The arrival of May during my northern hemisphere childhood promised the long, warm and sometimes sunny days of summer. South of the equator, however, things are heading in the opposite direction. Days are shortening and chairs are getting pulled a little closer to the campfire.

Africa’s cooler temperatures coincide with drier weather as summer’s great rain clouds wring themselves out and fade into winter’s empty blue sky. Having been soaked in summer, Southern Africa’s best safari destinations – the Kruger National Park, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia – are now drying out quickly. Game viewing is becoming easier as summer’s generous greenery fades and big herds of zebra, elephant and buffalo move from rainy-season pastures to dry-season wetlands, their stragglers attracting the attention of predators.

But May’s fine weather is not just confined to Southern Africa’s parks and reserves. Much of South Africa basks in some of the year’s best weather and it’s a clever month to take a trip to the Indian Ocean too. Considering that May is a ‘shoulder season’ month – a pleasant combination of almost-peak-but-certainly-not-low season – travellers to Africa will also benefit from more room availability and no high-season crowds.

Botswana – Experience a Botswana safari in-person

I recommend Botswana as a destination from May until October but, in May, the weather is sublime – warm sunny days and mild nights with a just snuggle of chilliness makes it a perfect month to tour Africa’s gold-standard safari destination.

Summer’s lush grazing is over and animals prepare for the dry and hungry winter. Out on the Kalahari grasslands, clouds of dust signal the approach of massed zebra herds – bickering and mane-tossing – as they make their way to winter wetlands further north. The first big herds of elephant start appearing in the Chobe River and Linyanti regions, a taste of the thousands that will arrive in the depths of the dry season. Another phenomenon is also underway: the Okavango Delta is quietly, slowly and very steadily flooding into its dry southern fingertips.

It is one of Nature’s practical jokes: as most of Botswana dries out for winter, its biggest wetland – and the world’s biggest inland delta – gratefully receives billions of litres of clean fresh water, trickling down from the distant Angolan mountains. You can even walk ahead of the creeping water as it inches down dry, hoof-scuffed channels. Great shimmering floodplains form and ephemeral rivers and lakes slowly fill up. You can imagine where all the animals are heading.

The Garden Route & the Eastern Cape – South Africa

Combining South Africa’s Eden-like Garden Route with the game reserves of the Eastern Cape delivers a safari and beach holiday with a difference. Ideal for a self-drive adventure or a sit-back-and-relax guided tour, this coastal region blends scenery, experience and relaxation in equal measures.

Start in Cape Town. Why not? May sees mild and sunny weather in the Mother City and you can take in Table Mountain and the Cape Winelands in a couple of easy days. Then engage cruise mode and tour the Garden Route, on the Western Cape’s picturesque and unspoilt Indian Ocean coastline. There are cliff-top hotels, family villas and romantic hideaways to stay at and activities range from golf to dolphin watching.

And then it gets really interesting. The call of the wild still echoes in the broad valleys of the Eastern Cape – it is big game country and home to lion, leopard and cheetah as well as elephant, rhino and buffalo. Staying at one of the handful of private reserves puts you in the pound seats for game viewing and, since the entire region is malaria-free, you can enjoy the thrills of Big 5 game viewing without the health risks – perfect for families with young children.

How to do it: this 16-day Cape Town, Wine lands and Garden Route trip is a slow-paced self-drive itinerary that begins with all the attractions of Cape Town and the Wine lands before taking in country manor accommodation along the Garden Route and a Big 5 finale in the Eastern Cape – perfect for families, groups of friends and couples.

Top Tip: Combine your Garden Route and Eastern Cape holiday with more safari adventures at malaria-free Madikwe (great for families) or discover the luxurious side of a South Africa Safari with a few days in the exclusive Sabi Sands on the border of the Kruger National Park.

KwaZulu-Natal – South Africa

Speaking of beach and safari combinations, how about taking it to a sub-tropical level? South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province is often overlooked by international visitors jetting in to Cape Town and the Kruger but KZN, as it likes to be known, has game reserves brimming with the big 5 and its golden, palm-fringed beaches provide tropical retreats on par with the world’s best.

It is hot and humid during the rainy summer but May has lovely visitor-friendly weather – mild and dry – which makes it the perfect time to discover what KwaZulu-Natal has to offer. There are historic battlefield sites to visit, country lanes to dawdle along and epic mountain scenery. Private game reserves like Phinda, Thanda and uMkhuzi have earned international reputations for diverse and rewarding game viewing as well as superb bird watching. Enjoy day and night game drives and guided walks wrapped up in a wildlife experience as appealing to Africionados as it is to safari first-timers.

How to do it: families will love this week-long self-drive tour: two of KwaZulu-Natal’s most child-friendly accommodations are on the itinerary of this 8-day holiday plan – one on the Indian Ocean coast, the other in a private Big 5 game reserve.