- Destinations
- Zimbabwe
- Hwange National Park
When to Go
Best time to Visit Hwange NP
Hwange’s long dry winter (May to October) is generally seen as the best time for game viewing. Animals are increasingly concentrated around water and the leafless landscape makes spotting them easier. It is also the time of lowest risk from malaria and the most comfortable time to visit from the perspective of climate: temperatures from May through August are mild to warm with cold nights and virtually no rain.
Travellers should note that the dry season coincides with the lowest water levels at Victoria Falls – especially September to November. The falls are in full flow from February to May but this is when game viewing conditions are not optimum in Hwange – there may be heavy rain, animals are widely dispersed and the malaria risk is at its highest.
The June to August period is a good compromise: excellent game viewing at Hwange and still an enormous amount of water going over Victoria Falls.
Hwange’s summer season will appeal to returning safari travellers, wildlife photographers and bird watchers. The mass birthing of especially impala antelopes means plenty of predator activity; the landscape is beautifully green and lush; and the arrival of summer’s migrant birds cements Hwange’s reputation as one of the best birding destinations in southern Africa.