Tanzania Safari in August: Weather, Wildlife and Crowds

August is widely considered the single best month for photographing the Mara River crossings, and the numbers back that up — this is typically when crossing activity is at its most consistent, as the bulk of the migration pushes through the northern Serengeti toward Kenya. Conditions are dry and dusty in the most useful sense: visibility stays excellent, and animal movement near water sources becomes far more predictable than in the wetter months, since dwindling water draws wildlife to the same reliable spots day after day. The cost of that predictability is competition — this is peak season pricing, and vehicle numbers at the most popular crossing points are at their highest of the year. If crossing photography is your priority and you don't mind sharing a good vantage point with other vehicles, August delivers some of the most reliable results of any month. Read our guide to photographing the migration, or browse our photographic safari itineraries.