Mozambique in May

May is an excellent month to visit Mozambique. It’s not yet peak season, but the weather is generally fine and warm. In the south of the country, daily highs average below 30°C (86°F) and the nights are cooler and less humid, sometimes dropping below 15°C (59°F). The north stays hotter longer, with average highs of roughly 31°C (88°F). The nights are also much warmer and more humid, and seldom less than 20°C (68°F). Although the end of the rainy season varies greatly year to year, May is usually warm and dry, especially in the south. A final few clouds may still unleash the occasional downpour, but by the end of May you can expect clearer skies across the country.

Anywhere from the Bazaruto Archipelago south, is usually ideal throughout May. The weather will improve as the month continues, and the far south – from Inhaca Island to Ponta do Ouro – will get the best of conditions as the last of the rains move north. Pemba, Mozambique Island and the Quirimbas are still a gamble weather-wise, but can be warm, quiet and generally idyllic, especially in late May. May is also a great time for a city break in Maputo. The days are usually warm and bright, without the humidity of mid-summer. And the AZGO Festival of arts and music, brings an added flair to the capital.

Travel tips

• Maputo’s AZGO Festival runs for four days, mid-May, and attracts a lively mix of top Mozambican and international artists. Across the bay, Inhaca Island hosts the annual Inhaca Challenge, a deep-sea fishing competition that draws sport anglers from across Southern Africa. Late May is also a great time to visit Gorongosa National Park. By now the summer floods should have significantly retreated, leaving the park at its lush, green best.

• If you’re keen on marine giants then May is an uncertain time. There will probably still be whale sharks in Tofo, but sightings are less regular than earlier in the year. In Ponta do Ouro, the shark diving season also ends in April and humpback whales only start to arrive along the Mozambican coast in June. Some lodges, particularly in the north, take their own holidays in May and some sea-based activities might therefore be limited in certain areas.