The Changing Seasons of Safari in the Timbavati

The first proper summer rain. The morning someone reaches for a jacket again. The grasses slowly turning from green to gold. The return of a bird we haven’t heard for months.

The seasons here don’t arrive neatly on the first of September or disappear because the calendar says they should. One tends to slip into the next, and some years keep us guessing for longer than others. But over the course of a year, the Timbavati changes enormously – in colour, temperature and sound, and in the way the animals move through it.

It’s why we find the question, “When is the best time to come to Tanda Tula?” surprisingly difficult to answer. We have favourite things about all four seasons. Let us tell you why.

By summer, the rains have changed almost everything.

The dusty colours of the dry months disappear beneath new grass and leaves, wildflowers emerge and the bush becomes astonishingly green. Guests who arrive expecting the dry, golden landscape they’ve seen in photographs are often surprised by just how different the Timbavati looks at this time of year.

These are our warmest and wettest months, but that doesn’t necessarily mean days of rain. Storms often build in the heat of the afternoon, roll across the bush and move on again.

There are impala lambs in the long grass, zebra foals staying close to their mothers and elephant calves still learning what to do with their trunks. Migrant birds return too, some in their breeding plumage, adding calls we haven’t heard for months.

The thicker vegetation doesn’t mean the animals disappear. Open grasslands and sodic areas remain productive, leopards make use of the shade in leafy canopies, and elephants and rhinos spend time around water and mud when the days are hot.

At camp, the days stretch longer, with afternoons by the pool and warm evenings. Light clothing works well, with sun protection, a swimming costume and something waterproof tucked into your bag.

Read more: Summer in the Timbavati: Sun, Serenity & Scintillating Scenery. Also from summer: Summer Safari Stories from Tanda Tula.

March can still feel like summer. The days are warm and there is plenty of green around. Then the mornings become cooler, the grasses begin to dry and the trees start losing their leaves.

The change happens gradually. Some afternoons are still warm enough for the pool, while early mornings can be misty and cool enough for a jumper or fleece.

As the bush thins, it becomes easier to see through the vegetation. Smaller pans and waterholes begin drying and animals visit the larger waterholes and channels more often. The cooler weather can also keep them moving for longer into the day.

You’ll want layers at this time of year. A cool morning can become a warm afternoon quite quickly, and what you needed when you left camp may be sitting beside you on the vehicle a few hours later.

Summer hasn’t quite left and winter hasn’t quite arrived. We rather like it that way.

Read more: Awesome Autumn in the Timbavati – The Best of Two Seasons.

By winter, the blankets and hot water bottles are back.

Early mornings can be cold, particularly before sunrise, so we wrap up properly before heading out. By the middle of the day, under a clear blue sky, most of those layers have usually come off again.

The grasses have dried, many of the trees have lost their leaves and you can see much further through the bush. There is very little rain, and as the smaller sources of water dry up, the permanent waterholes become busier.

Sometimes it’s worth simply sitting at one for a while. An elephant herd may come down to drink, followed later by buffalo or antelope. A leopard might appear. Or nothing particularly dramatic happens and you start noticing the smaller things instead.

Back at camp, fires are lit again and dinner changes with the colder evenings. The winter skies are usually clear, so there are nights when everyone stays outside a little longer after dinner.

You’ll also want to pack for those cold mornings. A warm jacket, fleece, scarf, gloves and beanie make a big difference on an early drive, but bring lighter clothing too. The middle of the day can still be warm.

Read more: The Joys of a Winter Safari at Tanda Tula in the Timbavati.

We usually notice spring before the bush does.

The mornings become warmer. The heaters and hot water bottles are packed away. Then the first blossoms appear and migrant birds begin returning.

Spring isn’t particularly tidy in the Timbavati. We’re in a subtropical part of South Africa, so the change from winter to summer happens gradually from around late August through November. The first rains generally arrive as summer approaches, but exactly when they arrive is up to the weather, not us.

September can still look and feel quite dry. Then temperatures rise, trees begin flowering and more of our summer migrants return. Once the rain does arrive, fresh grass and leaves begin appearing surprisingly quickly.

The mornings can still be cool enough for a jacket, particularly early in spring, while by mid-morning you may be perfectly comfortable in shorts and a T-shirt.

And then, at some point, we hear the first proper roll of thunder. Summer is on its way back.

Perhaps that’s why we can never give a simple answer when someone asks us for the best time to visit. By the time one season is ending, there are things we’ll miss about it, and things we’re looking forward to in the next.

Read more: The Magic of Spring in the Timbavati.