January is a great time for enjoying Southern Africa and East Africa top travel experiences including the great wildebeest migration, gorilla trekking, Big 5 safaris and the picturesque city of Cape Town.
Subtle shifts in January’s climate create valuable windows of opportunity to experience some of Africa’s top wildlife events. The summer rains are temporarily easing across much of East Africa and the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti is entering one of its most dramatic stages. And with the sun breaking out, gorilla trekking in the rainforests of Rwanda and Uganda suddenly becomes a lot easier.
There’s a chance of rain of course but that can work to your advantage; January is generally a shoulder-season month (rather than high season) and so travellers have access to good deals and cheaper accommodation rates. Moreover, a safari in January showcases the seldom-seen side of the African savannah: green, lush and well-watered. It’s great for nature photography as well as bird watching but what’s most exciting about January is that animals from the Masai Mara to the Kruger Park are giving birth. This makes January an excellent time to see not just hundreds of baby antelope and zebra but also Africa’s largest land predators – big cats, spotted hyenas and wild dogs – in action.
If you’d prefer more or less guaranteed dry weather, then head for Cape Town, basking in January’s sunshine. The rains are still several months away and with most people back at work and school, January is the perfect time to get outside and experience the best of the Cape and the Garden Route without the Christmas crowds.
It’s a great shoulder-season time: there are cheaper accommodation rates, fewer other visitors & it’s the calving season – great for predators.
Possibility of rain but the Serengeti sees an average of 8 hours of sunshine a day. Temperatures around 25°C (77°F) during the day and 14°C (57°F) at night.
The Ngorongoro Crater & Tarangire NP guarantee plenty of wildlife. Add on a beach holiday to Zanzibar & you have the perfect ‘beach & bush’ combination.
January in the Serengeti National Park and two major events are happening: the ‘short rains’ are drying up, and hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra are giving birth on the grasslands. The result is some of the most dramatic game viewing you are likely to witness: the calving season attracts predators from near and far, giving you the chance to see lions, cheetahs and hyenas in primal conflict with the herds. Accommodation ranges from family-friendly lodges to honeymoon retreats and is generally very comfortable; there are also includes ‘migration camps’ – semi-permanent tented camps located on the migration route and the ideal way to immerse yourself in the experience.
Then the calving begins. Generally starting in January, the pregnant wildebeest give birth and by February some 8000 baby wildebeest are being born every day. The calving season carries on into March and is joined by other animals too. Tens of thousands of zebras and gazelles have accompanied the wildebeest on their trek and are taking advantage of safety in numbers to drop their young too.
Other great months for Serengeti: December through March, July & August
Some camps offer a discounted rate in January and therefore the last week in January will safe you some money without losing out on the experience.
The baobab trees are in full leaf, birding is great and the wildebeest herds are concentrated in the southern Serengeti; relatively easy to access from Tarangire.
January is part of a short drier period – hard to predict and still with rain – but dry enough for some lodges in Tarangire to stay open for safaris.
Add the Ngorongoro Crater & Serengeti to your Tarangire safari & top it off with a gorilla trek in Uganda for an unforgettable wildlife experience.
A sunken volcanic crater packed with wildlife, Ngorongoro is a popular destination at most times of the year but February offers an equitable balance between weather and visitor numbers. There may be some rain and cloud but it’s not nearly as busy as later in the year and so now is the time to look for accommodation deals.
You can choose between staying in the area or at lodges set right on the edge of the Ngorongoro crater itself where the views are sensational. Activities are restricted to game drives in the crater but with all the heavyweight wildlife round, you’ll be glad to be inside a vehicle. This is Big 5 country (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard) and the resident wildebeest are in their calving season – it’s all action in the crater.
Other Great months for Tarangire: June through October for dry season game viewing.
Ask us about great value long-stay rates and honeymoon specials.
January is the start of the dry season which means easier trekking conditions, better gorilla sightings and the best time to visit Rwanda’s other destinations.
Thanks to high elevations, temperatures in the rainforest might be lower than you think. So please be aware that gorilla trekking destinations are often colder.
Super-size your wildlife experience with a safari to Kenya’s Great Rift Valley destinations: the Mara Mara & Laikipia Plateau.
he clouds are clearing up over Africa’s mountain rainforests as January welcomes a short respite in the rains before they return with full force in March. The drier, warmer and less humid conditions make gorilla trekking much easier and create better photographic conditions when you do encounter them.
You’ll need to choose between Uganda and Rwanda for your gorilla trek. Both destinations record a 90% success rate at finding the gorillas on a daily basis; Rwanda is known for a shorter travel time to the forests plus easier trekking but Uganda has a cheaper trekking permit and more entry-level accommodation. Other activities at trekking lodges include nature walks, bird watching and community visits with local guides.
Other Great months for Gorilla Trekking: December & February, June through September.
Rwanda’s gorilla trekking experience is generally easier than Uganda’s & is preferred by older or less fit travellers.
The rains have eased, there’s good game viewing & this is the best place to see elephants with a Mount Kilimanjaro background.
There is less rain between December and February, and average temperatures range from a maximum of 28°C (82°F) to a minimum of 16°C (61°F).
The Masai Mara is a natural combination with Amboseli but consider also the Samburu region, home to a great mix of wildlife, culture & safari adventures.
Mount Kilimanjaro lies in Tanzania but the best views of it are from Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, especially when an obliging herd of elephants wanders into the frame. Amboseli is a small reserve and popular in the dusty dry season but a January visit gives you the opportunity to see Africa’s classic animals – lions, cheetah, buffalo and giraffe – in a beautiful green landscape with few other visitors.
January is a hot month in Amboseli but not excessively, and there is a chance of some rain but this is shoulder-season and you’ll get better deals on accommodation rates.
Other Great months for Amboseli: February & then June through October for the dry season.
Ask us about Amboseli’s stay-pay deals & honeymoon specials.
It’s a beautiful green landscape with fewer other visitors than usual. Migration mainly in Serengeti but great regular game viewing in Masai Mara.
There’s a possibility of a rain shower in January but temperatures are warm and you enjoy an average of nine hours of sunshine a day.
Keep it all in Kenya with a safari to Amboseli & then fly to the coast for a holiday on one of Kenya’s Indian Ocean beaches.
The great wildebeest herds are in Tanzania’s Serengeti at this time of year but that’s no reason to avoid the Masai Mara in January. The grasslands have had time to recover after the relentless grazing of the wildebeest and the Masai Mara now echoes to the sounds of the calving season.
It’s a great time to see not just endearing young antelope but also the predators that are inevitably drawn to them: cheetahs, lions, leopards, jackals and hyenas. Add the Masai Mara’s resident wildlife such elephants, buffalo and giraffe into the mix and you have all the ingredients of an excellent safari.
Other great months for Masai Mara: December, February & March for general wildlife; June through October for the wildebeest migration.
Stay at a private concession in the Masai Mara for game viewing exclusivity; if you are a diver then this is the best time for whale shark sightings on the coast.
January is the Cape’s secret summer month: it’s much less crowded after the December rush, the weather is wonderful & there’s so much to do.
It might be cloudy and raining across many safari destinations in January but chances are it’ll be blue sky and sunshine in Cape Town.
Take advantage of shoulder season to go on a Big 5 safari to the Kruger National Park and its private Sabi Sands, Thornybush & Timbabvati reserves.
This is the middle of the Cape’s hot, dry summer season and both Cape Town and the Garden Route are arguably at their best. The big Christmas crowds return home after the first week of the month and popular local attractions such as Cape Point and Table Mountain become a lot easier and more pleasant to experience.
The region’s roads are much less busy too, making it a good time to hire a car and continue the Cape experience, whether it’s a weekend in the Winelands or a self-drive adventure on the Garden Route, a series of beaches and sleepy holiday towns strung along a scenic coastline.
Other Great months for Cape Town & Garden Route: December, February & March for summer; April & May for cooler weather; August, September & October for whales & flowers.
It’s a great month to be adventuring outdoors and sightseeing in Cape Town: go on hikes, nature tours & birding trips with an expert local guide The Fynbos Guy.
January is peak calving season for many antelope which makes it great for photography and great for predators – and there’s amazing bird watching too.
Warm to hot with the chance of cloud & rain. Although the rainy season might not be first choice for some travellers, it is a time of beautiful lush landscapes.
There are direct flights to Cape Town as well as Vilanculos on the Mozambique coast, gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago & an Indian Ocean holiday.
Green Season safaris are becoming more and more popular: true, there is the chance of rain but for many safari travellers, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This is the calving season in the Kruger Park and one of the best times to see predator/prey interaction as well as a great time for bird watching. For photographers, the light is softer with less dust and glare, and the landscape has deeper layers of colour. And although you may not get the dry-season concentrations of animals at water, there is still plenty of wildlife to see in January.
The Kruger Park has the size and stature but for a safari with a greater guarantee of seeing the Big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard), we’d recommend one of the Kruger’s private Sabi Sands Reserves.
Other Great months for Kruger & Sabi Sands: November & December; June through October for the dry season.
This is shoulder season – ask us about pay-stay specials for a great value safari.
January is a fantastic time to experience Africa’s diverse landscapes, abundant wildlife, and unforgettable adventures. From iconic game drives to hidden seasonal gems, our travel experts know how to build a safari that makes the most of this special time of year.
