SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

The Serengeti National Park is world famous and with good reason. It features the famous Great Wildebeest Migration where, each year, over a million wildebeests, zebras and gazelles work in unison to reach the great Masai Mara. In addition to this incredible wildlife spectacle its endless plains and woodlands are home to the most spectacular wildlife on earth. All year round, visitors are treated to the most awe-inspiring wildlife encounters. Along with the “Big Five”,  The Serengeti is also home to the world’s largest populations of cape elands, cheetahs, hyenas, gazelles (both Thompsons and Grants), giraffes, hippos and various other favorites. The majestic giraffes glide through the plains grazing on the leaves, seeds and fruits high up in mimosa and acacia trees. All of this while a pride of lions lie in the prairie using the ever moving grasses as their camouflage from their prey.  Moreover, its wonderfully sunny climate, including warm days and cool nights, allows for comfortable traveling all year round.

You will enjoy the Serengeti! It is a natural world at its very best. Human beings take second place here. You come only to witness.

TOP ATTRACTIONS IN SERENGETI

1: Wildebeest Migration

Over 1.6 million zebras, gazelles and wildebeest migrate between the Serengeti National Park and the Maasai Mara National Reserve each year. As they move, they go through great challenges and have to evade predators like lions, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs. One of their greatest challenges is crossing the Mara river as they cross to Kenya. They have to cross the crocodile infested river and deal with the high current. If they cross at the wrong point of the river, they risk drowning or stampeding on each other leading to thousands of deaths. The wildebeest migration attracts tourists to the Serengeti because it offers countless opportunities to witness the great battles between prey and predator. Travelers can also spend the whole day watching the wildebeest graze or give birth (calving).

2: Olduvai Gorge

The Olduvai Gorge or Oldupai Gorge is one of the most important paleoanthropological localities in the world,the many sites exposed by the gorge have proven invaluable in furthering understanding of early human evolution. A steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches across East Africa, it is about 48 km (30 mi) long, and is located in the eastern Serengeti Plains 

3: Retina Hippo Pool

Retina Pool offers the best hippo viewing in the Serengeti. The most unique feature and compelling draw for visitors to the Retina Pool is that they are permitted to leave the vehicle and view the hippos on foot. The riverbank here is about 10-feet above the pool and it is possible to climb to only few feet away from the approximately 200 hippos. Great photography opportunities abound here as the large groups of hippos huddle together, spouting and grunting in the water.

4: Grumetti River

The Grumeti River spans the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park, flowing westwards into Lake Victoria. The western corridor stretches 50 km and comprises vast savannah grasslands, riverine forest, rolling hills and shady acacia groves. The crocodile infested Grumeti River is one of the first obstacles facing the wildebeests on their migration from Tanzania to the Maasai Mara during the Great Migration. Often overshadowed by her bigger sister, the Mara River, the Grumeti is no less impressive once the wildebeest arrive. Visit between May and June for best chances of sightings.

5: Moru Kopjes

Southwest of the Central Serengeti lies Moru, home to the black rhino. Moru Kopjes is home to the remaining population of black rhinos in the park. The Serengeti Rhino Project has a visitor’s center here where one can learn more about the conservation strategies being employed. Another highlight at Moru is Gong Rock where a short walk leads to a series of Maasai paintings. Just to the east lies the saline Lake Magadi, a great spot for pink flamingos to gather.

6: Seronera river valley

Seronera Valley is the Big Cat Capital of Africa! There is simply no better place in Africa to observe large carnivores in action! Excellent encounters are available year round and it is not unusual to encounter all four large predators (lion, hyena, leopard and cheetah) during the course of a day along with a multitude of smaller predators (mongoose, serval, fox and jackal). Seronera is actually derived from the Maasai word ‘siron’ meaning the place of the bat-eared fox.

7: Hot air Balloon safari

Explore the endless plains of Serengeti from the sky,Each flight is unique, some high enough to view the panoramic landscape for miles ahead, others low enough to see individual animals at close quarters. It is not a cheap excursion, but it will make your northern Tanzania vacation one of the most memorable of your whole life, Serengeti balloon safaris  offer a thrilling adventure. You’re suspended in a wicker basket above the plains of East Africa with the sun peeping over the horizon and a waking wilderness below you. This is game viewing like you’ve never experienced it before – one of Tanzania’s best safari experiences.

BEST TIME TO VISIT SERENGETI

 January 

is it is when the rolling plains of the Serengeti are a lush shade of emerald, there is hardly any dust, and the game viewing is excellent. The Ndutu Plains area is very popular during this period as the landscape is greener than other parts, with year-round resident wildlife such as elephant, giraffe, and various antelope species.

February

It’s the wildebeest calving season during February which makes this the best time to go to on a Serengeti safari to witness the many herds giving birth to their young. The wildebeest, zebra and gazelles making their annual migration through the Serengeti National Park can be viewed in their thousands.

July

Many visitors flock to the Serengeti from July to September to witness the Great Migration. River crossings are a spectacle during these months – quite often panic ensues within the herds as crocodiles waiting to pounce attempt to snatch them as they make their way across. There are more safari vehicles in the Serengeti National Park during this period than any time of the year.

August

is peak season and generally considered the best time to witness the dramatic river crossings from the northern Serengeti into the Masai Mara. This is the best time to visit the Serengeti for prolific wildlife encounters as the herds are easier to spot and there are many predators around – you’ll see some of Africa’s big cats on the hunt!

September

its still very busy with visitors in the Serengeti National Park, especially on the Kenyan and Tanzania borders as the herds of animals travel over the Mara River in smaller batches. The southern parts of the park are quieter during September.

October

 the plains of the Serengeti are mostly parched, but the dry season is now coming to an end. Although the Wildebeest Migration’s herds have made their way into Kenya, game viewing in the Serengeti National Park is still nothing short of spectacular.

December

 The cycle of the Great Migration in the Serengeti continues in December. The migrating herds make their way to the southern plains of the Ndutu region where they prepare for the breeding season. The temperatures and the humidity begin to rise for the wet summer months. The festive season can be very busy, so it’s advisable to book your accommodation well in advance.