Africa Travel in May
Southern African destinations start to really shine in May while East African countries such as Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda experience the heaviest rains of the year.
Botswana
- Max Day Temp: 28°C
- Min Night Temp: 9°C
- Avg Rainfall: 5mm
Botswana in May is stunning. For those wanting a tailor-made safari, rates are much more reasonable as it is still considered shoulder-season. Temperatures are warm through the day though it is pleasantly cool overnight. Layers are a must for early morning game drives.
Zimbabwe
- Max Day Temp: 27°C
- Min Night Temp: 10°C
- Avg Rainfall: 2mm
Victoria Falls is a peak flow and we highly recommend budgeting for a helicopter flight to see this natural wonder of the world from the air. Like Botswana is is a great time to go on safari.
Zambia
- Max Day Temp: 26°C
- Min Night Temp: 12°C
- Avg Rainfall: 5mm
May is the start of the safari season in Zambia and is when all the camps open up again for guests. It is lovely and quiet as camps tend to not be full at this time of year and you can be guaranteed some excellent wildlife sightings and top guiding.
Namibia
- Max Day Temp: 25°C
- Min Night Temp: 9°C
- Avg Rainfall: 6mm
Namibia in May is a gem to visit. The temperatures during the day are just right and overnight it is cool but not freezing. Rain is rare but the wildflowers are usually still in bloom. Wildlife continues to concentrate in greater numbers around permanent water sources as summer rivers and waterholes dry up.
South Africa
- Max Day Temp: 25°C
- Min Night Temp: 10°C
- Avg Rainfall: Kruger 16mm, Cape Town 117mm
Cape Town and the Garden Route in Autumn have mixed weather and it is not uncommon to experience ‘four seasons in one day.’ Safari destinations such as Kruger and the KwaZulu Natal Reserves continue to get better and better as trees continue to lose their leaves and grasses die down.
Mozambique
- Max Day Temp: 27°C
- Min Night Temp: 16°C
- Avg Rainfall: 30mm (in the South, approx double in the North)
It is the start of the dry season in Mozambique and a great time to visit. For snorkelling and diving the Indian Ocean waters are typically calm and visibility is excellent.
India Travel in May
- Max Day Temp Delhi: 40°C
- Max Day Temp Mumbai: 34°C
- Max Day Temp Leh (Ladakh): 20°C
- Max Day Temp Dharamshala: 30°C
- Max Day Temp Darjeeling: 21°C
- Max Day Temp Coorg: 33°C
May is full-on summer on the plains of India and temperatures can reach 50°C. For wildlife lovers, this is one of the best times to head into the Central Indian National Parks. It may be crazy hot during the day but Tiger and other wildlife sightings are superb in the parched and largely leafless jungle.
This is also the time to travel to the far north to Ladakh. Leh the capital of the Union Territory is 3500m above sea-level so don’t rush – you will need to acclimatise. You can expect bright blue skies and daytime temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius with cold mornings and evenings.
The Hill Stations are also very pleasant at this time but very busy as those who can escape the heat of the plains. Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), Mussoorie, Nainital (Uttarakhand), Ooty (Tamil Nadu), Munnar, Wayanad (Kerala), Coorg (Karnataka) can all be visited. It is also a great time to head to Darjeeling in upper reaches of West Bengal, Sikkim and Meghalaya.
