When the change in seasons comes, so does the change in weather. The climate plays a big part in the movement of wildlife. Below I describe the safari cycle of life so that you can immerse yourself in the story.
Dry Winter Months
June through to October are the driest months of the year, although you only truly start seeing the bush drying up from June or July. August, September and October are when the bush is at the driest. The temperatures you’ll experience through this part of the year are from 15 – 26 degrees celsius. Most of the trees lose their leaves, 95% of bush changes colours to browns & greys. Water sources start to dry up. In the driest months where you have only one water source, you’ll have a higher concertation of animals around it compared to the wet months. When there’s a lot of water around animals don’t have to travel far and can be more dispersed.
Some of the best sightings I have heard of have been in September. Here’s an example: One of my guides was in a sighting of a male leopard in a tree with a fresh impala kill and two hyenas at the bottom of the tree waiting for the scraps of the impala to fall down for them to scavenge. A couple of minutes later three lioness approached this sighting. The guide’s jaw dropped to the ground because you don’t see three predators in a single sighting every day! The next moment the hyena and lion were in a standoff (It’s always amazing to see the interaction between species). All the while the leopard was unmoved by this commotion below and carried on feasting on his impala kill. Lucky guide and lucky guests!
The Wet Season
The other half of the safari cycle of life is the wet season (November through to March) which falls in Spring and Summer of the southern hemisphere. Once the first rains fall, within a week or two, the crunchy dry golden bush starts to transform. Little green shoots start to pop up everywhere and it’s always a happy sight to see this regeneration.
December through to the end of February is the hottest time of the year. We see temperatures of 40 degrees celsius + and ranges of 40 -60% humidity. Game drives leave earlier in the mornings and later in the afternoons to accommodate the high temperature. Mostly, when it’s so warm, you’ll find almost all animals have a siesta or hide away in shady areas in the middle part of the day. Most predators will only become active in the cooler hours, preserving their energy to hunt for prey from dusk to the morning.
Although the days are hot and humid, there’s always fun to be had. This weather is perfect for spending the days at the swimming pool, watching birds or enjoying a few cocktails and dining under the African sky, full of stars.
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- It’s the best value for money, if you plan on doing excursions during your stay rather than to book Dinner, Bed & Breakfast and pay for activities and lunch when you arrive
- You get first choice in the activities
- There is less to pay when you’re on holiday, as you’ve paid more in advance. (We even have a drinks supplement so that you can pay for that ahead of time as well, if you wish)
- Some Value Adds are included in the Full Board and Activity rate, such as the complimentary use of E-Bikes and ad hoc yoga classes
- We take care of your stay. You don’t have to research what there is to do in the area. Simply select which planned activities you feel like doing each day. Fewer decisions makes for more down-time
- The extra cost of booking Full Board and Activities is much less if you stay for 3 or 4 nights. Our long stay offers are 50% off your 3rd night's stay or stay 4 nights but only pay for 3 nights
Linger a little longer
The lodge is an inviting place to relax and unwind. The Cederberg beckons to be explored and the views are an allure to stay and breathe for a while. That’s why we encourage longer stays of 3 nights or more.
Though we have enough activities to entertain guests for 4 night stays or longer, we will gladly swap out a morning or afternoon activity for a 30 minute treatment in the spa.
Valid for stays of 3+ nights only.
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