South Africa in mid-Sept
 

My fiance and I are finally deciding on our honeymoon safari!
We're first-timers and will be going to vic falls (royal livingstone), cape town (table bay), kruger (hamilton tented camps) and finally mauritius (beau rivage) as part of a "tour".
Our travel agent claims that mid-September is a bad time to visit South Africa and Mauritius and has warned us against cold weather. Is she right? Her suggestion is Tanzania in that period, but we have our heart set on this trip!
Thanks in advance for any advice.

I went with five friends went to Vicotria Falls, Zambia and South Africa during the first two weeks of September 2005. The weather was great. Only day with a little rain. We had sunhine and if not, warm days in Zambia and all over South Africa. Stick with ou plans! CPD

From what I've read your TA is correct. September is not good time of year, can be quite cold! Why don't you just wait and go a couple of months later when it's summer in Cape Town?

The bset months to visit South Africa are March and September.

As the country enjoys two climats (Sub tropical in the NE & Mediterranean in the SW) these two months offer the window of the least inclement conditions.

In addition to that the temeratures across the country are mild rather than being excessively hot or radically cold. By exception there might be one or two cooler evenings and the odd day that is cold, but I'd take that chance.

The Cape gets two wind systems, the North Wester in the winter and the South easter in the Summer, both winds seem to be arrested in the main in these two months too.

So, as an ex Cape Town lad and an ex patriate So African, I would urge you to ignore your agent and go!

Add my voice to those who think you should ignore your travel agent and stick to your plans.

The only place where the weather might be questionable is the Cape, but by September the rains are much less frequent and the weather is warming up. It won't be beach weather, but it should be good for general sightseeing. I was in the Cape last year from mid-August through September, and the weather was quite pleasant with little rain.

As for Kruger Park and Victoria Falls, the weather should be warm to hot during the days and cool in the evenings.

Your agent is misinformed. No way is it cold in Kruger or Vic Falls in September. It's the beginning of summer, and a wonderful time to be there. You might still want a jacket in the evenings, but it's shirt-sleeve weather during the day then.

I owe you a big apology. I too have been misinformed. Thanks to all for setting us straight! (maybe your TA is related to mine)

Just confirming what others are saying, so September is a GREAT month for visiting Cape Town, right? I thought January was one of the best months. Apparently I too have been misinformed.

January is a a great month, however from a general across the country climate perspective it is not ideal, the NE gets rain, this past season evidenced that, Bots was wet, Sabi Sands was wet etc. Also the Cape experienced about 9 weeks of continuous se winds, I was there over Dec and into Jan and had a wonderful time kite surfing on Langebaan lagoon.

My comments related to Sept & Mar as I have always had the best weather across the country at that time. In addition for many places across the country, September is regarded as the tail of the winter trough, so you can still pick up some bargains.

Hello,

Ignore your travel agent -- she doesn't know what she's talking about! I've travelled to SA in mid-September, and it was warm enough to make use of the (unheated) plunge pool in my safari camp.

Cheers,
Julian

Thanks for setting the record straight! Indeed, it sounded VERY strange to me when she said we would have to pack winter coats!! Come on!
And how about Mauritius in mid-Sept? Any input?

You will still want to pack a fairly heavy jacket and a few sweaters! In the Kruger Park area, game drives in an open vehicle can be pretty chilly in the early mornings and again in the evenings after the sun sets. Game drives usually start just before sunrise, so you will want to dress in layers that you can remove as it warms up during the day.

Likewise, if you hit cool or rainy weather in the Cape, you'll need a sweater or two and a windproof jacket.

Victoria Falls should be fine weather for shorts and T shirts.

Oh, right. Sweaters and windbreakers. Ok.
But not for Mauritius, i hope!!!

Hello again,
I was wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect weather-wise in Mauritius in that period.
Can we expect to go swimming?
Thank you.