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ILUXURYTRAVELS

Africa destination guide FAQ

Your Africa questions, answered.

The same ground the Africa destination guide covers — travel tips, the best months, local culture and where to go — set out as the questions people actually ask us before they book.

Planning a trip to Africa

Pick one region per trip — what does that mean for a trip to Africa?
Morocco, East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands are long flights apart. A fortnight that tries to combine a safari and the Atlas Mountains spends four days in airports. Two weeks in one region, or a safari paired with an island week on the same side of the continent, works far better.
Safari and beach is the classic pairing — what does that mean for a trip to Africa?
The reason it endures is practical: a safari is early mornings and long drives, and most people want to stop moving afterwards. Kenya or Tanzania into Zanzibar, or South Africa into Mauritius or the Seychelles, are the routings with the shortest connecting legs.
Internal flights are part of the cost — what does that mean for a trip to Africa?
Safari camps are reached by light aircraft with strict soft-bag and weight limits, often 15kg per person. Budget for those legs and pack in a duffel, not a hard case. Island transfers in the Seychelles are by domestic flight or boat, and both run in daylight only.
Health paperwork needs a month's notice — what does that mean for a trip to Africa?
Malaria prophylaxis, yellow fever certificates for some routings and routine vaccinations all need lead time. Check requirements with your own doctor and foreign office, since rules vary by country and by where you have travelled before arriving.
Houses and lodges are staffed, and rates are often all-in — what does that mean for a trip to Africa?
A Marrakech riad typically comes with a cook, housekeeping and a caretaker in the rate. Safari camps usually quote full board with game drives included. Read what the rate covers before comparing two numbers — they rarely mean the same thing.

The best time to visit Africa

When is the best time to visit Africa?
January to March: High summer in southern Africa with green landscapes and newborn game, though thicker bush makes spotting harder. Marrakech is cool and clear, ideal for walking the medina. The Seychelles sits in its wetter, humid season with warm seas and short heavy showers. April to June: Morocco's best stretch: warm days, cool evenings, gardens in flower and before the summer heat. East Africa's long rains fall through April and into May, with June opening the dry season. The Seychelles turns calm and clear around the May changeover. July to September: Peak safari across East and southern Africa: dry, sparse bush and game gathered at water. The Mara river crossings usually fall between late July and September. Marrakech is very hot — 40°C is common — and a pool becomes essential rather than pleasant. October to December: October is the last of the dry safari season and quieter than August. Morocco returns to comfortable walking weather through November. The Seychelles is calm and clear from October before the December holidays, which book earliest of any week on the islands. Rates on every house move with these seasons, and the live partner panels on each listing show what a given week actually costs.
What is Africa like in January to March?
High summer in southern Africa with green landscapes and newborn game, though thicker bush makes spotting harder. Marrakech is cool and clear, ideal for walking the medina. The Seychelles sits in its wetter, humid season with warm seas and short heavy showers.
What is Africa like in April to June?
Morocco's best stretch: warm days, cool evenings, gardens in flower and before the summer heat. East Africa's long rains fall through April and into May, with June opening the dry season. The Seychelles turns calm and clear around the May changeover.
What is Africa like in July to September?
Peak safari across East and southern Africa: dry, sparse bush and game gathered at water. The Mara river crossings usually fall between late July and September. Marrakech is very hot — 40°C is common — and a pool becomes essential rather than pleasant.
What is Africa like in October to December?
October is the last of the dry safari season and quieter than August. Morocco returns to comfortable walking weather through November. The Seychelles is calm and clear from October before the December holidays, which book earliest of any week on the islands.

Local culture and etiquette in Africa

Dress with the place in mind — what is expected of visitors?
Morocco is relaxed with visitors but covered shoulders and knees are appreciated in the medina and expected at religious sites, which non-Muslims generally cannot enter. Safari camps are informal; neutral colours are practical rather than a dress code.
Bargaining is a conversation, not a contest — what is expected of visitors?
In Moroccan souks a price is an opening. Take it in good humour, settle at something both sides are content with, and walk away politely if you are not buying. Shouting a number and leaving is read as rude rather than shrewd.
Ask before photographing people — what is expected of visitors?
This holds across the continent and particularly in markets and villages. A refusal is not personal, and a small payment is sometimes expected in tourist areas — agree it before, not after.
Tipping is customary and largely in cash — what is expected of visitors?
Guides, trackers and camp staff are tipped at the end of a stay, usually in local currency or US dollars, and camps publish guidance. In Morocco small tips for the riad staff and drivers are normal. Carry cash; card acceptance thins quickly outside cities and resorts.

Where to go in Africa

Which places in Africa should I build a trip around?
Marrakech — Riads behind unmarked doors in the medina, the Atlas Mountains an hour away, and the best months either side of summer. North Island, Seychelles — A private island in the Indian Ocean with granite boulders and a handful of villas — the calmest sea is April to May and October to November. The Masai Mara and Serengeti — The great migration moves with the grass; river crossings usually fall between late July and September. The Okavango Delta, Botswana — Water-based game viewing by mokoro, at its best from June to October when the floodwaters arrive. Cape Town and the Winelands — Table Mountain, Atlantic beaches and Stellenbosch vineyards, at their best from November to March. Zanzibar — The usual beach week after an East African safari; June to October is dry and clear.
How do I book a house in Africa?
In Africa we currently hold houses in Marrakech and North Island, Seychelles. Each listing shows live partner rates for your dates, and the booking completes with our partner — Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com — at the partner's own price. For the places in this guide where we do not yet list a house, treat the guide as planning advice rather than an offer.

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