South Africa: From Sea to Savanna

Although this is not a particularly rigorous trip, we still recommend that each participant undertake a program of physical conditioning. Daily walking or regular hiking, jogging, and stair-climbing are excellent preparation for the trip.

Generally, South Africa has a mild climate due to its southerly latitude and the high altitude of its interior regions (above 3,000 feet in altitude on average). There are starkly different climatic zones: the Cape region has a Mediterranean climate with mild summer temperatures averaging in the 70s (“summer” in the Southern Hemisphere is our winter), while the lowveld has a subtropical climate with warm to hot temperatures in summer and cooler evenings.

The safari camps and lodges in our program offer excellent game viewing year round. Most rainfall occurs usually between December and February in the form of afternoon or evening thunderstorms. In general, the climate is warm with cool nights in “winter” (March-August in the Southern Hemisphere).

Cape Town's peak season is September to March, with highs of 65°F in September up to 80°F in February. September to February, there is little rain. Southeasterly winds occur in November and early December. In the cooler months, the daily highs are in the mid-60s. The highest rainfall is in July and August.

During game drives, we can at times get quite close to wild animals. Being very quiet improves everybody's chances of observation. In the interest of safety, your Trip Leader explains limitations on movement while on game drives, in the safari vehicles, and around camp. Incidents with wild animals are extremely rare on safaris, but no camping safari can guarantee immunity from such incidents. Wilderness Travel is not to be held responsible for incidents involving the behavior of wildlife.