September

While Botswana’s seasonal weather patterns and wildlife movements mean there are few poor months to visit, September’s hot dry conditions bring wildlife to diminishing watering holes, making it an excellent time for sightings. Let our experts help you select Botswana’s best lodges and camps at this time of year.

September’s excellent trekking conditions offer the chance for unforgettable primate encounters in Uganda. Walk among endangered mountain gorillas, colobus and other primates in Bwindi; track chimpanzees at Kibale and the Murchison Falls; and add a few days in Queen Elizabeth National Park to round out your African wildlife safari. 

Home to half the world’s western lowland gorilla population, Congo remains wonderfully wild, and its rainforests, in parks such as Odzala, are a critical habitat for endangered species. Watching from a hide as gorilla and forest elephant emerge onto a bai is one of life’s most thrilling and rarest experiences. 

Northern China is wonderful in September. Start in Beijing, then explore a remote section of the Great Wall by helicopter before travelling by bullet train to Xi’an to see the terracotta warriors and absorb this ancient Silk Road city. Finish by exploring the desert caravanserais of Western China.

For nature enthusiasts seeking an off-the-beaten-path paradise, Sao Tome & Príncipe is wonderful. Often regarded as Africa’s Galapagos, this beautiful archipelago offers opportunities to hike and observe killer whales and dolphins along the shoreline, and September is especially good for birdwatching and to see turtle hatchlings scurry for the ocean.