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WHEN TO GO
The best time to
go is traditionally July - February.
The classic safari
from July to September, as this is when the Mara provides one of nature's most
dramatic spectacles, the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and
zebras, teeming from the south to cross the Mara river into the Masai Mara
National Reserve.
December - February
This
is the start of the migration.
December sees the wildebeest
give birth to their young on the
lush grassland of the Serengeti
plains and 'Ndutu' region.
March - May
With
the pasture thinning on the
plains and the young
sufficiently strong, the herds
begin to move towards the
central 'Seronera' area where,
nourished by the waters of the
Grumeti River, the grazing is
good.
June - July
Having quickly finished the
grazing in the Seronera area,
the herds continue into the
'western corridor' - the area
around the Grumeti River.
Here
they take a sharp turn
northwards and head into the
Lobo area in the northern
Serengeti.
This is the last
place to see the migration in
Tanzania, before the wildebeest
cross the border northwards into
Kenya.
August - October
The
wildebeest spend the next three
months feeding on the plentiful
grasses of the Masai Mara - a
result of the long rains in
April and May.
The Serengeti is
very dry at this time, and many
of the resident animals (not in
the wildebeest migration) make
their way to Tarangire national
park - where the permanent
waters provide good year round
grazing.
November
Having spent the summer months
in the Masai Mara, the herds
return south - back into
Tanzania, arriving at the
Serengeti plains by December -
where the cycle starts again.
Best time to visit - All year.
Expect rain in April, May, June & November
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SEASONS IN KENYA CLIMATE
The vegetation which covers the rocks and the wildlife that live there and the
overall attractiveness of a climate essentially depend on three major factors:
temperature, rainfall and humidity. In Kenya these three factors are controlled
by altitude.
In general the low areas are very hot and the temperature falls as
the land rises. The low areas also tend to have poor rainfall and a dry
atmosphere with low humidity.
The main exceptions are the coastal strip and the
area along the shore of Lake Victoria in the west. Both are hot with high
rainfall and high humidity In the Serengeti, the time
when things turn green can be one of the most stunning times to visit, and the
chance of a bit if rain here and there is well worth risking as this is exactly
what the
wildebeest are after.
The rains
bring them back to the Nirvana of the
short grass plains where there's plenty
of high energy food for everyone and
fewer places for predators to hide.
The Serengeti has a
near perfect highland climate; cool
mornings and evenings, warm sunny days. The sort of climate that prompted Isaak
Denison to say (although she was talking
about the Kenyan Highlands) that you
spring out of bed in the mornings
feeling "here I am - where I ought to
be."
The year in Northern
Tanzania is divided roughly into three
chunks: The dry season runs from June to
October, the wet between March and May
and in between is a period of so called
short rains, during which time things
turn green. At this time of year there
are localized rain showers around, but
it's more or less dry.
The
average annual temperatures in the main areas are as follows:
Mombasa 72ºF L
86ºF H
Nairobi 55ºF L
77ºF H
North Plains 73ºF
L 93ºF H
Kenya Quick Facts
Size - 227,600 square miles
Population - 28.3 million
Capital - Nairobi
Climate - Temperate, subtropical on coast
Economy - Agriculture, tourism
Language - Swahili, English
Currency - Kenya Shilling
Time - EST + 8
Visa - Required
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LUGGAGE AND VISAS
Kenya requires visas
for citizens of the
United
States.
Visas are available at
the
airport, but there
may be a delay.
It is strongly recom-
mended
that visas
are obtained before
travel starts.
Click here for more
info...
BREAKING NEWS......
DELTA FLIGHTS FROM
NEW YORK
TO NAIROBI.....
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