Where To Go on Safari Holiday During November

November is a month celebrated by true Africa hands. It is often dismissed for being too hot in the south, and too wet in the east. Wrong wrong wrong! True, November marks a turn of seasons in Southern Africa: the dramatic build-up of heat and the start of the rains: afternoon thunder and lightening and if you’re lucky, life-saving rain. In Kenya and Tanzania this is the season of the short rains.

November safari

In a continent as arid as Africa, no prayer forgets to include the hope of rain, and when it does come, what a miraculous sight! Weather patterns the world over are hard to predict, but recent years in Africa seem to purposefully contradict the norm. Mid November should see the clouds burst, the build up to this point is the pinnacle of theater in the bush, the congregation of game around surface water is never greater, competition for space, heat, dust, dehydration, drama and death!

More animals, fewer people

When it comes, rain brings life, it settles the dust, freshens the air, fills the waterholes. November is often referred to as the ‘emerald’ season, a reference to the vivid lushness of the bush, we call it the secret season. Typically a time of year with fewer safari visitors. It nestles between the peak periods, outside of school vacations - lodges drop their rates, often dramatically, and those traveling at this time of year are in for a glut of mind-blowing, crowd-free wildlife spectaculars!

East Africa

Witness wildlife reacting to the changing environment. Head to the Serengeti to see the Great Migration thunder its way back south to feast on the new grazing. The waterholes of Katavi National Park are a heaving, writhing mass of hippos and crocs which disperse with the first rainfall. The tan hides of big cats stand out boldly against the green hills across Kenya. The Maasai Mara settles back into its calmer daily routine, without the migration chasing hoards, but with incredible resident wildlife and all the space to enjoy it.

Southern Africa

Down south, it’s time to celebrate for all photographers, Zambia’s South Luangwa doesn’t get more beautiful or dramatic than this – from leopards stalking thirsty prey on the river bank, to the arrival of tens of thousands of flying migrants. The zebra and wildebeest migration leaves Botswana’s Boteti, heading back to the Makgadikgadi and the dust bowl of the salt pans become shallow lakes packed with flamingo. It’s the last month visitors can enjoy Zimbabwe’s Mana Pool National Park before this favorite African wilderness is off limits for the season, over in Hwange the elephant population is at its height – there is no experience like watching the giant Hwange bulls queuing patiently for their turn at water. How about being a witness to the greatest sand dunes turning green before your eyes, see the desert bloom!

Marine wildlife in November

If marine activity is what you are after, you’ll catch Humpbacks migrating along the Indian Ocean coast, whale sharks off Tanzania, Manta Rays off Mozambique, and turtles right across the east coast beaches. Down on the Cape you’ll hit the height of the Southern Right Whale season, November is a great month to visit the southern edge of the continent: the Cape experiences a climate all of its own and late Spring is a top time to visit.

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Fish River Lodge

Fish River Lodge

Fish River Canyon, Namibia

Fish River Lodge is a 20 bedroom lodge set within the Canyon Nature Park right on the western edge of the world famous Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world and the lodge has been designed to make the most of the unparalleled views.

Adventure Couples Wildlife
Fugitives' Drift

Fugitives' Drift

Rorke's Drift, KwaZulu Natal and the north coast, South Africa

Fugitives' Drift Lodge and Guesthouse are simple and charming retreats with eight cottages and six rooms respectively, very close to the sites of two of the most famous battlefields in the history of the South African wars, Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.

Culture Adventure Wildlife
Gibb's Farm

Gibb's Farm

Ngorongoro Crater, Northern Tanzania

Gibb's Farm is an old 1920s coffee plantation with terraced gardens on the outer slopes of the Ngorongoro Highlands and Rift Valley Escarpment. Gibb's Farm is a remarkable hideaway between the National Parks and conservation areas.

Wildlife
Giraffe Manor

Giraffe Manor

Nairobi, Kenya

Giraffe Manor is a unique boutique hotel in the heart of Nairobi, famous for its resident herd of endangered Rothschild giraffe. The manor house was originally built as a private home in the 1930s and has twelve bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms.

Short Break Adventure Culture Wildlife
Gomoti Plains Camp

Gomoti Plains Camp

Chitabe Concession, Okavango Delta and Moremi, Botswana

Set in a cool sheltered spot beneath a canopy of mature acacia trees, Gomoti Plains Camp is situated on the edge of the Gomoti river system and flood plains right in the center of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, providing wild and pristine game viewing.

Couples Wildlife
Greystoke Mahale

Greystoke Mahale

Mahale Mountains, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania

Greystoke Mahale enjoys a breathtaking position on a golden beach along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, sheltered by the lush forest of the Mahale Mountains. This isolated setting is home to the world's largest known population of chimpanzees.

Adventure Couples Off the beaten track Wildlife
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp

Hoanib, Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Located in one of the most remote areas of the Kaokoveld, Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp boasts dramatic rugged landscapes dotted with the ancient welwitschia plant, dry riverbeds and seas of soft sand dunes.

Adventure Couples Wildlife
Hog Hollow Country Lodge

Hog Hollow Country Lodge

Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route, South Africa

Hog Hollow Country Lodge is situated in a private nature reserve in close proximity to Plettenberg Bay. The lodge comprises 15 luxurious suites close to the Tsitsikamma Forest and is in a great place to explore the area.

Adventure Culture Off the beaten track Villa
Hoodia Desert Lodge

Hoodia Desert Lodge

Sossusvlei, Namibia

Located just 20-minutes from the gateway to Sossusvlei, Hoodia Desert Lodge is a beautiful lodge set in the Namib Desert. Surrounded by majestic mountains, Hoodia offers guests a tranquil stay in a stunning setting.

Adventure Eco/ethical tourism Wildlife
Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Ishasha Wilderness Camp is an authentic safari camp, with just ten tented rooms on the banks of Ntungwe river, in the remote Ishasha sector of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The camp has the feeling of being in the heart of the wilderness.

Adventure Couples Wildlife
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