Africa and Oceania hold some of the world’s most memorable landscapes: the Great Migration across the Serengeti, Table Mountain rising over Cape Town, and the lakes and peaks around Queenstown in New Zealand. These are long-haul trips for most travellers, so timing and planning carry extra weight. Safari seasons follow the rains and the movement of wildlife, while the Southern Hemisphere flips the calendar, making December to February the warm, busy summer months. Our guides explain when each destination is at its best, what the weather is like through the year and what a realistic daily budget looks like. You will find advice on where to stay, how to choose between guided tours and self-drive, which experiences need booking well ahead and how to combine destinations into a single trip. Start with one of the guides below, or compare places by month in our Travel Guides planner to see where the season lines up with your dates.