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.
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 theatre 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 holidays - lodges drop their rates, often dramatically, and those travelling 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 favourite 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.
&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
Chitabe Concession, Okavango Delta and Moremi, Botswana
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is a beautiful thatched lodge nestled between permanent water and grassy plains. It was built with a commitment to 'treading lightly on the earth'. Accommodation is in twelve en-suite suites raised up on stilts.
The Highlands
Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and northern Tanzania, Tanzania
Designer chic meets eco-conscious at this Asilia safari camp north of the Ngorongoro Crater. The Highlands boasts eight unique glass and canvas tent pods tucked into the forest near the Olmoti crater and an array of Maasai walking trails to discover.
&Beyond Klein's Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Klein's Camp is &Beyond’s sustainable, safari lodge located deep in the heart of the Maasai land at the edge of the Serengeti National Park.The ten traditional cottages offer incredible views of a game-rich private concession.
Jabali Ridge
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Jabali Ridge is a stylish luxury safari lodge in Ruaha National Park. This gem of a park in southern Tanzania is home to prolific wildlife including plentiful big cats, and Jabali Ridge has some of Tanzania's best safari guides.
Jongomero
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Jongomero is a small luxury tented camp in the remote and little visited Ruaha National Park, in Tanzania. With just eight tented suites, Jongomero is perfect for those seeking the true African wilderness experience without compromising on comfort.
Kigelia Ruaha
Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Kigelia is a hard-to-beat luxury bush camp experience in unspoilt Africa, far from the madding crowds. Ruaha is a true African wilderness. Home to incredible wildlife and the perfect national park to visit in combination with the Selous Game Reserve.
Siwandu
Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania
Siwandu, formerly Selous Safari Camp, is a luxury tented camp located on the banks of Lake Nzerakera in the most prolific game viewing area of the Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania. The tented accommodation is authentic and beautifully designed.
Serian's Serengeti North Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Serian's Serengeti North Camp is a seasonal mobile camp operating between July and November in the far north of Tanzania's Serengeti. Set a short distance from the Mara River, Serian is a great camp to catch the dramatic wildebeest river crossings.
Singita Faru Faru Lodge
Serengeti National Park, Serengeti and northern Tanzania, Tanzania
Set on the banks of the Grumeti River, Singita's Faru Faru is a small and intimate lodge with just eight beautiful rooms. The lodge is located in the path of the annual great wildebeest migration in the Grumeti Reserve, to the west of the Serengeti.
Dunia Camp
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Dunia Camp is an eight tented female run safari camp in the southern part of the Serengeti, Tanzania. This area is famous for the Great Migration, expect to see an abundance of lion, leopard and cheetah and perhaps even the elusive black rhino.
Exceptional Kenya and Tanzania
Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater
Discover the best of east Africa on this exciting safari itinerary, combining some of Kenya and Tanzania's finest national parks. Explore wide open savannah and endless grassy plains on game drives and walking safari. Our luxury Kenya safari tours are topped off with the very best lodges and safari camps for you to rest your head.
GBP £10,000 pp
Limitless Kenya and Seychelles
Maasai Mara, Kenya & Mahe, Seychelles
Delve into this jaw-dropping adventure through Kenya’s unique landscape with indulgent experiences. Thanks to incredible game viewing at Angama Mara and accommodation at the stunning family home of Arijiju, you'll have the perfect set-up for a "big five" adventure. Your luxury stay finishes on the opulent Desroches Island in the Seychelles.
Limitless South Africa and Antarctica
Kruger, Cape Town & White Desert Antarctica
Expand your horizons on this awe-inspiring tour through South Africa and on to Antarctica. One of the most exciting trips available, you will experience the great wilderness of the Kruger National Park staying in one of Africa’s most exclusive safari lodges. That will be followed by some luxurious downtime in Cape Town, and ending with the...
Limitless Tanzania
Grumeti Reserves & Zanzibar
Leap into this unbeatable Tanzanian adventure whilst experiencing some of East Africa’s most luxurious lodges. Bask in the sheer beauty of the famous Serengeti in the most exclusive way possible, away from the crowds, but with an abundance of wildlife right on your doorstep. Lose yourself in ultimate barefoot luxury at Thanda island where you can...
Limitless Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba & Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve
Zimbabwe has attracted vast amounts of attention within the luxury travel market in very recent years. This itinerary combines some of the most luxurious accommodation options on offer, which boast stunning facilities as well as impeccable service. Not only are the properties highly luxurious but they are also in regions not typically visited by...
GBP £16,400 pp
Botswana Riding Safari
Botswana
Gallop into the wild on this journey across Botswana’s wildernesses. A riding safari boasts encounters that cannot be had on foot or by vehicle. Watch elephants ford the waterways of the Okavango, unnoticed on horseback. Admire the sweeping desert and endless views of the Kalahari as you traverse the grasslands of Botswana’s deserts. For riders,...
GBP £10,600 pp
Namibia Mobile Safari
Kalahari, NamibRand, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha & Central Highlands
Immerse yourself in the epic wildernesses of Namibia, where your only neighbours are the desert elephants wandering in the distance. Break away from the norm on this journey to some of the most remote camps in Africa, where few tred. Meet with bushmen in the rolling Kalahari, watch the blazing Milky Way in the NamibRand Desert before leaving the...
GBP £10,000 pp
Remote Tanzania
Katavi National Park & Mahale Mountains
A journey of discovery to the lesser visited far west of Tanzania. A world of great lakes, mighty rivers and lush forests. Visit Katavi National Park, a wildlife haven that isn’t on the typical tourism trail in an impressive unspoilt wilderness, and watch chimpanzees in the wild at the stunning Greystoke Mahale on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
GBP £9,900 pp
Walk with the Great Migration
Serengeti National Park
This activity packed itinerary allows guests the rare opportunity of seeing one of the world’s greatest spectacles, the great migration, on foot. This week-long expedition allows you to walk through the very heart of the migration during December until March, a peak calving period.
GBP £7,700 pp
Zambia Walking Safari
South Luangwa and North Luangwa
Step into the wild on this journey across the wildernesses of Zambia’s Luangwa Valley, where leopard stalk the night and a true adventure awaits. Expert guides lead you away from the ordinary to hidden corners of this remote Eden rarely seen by tourists; fall in love with the African bush in a new way in the area that pioneered the walking safari....
GBP £6,700 pp
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