Ethiopia
Ethiopian Easter is celebrated in April – the Palm Sunday festival. You will have the chance to attend a mass ceremony, preferably in Axum, late in the evening which goes on until sun rise. The rainy season (April-September) brings soaring temperatures and humid conditions. The rainy season from the South Omo Valley Tribes starts on this month.
Kenya
April is low season so prices are much lower and there are often less visitors. However, unless there are torrential downpours for days on end (hopefully unlikely), an afternoon shower or overnight will NOT inhibit your safari. If there is rain, everything will be beautifully green with field flowers appearing which visitors in the dry season rarely see.
Some smaller camps and lodges close down for renovations.
Tanzania
April is the wet season but it seldom rains all day and game drives are conducted normally in northern Tanzania where the tracks are passable throughout the year. April is the famous green season in northern Tanzania with plenty of water and grass for wildlife; it is one of the best times for viewing migratory animals and predators in Ndutu, the southeastern Serengeti plains and in central Serengeti area. Airstrips and most tented camps in Selous, Katavi, Ruaha, Gombe and Mahale in southern and western Tanzania are temporarily closed in April and some beach resorts close for renovation. All the game parks offer excellent bird watching in April; many species including Eurasian migrants, which are present from October to April.
Uganda
April falls into the wet season in Uganda and the price for Gorilla trekking permits drops from US$600 to US$450. The green season is great for photographic opportunities as the flora flourishes and the sunsets are stunning. April is a good month for cat sightings and seeing baby animals in the parks and reserves.
South Africa
Head to: Oudtshoorn and surrounds are interesting to visit this time of the month; the temperatures have dropped but it’s still warm. The rest of the Karoo, too, is beautiful at this time of year. Temperatures throughout South Africa are more moderate, and it’s not rainy season in any of the regions.
Avoid:nowhere – South Africa is great just about anywhere in the country at this time of year.
Botswana
Depending on the local rains, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans offer excellent sightings of the Lesser and Greater Flamingo and pelicans, which congregate in this area after the summer rains to breed. They are sustained by a rich soup of algae – and brine shrimps, whose eggs had lain dormant in the baked clay of the pan surface throughout the dry season.
Malawi
Lush landscapes and ample access to grasses and foliage following the abundant rains, often leads to herds of antelope, buffalo and elephant comfortably wondering away from water sources. Wildlife disburses throughout the park and can therefore be seen in different locations.
By April, most of the rains start to slowly subside and the weather starts to warm up.
The green season offers travellers a different experience, during the rains, key wilderness areas are teaming with life and activity, many herds of antelope give birth to their offspring and tend to their young. Landscapes are also more lush and salubrious.
Namibia
Fish River Canyon hike is open
Wika – Annual Windhoek Carnival, with floats, parades and a weeklong festivities
The end of the rainy season means that the elephant herds return to the southern parts of the Etosha National Park
Great weather for European visitors – it starts cooling down as we head into the dry, winter months
Zambia
One of the best months to see leopard and wild dog, with big herds of elephant and antelope.
Fabulous weather – warm with mild nights, stunning green bush, great for photos. In Liuwa the pans have amazing birds and flowers and lion and cheetah are seen regularly.
Another secret month for travel to Zambia.
Zimbabwe
The best temperatures and the reasonably priced ‘shoulder season’
April falls at the end of the wet season, so there is still a chance of thunder showers but it is still usually warm during both the day and night. The bush is usually still quite thick but ideal to visit the Eastern Highlands, Gonarezhou National Park, Hwange National Park and Matusadona National Park. Migratory birds are moving off. The Falls are usually in full flood by now, with visibility a bit difficult at times.
Bhutan
April is arguably the best time to visit weather wise and it is peak season in Bhutan with temperatures ranging from 26°C maximum to 3.9°C minimum.
With spring flowers blooming and festivals (usually the Paro Festival, which takes place in March/April), warmer days and cooler nights, April is aperfect time to visit Bhutan.
India
April is the beginning of the dry season and the best time for wildlife photographers to get up close and personal with the wildlife. Searches for wildlife are made by staking out various waterholes. Elephant migration to Corbett is completed by the mid April and larger herds can be seen in Dhikala zone of the park quite easily. The migratory / wintering birds have left by April and it is also a time to see summer birds such as the Paradise Flycatcher and the Indian Pitta on a regular basis.
Weather around the country has started to become warm with temperatures ranging from 40°C to 30°C. Most international travellers avoid the summer months, as it gets too warm. Parks change safari timings at the beginning of April to allow for the heat. April is the last operational month for some of the tented accommodations available around the parks due to excessive heat and the increased cost of air conditioning with lesser number of International travellers visiting.
Nepal
April is the beginning of the dry season and the best time for wildlife photographers to get up close and personal with the wildlife with searches for wildlife made by staking out various waterholes. Daytime temperatures will generally reach highs of around 30°C and at night the temperature drops down to around 16°C. A haze gradually obscures the mountains from lower elevations towards the end of April.
In Chitwan National Park the elephant grass has been cut, improving wildlife sightings in Chitwan and Bardia national parks.
Sri Lanka
In April the frequency of leopard encounters in Wilpattu will start to increase. Chance encounters are also possible at Kumana where there are hardly any visitors, however the leopards may be less habituated. Yala is very crowded due to heavy traffic but Leopard sightings will be consistent. Best option would be to use accommodation from Katagamuwa entrance (to avoid queues at the Palatupana gate).
During the past few years, blue whales’ sightings have declined in April although a few individuals remain. April is a most reliable month for encountering sperm whales off Mirissa and Kalpitiya, although sightings don’t occur on a daily basis. Trincomalee may also be a good option for Blue Whales in April. Chance encounters may be possible off Kalpitiya if heading further away from the Dolphin line. Seas begin to get rough in Mirissa and Kalpitiya in the latter half of April due to south west monsoon.
Very few migrant birds are left in April and usually disperse by the end of the month. Predominantly resident bird species are to be observed across the dry zone. Sightings of endemics are very good as the nesting season also begins. Less leeches as conditions begin to dry out.
Elephants can be seen in Hurullu forest reserve near Habarana. Access to Minneriya and Kaudulla national parks could be possible, but it depends on the water levels in the reservoirs. Udawalawe would be the better option for Elephant watching during this season although encounter rates in Yala (where sightings cannot be guaranteed) are still good.
Seychelles
March, April and May tend to be the hottest months in the Seychelles and some of the best times to visit. The temperature in April averages about 32 celsius. The seas are still nice and calm 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.
April is the begining of the breeding season for many species of birds in the Sechelles.
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