The festive season in South Africa happens falls in the middle of summertime heat, which does go against what you may traditionally be used to. But if you’re adventurous enough to book a safari at this time of year, your reward will be well worth the change of perception.
These are just five reasons why a safari at this time of year is a great idea:
There’s no better way to spend the festive season than far from the commercial chaos. Make no mistake, it won’t be a white Christmas but there will be celebrating a-plenty during your festive safari, just without the malls and never-ending retail advertisements.
Our game lodge activities continue unabated with morning and evening game drives, and on Christmas Eve we offer a turn-down service which comes with a little something special for each guest.
On Christmas day, which is typically quite hot, we opt for a communal dinner where all our guests feast together on traditional fare from turkey and gammon (with all the trimmings), to mince pies and Christmas Pudding.
We try our best to make sure that everyone feels part of the Thornybush family during this time, and in case you’re wondering, Santa knows exactly where all our lodges are, he’s never let us down before!
Hot summer days mean longer daylight hours. Which also means more time to linger around the pool sipping ice-cold cocktails, gorgeously clear early morning game drives and warm late nights around a crackling fire.
Those who aren’t in the know will be heading to the overcrowded beaches this summer in South Africa, which means more for you to enjoy in the bush, far from the madding crowds!
While overcrowding is never a problem when you stay at Thornybush, it’s nice to know that you have the place to yourself more so during the summer than any other time. Everything’s just that little bit more laid back during the quieter season.
It’s a little trickier to track down game when there are dozens of convenient water sources around, and the bush is more dense than usual, but that makes no difference when you stay at Thornybush. Our expert trackers and guides are guaranteed to lead you to the best sightings come Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day or any other day of the year.
What’s more, during the summer rainy season you’ll get exclusive sightings of next year’s crop. Calves, cubs, foals and fawns are all over the place at this time of year, making it the cutest time to visit.
Far from putting a damper on your day, rain in the bushveld is a glorious event. It comes rolling in from the distance with the promise of new life on its breath. It crashes and booms with dramatic flair for a while then it departs just as suddenly, leaving behind a fresh, clean slate for new adventures.
If we do get a drizzly day it’s the kind of warm, gentle downpour that was made for singing and dancing in.
The heat dissipates and the birds erupt into a joyous chorus of relief and head for the nearest puddle to bathe. Even the wildlife emerges from their daytime shady hideouts to revel in the cool air, bucking and frisking with relief.
This year has seen some wonderful showers which means all the summer flowers are out in full force, there’s plenty for the animals to eat and the landscape is carpeted in an impossible shade of green. It’s the stuff a photographer’s dreams are made of.
If you weren’t lucky enough to hit the jackpot with a summer booking this year, there’s always next year – so get in touch now and make plans to come and see for yourself, just how magical the summertime season can really be.
Get access to exclusive deals, news and updates
