Africa: No 1 Best place to Visit for This Summer Expeditions
Tanzania’s migration season is from late June to October. Africa wildebeest migration occurs in the Serengeti during June and July, so calving is best observed between January and February.
Africa
Tanzania, East African country situated just south of the Equator. Tanzania was formed as a sovereign state in 1964 through the union of the theretofore separate states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Mainland Tanganyika covers more than 99 percent of the combined territories’ total area. Mafia Island is administered from the mainland, while Zanzibar and Pemba islands have a separate government administration.
Dodoma, since 1974 the designated official capital of Tanzania, is centrally located on the mainland. Dar es Salaam is the largest city and port in the country.
Following the heavy rains in March to May, the clouds tend to hang over the treeline in this latter season. Over this altitude, however, the skies are blue and brilliant, so there is less chance of precipitation (though it is still possible).
An amazing safari in Africa between June and October trekking Mount Kilimanjaro
It is best to trek Mt Kilimanjaro from June-to-October when the season is busier. However, this is often not an issue. If, for instance, you’re traveling independently to Tanzania but would like to join up with other travelers for your Kilimanjaro trek to cut costs, then the high visitor numbers during the June-October peak season will provide you with the best chance to do so.
Even if you crave solitude once you have walked, you can still find it on the mountain during this time of year. the paths are long, so you’ll always find vast gaps between trekkers to permit you to steer in peace; a number of the routes – Rongai, for instance, or the 2 trails across the Shira Plateau – almost never have quite one or two trekking groups on them at anybody time, and are often completely deserted.
And besides, Kilimanjaro is simply so huge that its presence will dwarf your fellow trekkers to the purpose where they become if you would like them to be, quite unnoticeable.
Tanzania mainland
The Tanzania mainland is bounded by Uganda, Lake Victoria, and Kenya to the north, by the Indian Ocean to the east, by Mozambique, Lake Nyasa, Malawi, and Zambia to the south and southwest, and by Lake Tanganyika, Burundi, and Rwanda to the west.
Relief
Except for the narrow coastal belt of the mainland and the offshore islands, most of mainland Tanzania lies above 600 feet (200 meters) in elevation. Vast stretches of plains and plateaus contrast with spectacular relief features, notably Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet [5,895 meters]), and the world’s second deepest lake, Lake Tanganyika (4,710 feet [1,436 meters] deep).
The East African Rift
The East African Rift System runs in two north-south-trending branches through mainland Tanzania, leaving many narrow, deep depressions that are often filled by lakes. One branch, the Western Rift Valley, runs along the western frontier and is marked by Lakes Tanganyika and Rukwa, while the other branch, the Eastern (or Great) Rift Valley, extends through central Tanzania from the Kenyan border in the region of Lakes Eyasi, Manyara, and Natron south to Lake Nyasa at the border with Mozambique. The central plateau, covering more than a third of the country, lies between the two branches.
breeding flamingos
Lesser flamingos (Phoeniconaias minor) at a breeding colony on Lake Natron, Tanzania. During the breeding season, some 1.5–2.5 million lesser flamingos congregate in the shallows in dense clusters.
Highlands associated with the Western Rift Valley are formed by the Ufipa Plateau, the Mbeya Range, and Rungwe Mountain in the southwestern corner of the country. From there the southern highlands run northeastward along the Great Rift to the Ukuguru and Nguru mountains northwest of Morogoro.
Extending from the northern coast, the Usambara and Pare mountain chains run in a southeast-to-northwest direction, culminating in Kilimanjaro’s lofty snow-clad peak and continuing beyond to Mount Meru (14,978 feet [4,565 meters]).
Immediately to the west of Mount Meru, another chain of mountains begins, which includes the still-active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai and the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest caldera, or volcanic depression. This chain extends through a corridor between Lake Eyasi and Lake Manyara toward Dodoma.
Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano
Ol Doinyo Lengai, a volcano near Lake Natron, northern Tanzania.
Drainage
Because of its numerous lakes, approximately 22,800 square miles (59,000 square km) of Tanzania’s territory consists of inland water. Lake Victoria, which ranks as the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, is not part of the Rift System.
Although Tanzania has no big rivers, it forms the divide from which the three great rivers of the African continent rise—the Nile, the Congo, and the Zambezi, which flow to the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean, respectively. Separated by the central plateau, the watersheds of these rivers do not meet.
All of Tanzania’s major rivers—the Ruvuma, the Rufiji, the Wami, and the Pangani—drain into the Indian Ocean. The largest, the Rufiji River, has a drainage system that extends over most of southern mainland Tanzania.
The Kagera River flows into Lake Victoria, whereas other minor rivers flow into internal basins formed by the Great Rift Valley. With so many rivers, mainland Tanzania is rich in hydroelectricity potential.
There are two seasons in Africa: wet and dry.
The climate during these seasons can vary widely depending on a country’s topography, altitude, and proximity to the coastline. There will be a significant impact on what travelers can see and do during their vacations.
The park accessibility, temperature, and appeal of beach hotspots are all significantly impacted by the rain or lack of it accompanying the wet and dry seasons in Africa. Continue reading to find out the pros and cons of traveling to these regions in each season based on our focus on southern and east Africa.
The southern and western circuit parks
The southern and western circuit parks are best visited during the season (June to October) as opposed to the more popular northern circuit parks, which will be visited all year round. Tarangire is the only exception since it offers better wildlife viewing during the season.
On Kilimanjaro, the best times to climb
On Kilimanjaro, the best times to climb correspond with the mountain’s two dry seasons (an imprecise term, as the weather, can be inclement during these periods too), namely January to mid-March and June to October.
Although you’ll trek Kilimanjaro in season, there is a much higher chance of trekking within the rain, and the summits of Kibo and Mawenzi are also likely to be enveloped in thick clouds.
Several agencies suspend their operations in November and December, deciding that trekking up Kilimanjaro at this point would be foolish and that the rewards for the trekkers would therefore be greatly reduced. However, Christmas and New Year, when the weather is less than perfect, are the most popular times to climb Kilimanjaro.
When was the best time to climb Kilimanjaro?
The best time to climb Kilimanjaro is from January to March due to the relative merits of the two trekking seasons; the differences are not vast, but they are significant. During January to March, the temperature tends to be (slightly) colder and there’s a good chance of snow on the trails.
The days, however, are usually clear, with only the occasional shower. It is usually a beautiful time to climb, and it is generally quieter than the opposite high season of June to October, which coincides with most academic holidays in Europe and therefore in the West.
