Best places to travel around Africa in October

October in Africa and time rules. In East Africa, the short rains have begun and the landscape responds with a blanket of fresh, green grass. South of the Zambezi, however, there has hardly been any rain since May and the animals are flocking around the remaining watering holes.

October is peak season for many safari destinations because dry conditions make it easier to search for animals. In addition, islands such as Zanzibar, the Seychelles and the Bazaruto archipelago in Mozambique are magnificent in October, making a combined beach and bush holiday an irresistible option.

Peak season means Africa's best-known safari destinations will be busy. Although the main holiday months are July and August, animal sightings in October make it a very popular time for safari travelers. Islands such as Zanzibar, the Seychelles and the Bazaruto archipelago in Mozambique are magnificent in October, making a combined beach and bush holiday an irresistible option.

1. The northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara

Having survived big cats and even bigger crocodiles on their circuit through the Serengeti, the wildebeest move on to more serious matters: food. With fresh pastures in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara, they gather in large numbers on the green plains. Predators naturally approach flocks whenever they see an opportunity.

You'll like the weather: October temperatures don't exceed 30C/86F and it's mostly sunny, although be prepared for a few showers or cloudy days. And if you stick to the most popular safari areas, be prepared to share your sightings with other travelers. Therefore, you have to mix up the itinerary a little. Northern Kenya is a world away from the Masai Mara in terms of visitor numbers, but is home to the Samburu and Shaba reserves, where you'll find all the big game you could want and none of the human crowds, leaving no room doubts about where to go in October.

If you want to experience unique, more secluded places for your October holiday, try a different side of the Serengeti and head west. Now that the wildebeest are gone, the Western Serengeti offers incredible game viewing in beautiful private reserves. It's the time of year to focus on the Serengeti's other wild attractions: wild dogs and elephants, big cats and antelope.

2. Tanzania and the Republic of the Congo

With attention focused on the Masai Mara and Serengeti in October, why not think elsewhere in East Africa? There are many offbeat to go on holiday in October that offer incredible animal spotting opportunities. October is the end of the long dry season in Ruaha and Katavi National Parks, and their rivers are the only source of water for hundreds of kilometers around, meaning that wildlife is concentrated nearby, making make great sightings more frequent and easier to find.

The parks are not at their greenest in October and temperatures can be high, but this is when Ruaha National Park lives up to its legend as home to the largest elephant herds in East Africa. This is when Katavi boasts that more lions are seen there than anywhere else on the planet.

Even further afield, Odzala National Park in the Congo allows travelers access to a previously unreachable destination: the incredible rainforests of Central Africa. Here, jungle elephants and lowland gorillas make fascinating photographic subjects in the clean, rainy jungle air. The high water level allows you to explore the brown rivers by boat, which is a great way to see birds and smaller primates, and makes it one of the best places to travel in October.

3. Southern Africa: Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia

We have reached the last month of the dry season. Most of Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia have not had rain for six months or more. The safari landscape is baked brown, dry, dusty and hot.

For the animals, it's survival of the fittest, but not for you: you'll slide into a sparkling pool overlooking a hippo-filled lagoon or relax on the deck of a luxury lodge, cold drink in hand, watching the elephants pass by to quench their thirst in the pond in front of them. If you can stand the heat, October is one of the best months to see animals in southern Africa.

Botswana's Chobe River, Savuti and Linyanti are the best places to travel in October for wildlife hotspots, which are filled with elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and more antelope species than you can name . As for predators, let's say it's easy prey for them. Ambushes at watering holes are the favorite tactic of the lion and leopard; The cheetah and wild dog burst into herds of impala at high speed, picking out the weak and unfortunate, with smiling hyenas on the prowl.

The same is true in the South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi parks in Zambia, where visitors can combine driving safaris with walking safaris, led by expert guides. And if what you want is to see animals sitting, Etosha National Park, in Namibia, is a place where so many different species gather around the ponds that it looks like a page from National Geographic .

4. African tropical islands

With animal sightings at their peak, you won't want to miss out on the safari action in October, and since African islands are also great options, it must be destiny that jungle and beach combine so refreshingly on this! the same month!

East Africa offers some of the best places to travel in October, with a special mention to the tropical islands. Island temperatures are ideal - warm but not stifling - and there is very little rain to disturb the afternoons in Zanzibar, and even less in Mozambique's Bazaruto archipelago. In the Seychelles, underwater visibility reaches a staggering 30 metres, meaning 30 meters of visual splendour.

It's clear that an October island holiday is full of victories, from the weather to the mid-season status and the magnificent diving conditions in the best tropical locations to escape the autumn, embracing the African climate. The only way to improve a tropical getaway is to combine it with the best of an African safari, as long as you can handle the heat! With both experiences on the menu, you're in for an unforgettable feast.

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