Ethiopia

October is particularly nice for trekking because the wildflowers are in bloom. October is a good general month to visit Ethiopia and travelling conditions are good. The European winter months are the best time for birders to Ethiopia as resident species are joined by large numbers of palaearctic migrants. However birding is good year round in Ethiopia which has recorded over 850 species of birds.

Kenya

Still hot, mostly dry and not too busy.

Towards the end of the month the short rains kick in.

This is many people’s preferred month for a safari and it’s also good for diving and snorkelling.

Tanzania

October is the dry season and temperatures are high except in the highlands in southern and northeastern Tanzania where it is relatively cool and pleasant due to altitude. The plains are dry and migratory animals are around Mara River – most having crossed over to Kenya in search of water and greener pastures. Tarangire is still at its best with lots of game along Tarangire River just before the short rains start in November and the southern and western game parks offer excellent game viewing. All the game parks offer excellent birding of resident species, with Eurasian migrants starting to arrive.At the coast it is generally dry and sunny with occasional showers (short rains). September – March is excellent for big game fishing (marlin, barracuda, sailfish, tuna) off Mafia, Zanzibar and Pemba. October is shoulder season in northern Tanzania and the islands but it is peak season in southern and western Tanzania.

Mafia Island

Whale sharks starts feeding on the surface of the West Coast of Mafia. With the change of the winds the seas outside the bay settle and it becomes possible to access the dive sites on the Eastern Shores of the Mafia Archipelago. They are abundant with fish life.

Sunny days and comfortable nights

Zanzibar

Kilimanjaro & Mt Kenya

The short rains of October to December often produce thunderstorms, which pass over the mountain dropping rain as they go – however it is still relatively good for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Typically the clouds disappear in evening leaving the nights and mornings clear with excellent visibility.

Rwanda

October is beautiful time for chimp trekking as well as other primates in Nyungwe Forest National Park, game viewing in Akagera National Park. October is the start of Rwanda’s short rains.

Uganda

October is a cultural month in Uganda – every first week of October Kampala becomes animated with flamboyant sights, vibrant sounds and lively rhythms in concert as the Kampala City Festival is underway. October falls into the wet season and there are lots of baby animals in the parks and reserves. Vegetation is turning green and visitors can enjoy wonderful green, scenic views. Visitor numbers are low during October.

South Africa

Head to: The Magoebaskloof and Haenertsberg in Limpopo. The Magoebaskloof is one of the most underrated and least known spaces in South Africa, possibly because it has to compete with the Kruger National Park for airtime. Also called ‘the land of the silver mist’ it centres on the Magoebaskloof mountains, dotted with misty mountain rain forests, thickly wooded valleys, the Debengeni Falls, the Pekoe View Tea Garden where tea is grown, and the little lost-in-time town of Haenertsberg, at its base.

Avoid: Anywhere with a beer festival, as it’s just not the same as in Munich.

Botswana

Last month of peak / dry season, and the zebra migration slowly begin their long journey back to the Salt Pans in the hope of a fulfilling rainy season!

Madagascar

October is dry season in Madagacar with warm/hot and sunny days with bright, colourful skies which offer excellent light for photos. Rice fields and vegetation are very green and scenery stunning with trees, plants and orchids all flowering. October is baby season in Madagascr with lemurs giving birh and is a really good time for bird watching. You may be lucky enough to see the last of the whales at Nosy be and Fort Dauphin. Plan ahead for your visit to Madagascar in October – hotels and flights get fully booked as it is high season!

Malawi

During the months of October and November, the majestic eland (the world’s largest antelope) can be seen in herds that reach the hundreds. Usually eland can be seen in smaller herds across the plateau but their regrouping marks the start of their breeding season. Herds can reach up to 100 – 320 animals in a single group.

October marks the peak of the dry season. Landscapes are drier during this time and foliage is no longer dense, this creates the optimal conditions for game- viewing as many animals are considerably easier to track and spot.

Mozambique

Namibia

Whale migration season off the west coast of Namibia. October Fest – Not celebrated at the end of September like its German cousin – Namibia’s Oktoberfest is a time for everyone to be ‘German’. Great game viewing in the Etosha National Park, including Elephants, Rhino and plains game. Dry, winter season. Less vegetation. Naturally occurring waterholes dry up, so animals congregate around boreholes and man-made waterholes. Virtually no clouds, so great for star-gazing

Zambia

The predator hot month. As the water in the rivers dries up, the prey congregates and lions and leopard hunt with great success and hyenas wait for scraps.

Very hot, great to use the cooled air conditioning available in some camps.

In Liuwa the wildebeest start migrating south and the storm clouds gather.

Zimbabwe

The heat is on! Elephants and game desperate for water concentrate at waterholes. Spectacular sunsets from the dust and gathering storms. October is Zimbabwe’s hottest month and borders onto the start of the rainy season. You can expect the odd thunder storm toward the end of the month which usually clears up within a few hours. Nights and days are warm, game viewing is superb but usually better in the early mornings and evening when the wildlife comes down to the waterholes to drink. Migrant birds continue to arrive – broad billed rollers from Central Africa and Steppe eagles from Eastern Europe to name a few. The first ammocharis lilies start appearing on the plains. All Parks are good to visit during this time. The Falls start to dry up a little bit but great visibility and water still flowing over.

Republic of Congo

Rains help with growing fruit and mushrooms, Agile Mangabeys’s will forage on the ground for these. The last month of the second rainy season and gorillas will often climb first thing in the morning if they slept wet the night before. Rainy weather and blue skies alternate making for fantastic photographic opportunities. The smell of different flowers and fruit drift through the forest while you walk.

Bhutan

Weather is warm but mostly comfortable with temperature ranges from 26°C to 7°C (the night temperature starts getting chillier).

With good weather and many festivals scheduled this is peak season and one of the busiest times.

India

Parks re-open – though its best to avoid traveling during the first half of the month as the Forest Department is still repairing tracks which are waterlogged and impassable. As a result of waterlogging in certain areas animal movement (especially for the big cats such as tigers) changes and since the park has just reopened the naturalists and guides are still getting an understanding of the movement patterns.

Weather is warm but mostly comfortable – temperature ranges from 37°C to 25°C.

Elephant herds have started their migration back from Corbett National Park to Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Indian festival dates are decided as per the Hindu calendar based on lunar movements – Diwali (the festival of lights) often falls towards the end of October or the beginning of November. Parks in central India remain closed for Diwali. Mahatma and Dusshera festival are celebrated in October – if they fall near weekends the parks can get very busy with local tourists.

Nepal

October is one of the best months to travel in Nepal’s parks, although many tracks are often waterlogged and unpassable. As a result in certain areas animal movement (especially for the big cats such as tigers) changes and since the park has just reopened the naturalists and guides are still getting an understanding of the movement patterns.

Weather is warm but mostly comfortable with temperature ranges from 25°C to 30°C. October is one of the best times for photography.

Sri Lanka

In the month of October elephants begin to move from Minneriya national park to Kaudulla national park as the north west monsoon breaks. The open terrain in Minneriya / Kaudulla parks provide better opportunities for observing elephant behaviour. Good numbers of elephants can be observed at Udawalawe.  Elephant numbers in Yala also increase in frequency in the latter parts of the month as wet conditions can be expected

Leopard sightings can be potentially very good in both Yala and Wilpattu leading up to middle of October until the north east monsoon breaks. Once the rains begin, Yala provides a better encounter rate. Chance encounters are also possible at Kumana where there are hardly visitors however the leopards may be less habituated. Sloth bear sightings in Yala and Kumana are possible in the early mornings or late afternoons. It is however likely that Yala may be closed during September to mid-October.

Sightings of endemic birds should remain consistent in the lowland rainforests and highlands. Conditions should be dry and good for birding. Low numbers of leeches during the dry weather.

Seychelles

The breeze begins to drop and the temperature slowly begins to rise again averaging about 28 celsius. The seas are nice and calm again making for great snorkling, diving, fishing and island hoping between the 115 islands.

Although diving is a year round activity in the Seychelles the best all round underwater conditions can be found during April-May and October-November, when visibility can top 30 metres and the water temperature can be as high as 29C. Whale Sharks can be found all year around the Islands, but peak sightings are October through January.

For true birdwatcher October really is the best time of year to visit the Seychelles as it is the migration period when all sorts of interesting birds visit on route to various detsinations. The best place to see them is again on Bird island.

Hawksbill turtles start emerging to lay their eggs in October. On some of the outer islands, laying between October and December increases daily until it is possible to record 4 – 5 new nests daily. Eggs laid in early October begin to hatch in early December.

The Kreol Festival and the Carnival are during October.

Maldives

Temperature between 26-30 degrees Celsius approximately

Moderate winds, slightly rough/calmer waters with a Moderate chance of rain

Wildlife to be spotted: Turtles / Reef Sharks / Eagle-Sting Ray / Manta Rays + Whale Sharks once again more sightings possible

Mauritius