Serengeti Safari

A Serengeti safari is the holy grail of African tours. It gives wild game enthusiasts a front row seat to view the mind-boggling phenomenon that is the wildebeest migration.

Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word “siringet” which translates to “endless plains”, an apt definition of the vast savannah.

Situated in Tanzania, the Serengeti forms a critical part of the Northern Safari Circuit that encompasses Lake Manyara National Park, , and Tarangire National Park.

The Mara-Serengeti ecosystem sets the stage for the annual Wildebeest Migration that has come to be recognized as the 8th Wonder of the World.

Serengeti National Park has over 2,500 lions and 1 million wildebeest and is divided into 3 regions:

Western Corridor: The Grumeti River passes through this region and it is characterized by Nile crocodiles, hippos, martial eagles and patas monkeys.
Northern Serengeti: It’s characterized by open woodlands and stretched to the Mara River on the Kenyan border. You can find elephant, giraffe, dik-dik and migratory wildebeests and zebras.
Serengeti Plains: Trees are very few on this grassland. It provides a good breeding ground for wildebeest from December to May. It also acts as a refuge from predators for hyrax and pythons.

The great wildebeest migration at the Serengeti begins when the rains end in May where animals move to the areas around Grumeti River and remain there until July.

They then cross Grumeti and Mara rivers and arrive in Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve where they stay until early November when the short rains begin.

They start their journey back to Serengeti National Park where they arrive in December just in time for calving season.

They embark on this dangerous journey because their future depends on it – it is on the grassy plains of the Mara that they eat to their fill and mate, only to bring forth the new generation in the early months of the year.

These animals overcome dangerous encounters with cheetahs and lions that hide in plain sight and crocodiles in the Mara river to secure their future.

You can witness this aboard a 4×4 game viewing vehicle or take your viewing to the skies with a hot air balloon.

Things to see at a Serengeti safari

Thompson’s gazelle
Elephants
Cheetahs
Leopards
Lions
Black rhinos
Vervet monkeys
Olive baboons
Genets
Dwarf antelopes
Bush babies
Aardvarks
Honey badgers
Spotted and striped hyenas
Nile crocodiles
River crossings of the wildebeest migration
Calving procedure
A predator’s kill
Maasai ostriches
Crested porcupines
Black mambas
African pythons
African wild dogs
Elephants shrews
Sausage trees
Whistling thorn trees

Things to do on a Serengeti Safari

Visit the Olduvai Gorge
Early morning and evening game drives
Balloon safari
Picnic lunch
Bush breakfast
Camp at Seronera River Valley
Wildlife photography
Visit rhinos at Moru Kopjes
Watch hippos at Retina Hippo Pool
Birdwatching at Bologonja Springs
Visit the 2,000 feet deep Ngorongoro Crater
Climb acacia covered Naabi Hill
Watch big cats at Lobo Valley
Spot nocturnal animals on a night game drive
Visit the Serengeti Visitor Centre to learn its history
Watch the Maasai sing, dance and enact culture inspired dramas

Places to stay in Serengeti

Serengeti Migration Camp
Seronera Lodge
Soroi Serengeti Lodge
Serengeti Simba Lodge
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
Serengeti Safari Camp
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Mwiba River Lodge
Camp Zebra
Lemala Ewanjan
Mapito Tented Camp
Mbuzi Mawe Serena Camp
Ole Serai Luxury Camp
Lemala Kuria Hills Lodge
Ikoma Tented Camp
Grumeti Migration Camp
Kisura Serengeti Camp

When to schedule a Serengeti safari

Serengeti is perfect for game viewing throughout the year, but if your main interest is the migration, visit the park from June to October when wildebeests migrate north to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

You can also plan a trip in February if you’d like to witness the calving of an estimated 8,000 foals over a span of 1 month.