December safaris and January safaris in East Africa : In December and January, East Africa is usually known to receive a number of tourists coming to explore the region and the wildlife in the region. Its usually the festive season and most people are on holiday and vacationing, so you will find many people are able to attend most of these safaris. Well because these two months are close to each other, most people who visit the region keep wondering, what’s the difference of visiting the region in December and in January.
In this article we shall shade some light on the differences of the safaris in December and January.
- Weather
These months though close together has quite different weather in December is a bit warm and dry, with average temperatures ranging from 20-28°C (68-82°F) and in January the weather is hot and dry, with average temperatures ranging from 22-30°C (72-86°F).
- Wildlife
In December there are more wild animals active during the day because of the cooler temperatures. In January the animals tend to seek shade and rest during the hottest part of the day, so they may not be easily seen.
- Primate trekking
In both months primate trekking is actually easy because the weather and trails are dry, however in December the temperatures are cooler so the trekking is not so hot or humid. In January the temperatures are high and hot and humid.
- Wildebeest migration
The wildebeest migration is Kenya and Tanzania; in December its in full swing and almost every day you will see a bunch of animals crossing the river mara. In January, the migration continues, but some herds may start moving towards greener pastures, and you will see lesser numbers of animals crossing the river.
- Tourist Season
Both months are peak seasons because they are dry, festive and holiday seasons. In December the start of the festive season there are many tourists, and safari packages and accommodations are quite high; it’s the only way to manage the crowds. In January, it’s still peak season but there are few tourists because the holiday season is ending and people are returning to their normal life.
- Safari Activities:
In December the best activities you can do include game drives, primate trekking, boat riding, nature walks and many other activities. In January, you will do all the activities mentioned above and the bonus would be, the night game sighting; because of the heat in the day, most animals come out at night and at dawn when its cooler in the night and in the dawn.
- Inbound transport and logistics
As stated, both months are peak seasons, most logistic and transport and tour companies are full booked and all their vehicles fully booked until February; so we advise you book your in bound transport and logistics for your safari on the onset. Because if you don’t you may find yourself stranded without transportation to your next destination.
- Cross border packages
You can of course have cross border packages in both these months but please make you arrangements ahead of time for you not to be left stranded. Cross border packages are safaris with some activities in one country and the other in another country.
These are some of the differences in a December and January safari but there more differences and your tour consultant or operator can tell you more.