Safari in January 2025

[KaftasCastle]

Really hoping for help!

I want to book a safari holiday in mid-January. Just me and DH.

I don't know where to start research wise!

Any recommendations?

It's low season so contact companies that are based in Africa directly rather than a Uk
Company and you might be able to get residents rates on safari lodges

Two UK based agents I would recommend are Expert Africa and Yellow Zebra Safaris. They have pre-planned packages on their websites but you don't have to pick one. They tend not to include international flights but you can ask to include them.

Thank you 😊

@KaftasCastle Some places won’t be great in January but others will be fine. Expert Africa is a good shout but for some, eg South Africa, it would be very hot. So check temperatures and rainy seasons. Ok for Kenya and Tanzania but not great for Zambia.
Also think about what you want to see. Different reserves have different species. Some lodges are large and others are cosy “bush camps”. All the same animals but different experiences. Do you want river life? Hippos and crocodiles? What about elephants? Leopards are easier to see in some places as are rhino. Use an expert tour operator to fine tune an itinerary based on what you might like to see and costs.

Also it’s absolutely not low season everywhere!

January is peak season, definitely not low season.

If SA is on your radar then the latter half of Jan will be less busy, schools and most work places return back mid Jan.

Have you narrowed down a country to visit as yet OP?

For Kenya - its low as there is no great migration happening

Budget, can spend up to £5kpp

10 days- 2 weeks

Not river based

The cooler the better
The quieter the better

Would love to see elephants.

Anything else goes!

Kenya and Tanzania are the obvious destinations for January. I would not miss the Mara River or Talek River and one of the lakes in the Rift Valley. You would avoid rainy seasons. Won’t be that quiet! Quiet is Zambia and Botswana but they are not great in January. Also cost more.

Thank you SO much! I'll research Kenya and Tanzania.

Happy to compromise on it not being quiet, for cooler weather. DH doesn't do well with sunshine as he burns very very easily because of an auto immune disorder.

Maybe this?

https://www.tourradar.com/t/222444#months=january-2025,p=3_

These might work too.

I went to Tanzania in January and had a fantastic time. This was our package: https://www.tourcompass.co.uk/tanzania/tours/safari-tanzania-zanzibar.htm
the only thing I would have changed was the accommodation on Safari, as it was really quite basic, but as it was for me and my 4 adult children cost was a factor. We saw everything, from baby elephants wallowing literally in front of us to lion cubs, and new born wildebeest. We can all remember every individual day, and would happily do it again.

There’s a lot of travelling in that itinerary and only the one camp actually in a park. Hopefully it wasn’t £5000 pp. The camps in the Serengeti are pretty basic. I would look for possibly the classic Serengeti/Ngorongoro itinerary but maybe talk to wildlife specialists about what camps in Tanzania are best for January. Then stay in the park if you can to cut down time wasted driving.

It was just to show that January can be a good time to go on safari. And yes there was a lot of travelling, but as it was at the budget end that was only to be expected. And no it wasn’t £5k. Tbh we didn’t mind the travelling, meant we saw more of the country.

You do see the country on itineraries that stay in the parks. You just don’t travel in and out of the park every day. Thats the point of paying a bit more and the OP can do this. We’ve always stayed in parks from SA, to Zambia, to Zim, to Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana. Waking up to elephants nearby or a hyena calling is part of it for me.