February is a good month to go on safari in Kenya and northern Tanzania. It’s also a great time for gorilla and chimp trekking in nearby Rwanda and Uganda. January to February is a dry period between the short and long rains in East Africa. The wildebeest calving in the Southern Serengeti at this time is one of the biggest wildlife spectacles in East Africa and worth planning a trip around.
See below for an overview of the best parks to visit in Africa by country. Please note that the listings focus on the most popular parks only and are not comprehensive.
What makes a safari most exciting is its unpredictability. You never know what you’ll see. Every day out in the bush is filled with special moments. However, some safari highlights are seasonal. Read on if you want some ideas on where to go on safari in February.
Excellent Time for Gorilla and Chimp Trekking in Uganda
February is one of the drier months in Uganda, which makes it an excellent time for gorilla and chimp trekking. Both activities are offered throughout the year, but dry conditions are a bonus. Continuous rain in the Wet season makes the forest paths very slippery. The dry conditions in February are overall perfect for getting the most out of the precious hour you get to spend with these great apes.
Wildebeest Calving Season in the Serengeti, Tanzania
February is a perfect time to be in the Southern Serengeti and the surrounding Ngorongoro Conservation Area. At this time more than a million wildebeest come to rest here to calve. Within a three-week period about half a million wildebeest and thousands of zebras and gazelles are born. This attracts lots of predators and drama to the area resulting in incredible wildlife-viewing opportunities.
The Okavango-Makgadikgadi Zebra Migration in Botswana
The annual zebra migration between the Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi Pans NP in Botswana is much less known than the famous wildebeest migration in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Following the rains, more than 20,000 zebras travel the 500km/310mi return trip to spend January to March at the pans. A similar zebra migration occurs between Chobe and Nxai Pan around the same time.
Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, is not an easy challenge. There are pros and cons to doing it at different times of the year, but January and February are the most popular months. This has mostly to do with the climatic conditions. It is relatively dry in February and there is a good chance for a decent amount of snow on the summit.
