April - Green Season

April marks the end of the green season and the beginning of the low season in Tanzania. The weather is ideal and the occasional thundershower rarely impedes game viewing. There is hardly anyone around in the parks, wildlife concentrations are at their highest and the landscape is lush green (great for photography). It’s a little industry secret that April is arguably the best time in Tanzania for the safari enthusiast. It’s a great time to get ‘off the beaten path’ and explore the remote corners of the parks.

There is a chance of heavy rain during April and lighter showers can be expected for a few hours every day or every other day. However, when it does rain, it will usually clear in 1-2 hours and more then likely the rain will be localized. It is rare that rain clouds will settle over a large area for an extended period of time. The highest amounts of precipitation are historically seen in April for most parts of East Africa though not in the Southern Serengeti. The greatest amounts of precipitation are historically recorded in March in the Southern Serengeti. This is the season of the so-called ‘long rains’, which simply does not mean much of anything in the Serengeti and is more applicable to other areas in East Area. There is a risk that the heavier rains will pose an inconvenience on game drives. This risk is mitigated by the fact that it tends to rain less on the Serengeti plains where the best wildlife viewing is located during April. Additionally, we believe the month April offers the finest game viewing opportunities out of the entire year. We strongly recommend longer duration safaris during April. We view the extra night or two as insurance against the potential of sour weather having a negative impact on any one day.

Rain falls in different amounts over various locations throughout Northern Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara receive higher rainfall then many areas of the Serengeti. There is a steep rainfall gradient in the Serengeti from the dry southeast to the wet northwest. The winds that bring rain blow from the east. The Ngorongoro Highlands block much of the rain from reaching the eastern and southern plains of the Serengeti. However, the western and northern parts of the Serengeti receive a much greater amount (2-3 times more) of participation as compared to the southern and eastern Serengeti. The wetter western and northern Serengeti areas are affected by Lake Victoria. This means that in the southern Serengeti where you should ideally focus your April safari, the rains should not be an issue and it will rain substantially less then the other areas of the Serengeti and Tanzania.

Temperatures are pleasant with an average high of 83 degrees and an average low of 60 degrees. However, the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater can get quite cold at night and in the early morning. Visitor numbers drop off dramatically at the beginning of March and by April the parks are completely empty of tourists. April and May see the fewest visitors of any month and lodging costs are substantially reduced. There is hardly anyone around in the parks, wildlife concentrations are at their highest in the Southern Serengeti, and the landscape is a lush green. April is certainly one of our favorite times to take a safari!