Tanzania can be visited during all seasons. The standard tourist seasons are in July-August, when the weather is cool, and dry season parks like Tarangire are at their prime; and again in December-January, when it's hotter, but still quite bearable. But to catch the Serengeti at its best you want to avoid the height of the dry season when virtually all the animals go on holiday to Kenya. Be prepared if you're heading into the big wet, as many roads - particularly on the south coast - can become too squishy to drive on.

Watch out for peak-season hotel prices around the Christmas-New Year holidays and during the July-August peak season.

Weather

If there's a time to avoid coastal Tanzania, it's during the long rainy season from March to May, which has a brief revival from November to January. The best time is between June and September when rainfall is sparse and temperatures orbit around a pleasantly balmy 28°C (83°F). Inland on the plateau, rain during the middle of the year is insignificant and temperatures sink slightly but comfortably.