark, the weather\u2019s perfect for making the most of hotel and guesthouse swimming pools, not to mention the excellent beaches. Splash about in the shallows of the Indian Ocean in Zanzibar or cool off with a dip after a day of exploring in Djibouti. Oh, and if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, coming back to winter with a tan isn\u2019t bad either.<\/p>\n

EXPLORE OUR RANGE OF ZANZIBAR ADVENTURES HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. … and balmy in the evenings<\/h2>\n

Many East African cities have an awesome outdoorsy nightlife; think rooftop bars, beer gardens and outdoor restaurants. Order a Tusker beer and some mandazi (a sweet and semi-spicy deep-fried \u2018donut\u2019) and settle in for an evening of travel stories with your fellow adventurers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

5. You can spot a different Great Migration<\/h2>\n

While April marks the start of the best time to see the \u2018official\u2019 Great Migration \u2013 when herds of wildebeest and zebras make their way across the Serengeti \u2013 February is when you\u2019ll spot migrating whale sharks along the coast of Tanzania and Kenya (in Djibouti, you can even go snorkelling with them!).<\/p>\n

SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS ON OUR 11-DAY FOOTSTEPS OF THE AFAR ADVENTURE IN DJIBOUTI\u00a0\u2013 DETAILS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

6. And it\u2019s a great time for bird watching<\/h2>\n
\"An

Photo by Damien Raggatt.<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s ALWAYS a good time of year for bird watching in East Africa, but from September to April migratory birds from North Africa and Europe make their way south to nest, and take advantage of the warm (and dry) weather. Along with seeing spectacular local birds like lilac-breasted rollers, white-headed vultures, flamingos and ostriches, expect to see willow warblers, northern wheatears and barn swallows.<\/p>\n

7. Calving season starts<\/h2>\n
\"A

Photo by Damien Raggatt.<\/p><\/div>\n

A visit to the Serengeti during calving season is a pretty incredible experience. In February each year, thousands of pregnant wildebeest give birth \u2013 it\u2019s estimated around 8000 baby wildebeest are born each day throughout the month \u2013 as well as tens of thousands of zebras and gazelles. While you\u2019ll get to see lots of cute babies, you\u2019ll also witness the circle of life in action, as hungry predators \u2013 such as lions, cheetahs and hyenas \u2013 jump in for easy meals.<\/p>\n

RELATED: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EAST AFRICA\u2019S WILDEBEEST MIGRATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

8. Into hiking? Climb Mt Kilimanjaro (minus the crowds)<\/h2>\n
\"A

Photo by Lucy Piper.<\/p><\/div>\n

At 5985 metres, Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, and it\u2019s a popular trek for avid hikers. Making the climb in February means the slopes are dry, and it\u2019s much less busy than the peak June to October season. It\u2019s also cooler than during the summer months;<\/a> you\u2019re more likely to encounter snow the higher you get.<\/p>\n

EXPLORE OUR FULL RANGE OF MT KILI TREKS HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Travel to East Africa is always a good idea. Explore our range of adventures to Tanzania<\/a>, Kenya<\/a>, Uganda<\/a>, Rwanda<\/a> and Djibouti<\/a> now.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature photo by Damien Raggatt.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you think about it, it\u2019s always a good time of year to travel to East Africa \u2013 it just depends on what you want to see, do and experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15098,"featured_media":37167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[65,3036,384,64,75,73,501],"class_list":["post-37165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-africa","tag-djibouti","tag-east-africa","tag-kenya","tag-rwanda","tag-tanzania","tag-uganda","ipf_region-djibouti","ipf_region-kenya","ipf_region-rwanda","ipf_region-tanzania","ipf_region-uganda"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy February Is The Best Time To Visit East Africa | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you think about it, it\u2019s always a good time of year to travel to East Africa, but February is our favourite month. 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