Where to go in Africa in September

Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration year-round in different parts of the park.

A vast volcanic caldera packed with wildlife, one of the best places to see black rhino.

Kenya’s most famous reserve, with dense big cat populations and the migration from about July to October.

Big elephant herds with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.

Ancient rainforest that is home to around half of the world’s mountain gorillas.

Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes.

The Nile forces through a seven-metre gap in one of Africa’s most powerful waterfalls.

Spice island beaches and the winding alleys of UNESCO-listed Stone Town.

Africa’s highest mountain, a non-technical climb through five climate zones.

South Africa’s flagship park: Big Five, excellent roads and options for every budget.

South Africa’s classic road trip of lagoons, forests, beaches and adventure.

One of the best places on earth to watch whales from the shore.

A vast inland delta where floodwaters arrive in the dry season, drawing wildlife from all around.

One of the largest elephant populations in Africa, best seen from a boat on the Chobe River.

Endless salt flats, meerkats and a zebra migration after the rains.

One of the largest waterfalls in the world, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Zimbabwe’s largest park, with big elephant herds at waterholes in the dry season.

Walking and canoeing among elephants on the Zambezi floodplain.

The home of the walking safari, and one of Africa’s best parks for leopards.

Canoe past elephants and hippos on the Zambezi.

A great white salt pan where animals queue at waterholes in the dry season.

Some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, glowing red at sunrise.

Shipwrecks, seal colonies and desert-adapted elephants.

One of the largest canyons in the world, with a famous multi-day hike.

A vast freshwater lake with clear water and colourful fish.

Turquoise water, sand dunes and coral reefs in a protected marine park.

A laid-back beach town famous for diving with manta rays and whale sharks.

Souks, riads and the nightly theatre of Jemaa el-Fna square.

The world’s largest car-free urban area, a medieval medina still working as it always has.

A blue-washed mountain town in the Rif.

Some of the world’s best coral reefs, a few hours from Europe.

A car-free Swahili town of donkeys, dhows and carved doors.

Long white beaches and coral reefs south of Mombasa.

Where forest elephants and buffalo walk on the beach.

Rainforest where the indri, the largest lemur, sings each morning.

A dirt road lined with giant baobabs, glowing at sunset.

A dramatic mountain over a turquoise lagoon, with kitesurfing and forest hikes nearby.