Serengeti in Rainy Season. Pros and Cons from a Local

The Serengeti national park is amazing and I have been thinking of going there soon. So as the month of March April May went by,  I was wondering if going to the Serengeti in the rainy season was a good idea. I spent some time on the internet researching on this topic and here’s what I found.

The rainy season makes many parts of the Serengeti hard to drive through and you have to be prepared for the possibility of getting stuck if you go to the Serengeti during the rainy season. With that said, it is still worth it journey to go to Serengeti during the rainy months of April and May. In this article, I will give the pros and cons of visiting the Serengeti during the rainy months of March, April and May and give you what you should expect when you go there during this season.

Pros of visiting Serengeti during the Rainy Season

No crowds

The main rainy season of March April and May receives the lowest number of tourists in the year. This is mainly because it’s outside of the great wildebeest  migration season.

This means that you will be viewing the wildlife without the crowds of vehicles that gather around popular sights like a freshly caught carcass killed by a predator.

Wildebeest Calving season 

This period is when the wildebeest are calving and you will get to witness the struggle for survival as the calves and mother wildebeest perform daring escapes from predators like Lions and hyenas.

Great tour deals

The fact that the parks is less busy means that you can get some awesome deals and discounts from hotels, transport companies and travel agents. If you are on a tight budget, this is the best time to visit the Serengeti.

Cons of visiting the Serengeti during the rainy season

Difficult driving

The rain will make many of the roads difficult to drive. You need to be prepared for the possibility of getting stuck in mud. Discuss this with your tour operator to gauge how prepared they are for this eventuality.  

Mosquitoes

mosquitoes love wet conditions and their populations increase exponentially in the rainy season. Come equipped with insect repellent and ensure that you have taken your antimalarial mediation.

Bugs

In addition to mosquitoes, the Serengeti has lots of bugs. The majority of these are not harmful but they are annoying. They tend to gather around light sources at night and if you leave your hotel room window open, you are likely to find a swarm of bugs circling your lightbulb. 

The bugs are almost as many all year round but its worse during the rainy season.

Difficult to spot animals

Part of the reason for this is that dry conditions force animals to gather together near water bodies and this makes spotting animals easier. On the other hand, the rainy season provides lots of water and the animals are more dispersed this way. This makes it harder to spot 

Preparing for Safari in the rainy season

There are a number of things that you will need to put into consideration if you want to visit the Serengeti during the rainy season:

4 wheel drive vehicle: one of the most crucial things you will need to ensure is that the kind of vehicle that your tour company will be using for your game drives and to get around. The vehicle needs to be both 4-Wheel-Drive and well suited for the rough terrain. Ideally, the most suitable vehicle for this is the Toyota Landcruiser Tour Van. This also needs to be equipped with a Winch Bar or Winch Bumper for when you get stuck (BTW… it took me over 20 minutes to figure out what it’s called. Here is a picture of the Winch bar just in case you are wondering 😉)

Prepare for bugs: As I mentioned earlier, East Africa lots of bugs and if you easily get freaked out by them, you need to carry bug spray. Also remember to keep your windows and doors shut in the evenings to keep the bugs out.

Malaria

You need to confirm that your hotel has treated mosquito nets. These are treated with mosquito repellent and prevent you from being bitten by mosquitoes even when your limbs are touching the net.

In addition to this, get anti malaria medication to guard yourself from getting sick even if you are bitten. Bug repellent will also help to keep the mosquitoes off you.

The Serengeti is within the malaria belt and since malaria is spread through mosquitoes, the rainy season presents a greater risk for infection. This is because mosquito populations increase in this season due to the numerous ponds and thick bush.

Camp accessibility

It’s important that you confirm with your tour operator on how accessible your hotel or camp is. With heavy rains, you don’t want to be stranded and waiting, especially in the case of an emergency.

Some time on the beach

During the rainy season, a large portion of the day is overcast and sometimes cold (at least for our standards as Africans: 15-18°C). I would therefore recommend that you plan for some time on one of the beaches in East Africa. These include Zanzibar in Tanzania, Watamu in Kenya and Diani in Kenya.

Most tour operators include this info their itinerary. 

Flexibility

The rain introduces an element of unpredictability in your trip and this will call for flexibility on your part. Things can go wrong and you need to be prepared for it.

One of the best ways of ensuring that you have a good time even when the schedule changes is booking your trip with a tour company that is well organised and large enough to accommodate changes to their schedules with grace. As a good place to start, I would recommend that you check out TripAdvisor’s list of the top 10 Tour companies in Tanzania with hundreds of reviews from people who used them.

Insurance

Travelling to Africa is not like your average vacation in your home country. It has its risks with the biggest of these being injury that requires emergency medical treatment or evacuation. When travelling go the Serengeti, you will need a good insurance plan to cover for any emergencies, especially with the rainy season. I wrote an article on the Best Travel Insurance when going on an African Safari and it gives more details on factors you need to consider when choosing an insurance plan. 

Gear you should have during the rainy season in Serengeti

1. Warm clothing: though it doesn’t get incredibly cold in this season, (18-22°C), the nights can get chilly and warm clothing and accessories like comforters shawls need to be on your packing list. You can check out the packing list articles I have written on what you need to take with you when going on safari in East Africa.
2. Raincoat: carry a raincoat that can cover your clothes in a rainstorm. You are unlikely be out in the rain and so it shouldn’t be something too heavy. But it’s good to have it, just in case.
3. Water resistant backpack: you will need this to keep your gear away from water. Again, this may not be something you want to buy if you don’t have it but bear it on your mind that you may get rained during this season in Serengeti
4. Small Umbrella: the umbrella will need to be travel size and something you can throw into your backpack without it adding too much weight to your baggage.
5. Shoes that can get wet: The shoes don’t have to be combat hiking boots but you will need to be ok with them getting wet or muddy. Comfortable-water resistant walking shoes would be ideal.
6. Sunscreen: I thought I should add this to the list because it’s easy to assume that the rainy season does not require sunscreen. Though it will be raining a lot, there will be intervals of really hot sun and research shows that you can get sunburned even on an overcast day. 

A Final Word

As you prepare for your trip to Africa, I would like to recommend a few products that would help make your life easier. 

1. Information About Africa: I have created a YouTube channel that focuses on things about traveling to Africa that only Africans can tell you about. Check out the channel for insights about African culture and things you can do as a traveler to optimize your trip. You should also visit TripAdvisor forum posts (Here is the Kenya Forum) and ask questions about your particular situation. There are a lot of people who are happy to help you out. 
2. Choosing a Safari Company: I have written an extensive article on how to choose a safari Company. You can. Check it out before starting the process of searching for a safari company.
3. Safari Planning Services: If you’d rather leave the planning to an expert, I offer personalized safari planning services. I handle everything from helping you choose the right safari company, creating your custom itinerary, managing bookings, and even providing a packing list and reminders for important trip details. It’s like having a personal assistant dedicated to your trip, ensuring that everything runs smoothly, so you can focus on enjoying the adventure. Learn More in this article