Ethiopia

August is the hottest and wettest month of the year with temperatures reaching 45°c regularly in the lowlands. In the highlands temperatures are more moderate but sightseeing can be hampered by downpours of rain.

Kenya

The Great Migration fills the Mara plains – and school’s out -so the park roads are full of visitors.

Some of the parks get very crowded especially the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Lake Nakuru. We recommend staying at the smaller, intimate camps away from the crowds.

Tanzania

August is the dry season and temperatures are cool in the highlands and the plateaus in the mainland. Visitors to Ngorongoro and the highlands in southern and northeastern Tanzania are advised to pack warm clothing as it can get a bit chilly in the evening and early morning. The plains are golden in colour and migratory animals are in the northern Serengeti around Mara River crossings. Tarangire is excellent from June to October with the Tarangire River attracting the highest concentration of wildlife second only to Ngorongoro when the Maasai Steppes dry up after the long rains. It is peak season in the southern and western game parks and wildlife is attracted to permanent water along rivers. All the game parks offer excellent bird watching of resident species. August is peak season for safari and beach holidays.

Mafia Island

Humpback whales migrate north to give birth and then back south to their feeding grounds. If you are lucky you can see them and hear them on a day trip snorkeling and picnicking at Mange sandbank. Turtle hatching on the eastern beaches of Juani Island continues.

Weather is cool, comfortable and sometime windy

Zanzibar

Kilimanjaro & Mt Kenya

August and September are cool and with completely clear days – but usually a dripping cloud belt girdles the mountain above the forest and moorland. The summit can be totally clear and the successful climber looks down on a vast sea of clouds with distant mountain peaks such as Mount Meru prominently visible. August is good for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Rwanda

August is the busiest time for Rwanda in terms of tourism and important to know for those wishing to obtain gorilla tracking permits, accommodation in Volcanoes National Park and trekking permits in Nyungwe National Park. During August the Rwandans celebrate Rwandan Thanksgiving – locally known as “Umuganura” where they give thanks for their crops and harvest with a lot of singing and dancing. Celebrations normally take place in Nyanza. Please remember that the minimum age for children wanting to trek to see gorillas in Rwanda is 15 years.

Uganda

August is a dry month in Uganda and it is an excellent time for water activities and water safaris. For those families wanting to visit Uganda in August do bear in mind that the gorilla trekking age limit is 15 years and the chimpanzee trekking age limit is 12 years. August is a good month to enjoy balloon safaris, fishing and hiking in the Rwenzori Mountains.

South Africa

Head to: South Africa’s outback – the Namaqualand – for the flowers. Best times are between mid-August to mid-September (depending on the annual rain season). Anywhere between Cape Town and the Northern Cape but focus on the reserves around Darling, Citrusdal, Clanwilliam, Nieuwoudtville and Vredendal. The plethora of spring flowers emerge after the rains. Explore as close to Cape Town as the West Coast National Park, the Cederberg, or head all the way to Springbok and make your way back stopping en route at various parks.

Avoid: any trips to sea off the Cape of Storms, Cape Town’s winter squalls (heavy rains and bitter cold) could make life rather miserable.

Botswana

August makes for excellent game viewing when the wildlife tend to congregate around waterholes / rivers trying to quench their thirst – which in turn makes them easier to spot! Towards the end of August, the days start warming up as we slowly head into the summer months.

Madagascar

August is dry season in Madagascar with moderate or even chilly temperatures but with nice sunny days and good light. All roads have now opened and the country is enjoying high season in terms of visitors to the country. Hotels and flights might get fully booked so last minutes booking may prove difficult. August is winter and temperatures may get chilly at night and there is a small amount of austral winter rain so rainforests may be a little wet. There are several cultural festivals events falling in June, July and August – Returning the Dead, Circumcision and Independence Day. August is an excellent month to enjoy whalewatching at Sainte Marie, Anakao, Ifaty and Fort Dauphin and trekking in the highlands is good.

Malawi

Flocks of Lillian’s Lovebirds continue to congregate in Liwonde National Park. On the Northern Lakeshore, swarms of adult lake flies (which look like dense clouds of smoke) can be spotted hovering over the lake. The fly larvae live on the bottom of the lake where they feed, once they form pupae, they float to the surface and hatch in giant swarms. The swarms attract fish and many species of birds. Winds often blow them to the shore where women from the local communities will catch them and prepare a local delicacy (burger like, lake fly patty which is deep- fried).

August and September remain relatively warm and are pleasant times of the year for game-viewing.

Mozambique

Namibia

Fish River Canyon hike is open. Herero Day – the Herero tribe celebrate their history and culture, dressed in their traditional costumes, inspired by 18th century missionary dresses and cow-horn inspired hats. 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 stunning pink/red carmine bee eaters start to gather along the riverbank and make for stunning photos. Good viewing of predators hunting.
Mild nights and warm days – perfect temperature to use the pool during siesta.
The Zambezi starts to warm up making it a great month for tiger fishing. This is a fabulous activity with elephant on the bank and hippo honking in the water..

Zimbabwe

Some of the best game viewing with cool temperatures but peak prices. July and August are Zimbabwe’s main winter months with nights and early mornings being rather chilly, but generally warm enough during the day to wear a fleece. The bush is drying out and game will be generalised around the waterholes with a chance of some fantastic sightings. All the Parks and Private Reserves and Conservancies are good to visit at this time of the year. July and August are ideal for walking safaris in Hwange National Park – especially the Sinamatella region, Mana Pools National Park and Gonarezhou National Park. The Wild Dogs are still denning during July and August especially in Mana Pools and Gonarezhou National Park. Visibility of Victoria Falls is very and there is still a lot of water coming over.

Republic of Congo

Thick mist often greet guests at Ngaga for breakfast before gorilla treks. A few extra buffalo herds around Lango and Mboko will likely make our walks a bit tricky. As the second rainy season approaches, expect some showers towards the end of the month. Because of the drier conditions animals seem to move around more and it’s a good time of the year to spot Red River Hogs around Mboko.

Bhutan

The monsoon is still in full swing during August with maximum temperature of 29°C to 13°C minimum. During June, July and August many Indians visit Bhutan as it is peak summer in Indian sub-continent.

India

August is an ideal time for herpetology tours as rainwater fills up the burrows and holes that provide a home to snakes and reptiles. The Western Ghats is a fantastic destination during this time. Travel should be planned during the end of the month as monsoon starts receding and the sun comes out. Temperature ranges from 37°C to 30°C.

There is excellent birding in the Western Ghats with lots of endemic species – when traveling to the area it is wet and damp with lots of leaches so appropriate footwear is essential.

Nepal

August is a good time of the year for herpetology tours as rainwater fills up the burrows and holes that provide a home to snakes and reptiles. The monsoon starts receding but humidity can go up to 100%. Temperature ranges from 37°C to 30°C – it is not the best month to visit Nepal’s parks.

Sri Lanka

In August the number of Elephants peak in Minneriya national park during the afternoons as the dry season intensifies. The open terrain in Minneriya / Kaudulla national parks provide better opportunities for observing elephant behaviour. Low numbers of Elephant to be encountered in Yala, while good numbers of elephants can be observed at Udawalawe.

At Wilpattu sightings of sloth bear on the main road increase as the dry season intensifies between May – early October. Chance encounters in Yala and Kumana are possible in the early mornings or late afternoons.

This is a good month for viewing leopard in Yala as conditions should be predominantly dry. Visitation increases due to school holidays.  More sightings can occur around the waterholes.  Encounter rates in Wilpattu should also be good around the villus.  Chance encounters are also possible at Kumana where there are hardly visitors, however the leopards may be less habituated.

Concentrations of mugger crocodiles in the waterholes peak due to low water levels in Yala and Bundala – it is not uncommon to see 30+ individuals at Buttuwa wewa or Koma wewa. Chance encounters of estuarine crocodile is also a possibility in Bundala.

A good variety of resident bird species can be observed in most of the larger dry-zone national parks. Peacock, Junglefowl, Malabar-pied Hornbill and a variety of raptors including Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, Shikra, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Black-winged Kite, Brown Fish Owl may be observed. Water birds such as Painted Stork, Wooley-necked Stork, Asian Openbill, Grey Heron, Purple Heron, Indian Darter, etc can be seen fishing around the waterholes with concentrations increasing during the dry season which spans up to early 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 South Easterly winds are now blowing steadily. This means that August is pleasantly cool with temperatures averaging about 28 celsius.

The slightly breezier conditions make it ideal for hiking, surfing and windsurfing. Although out to sea can start to be a little choppy, Island hoping between the islands is still very popular. Around the islands themselves the seas should still be fairly calm making for good snorkling, diving, fishing and island hoping between the 115 islands.

May – September is also the nesting season for Sooty terns and they can be seen by the thousands on Bird Island during August.

A visit to La Digue is a must in August as the island celebrates The Feast of the Assumption of Mary on the 15th of August. Many Seychellois travel to La Digue to join the residents in this religious festival which includes a vibrant procession from a religious grotto to the church. A day of festivities follows. The main mode of transport on La Digue is still bicycles and ox carts.

Maldives

Temperature between 26-30 degrees Celsius approximately

Strong winds, rough waters with a high chance of rain

Wildlife to be spotted: Turtles / Reef Sharks / Eagle-Sting Ray / Whale Sharks

Mauritius