Annual Wildebeest Migration and Serengeti

 When booking safari to Serengeti you have to know which area is best for viewing wildebeest migration

Although the furthest in terms of driving its worth the time to get there! Serengeti offers the most unique safari experience that cannot compare to any other African national park or game reserve. Wildlife population in Serengeti is enormous and you should spend at least two nights in Serengeti. 

There are approximately 1 .7 million wildebeest, a quarter of million of zebras, and a little less than half a million Thomson’s gazelles. Hyenas are the most numerous among large carnivores exceeding number of 9,000, while there are about 2,800 lions and about 1,000 leopards. The least populated and highly endangered species is black rhino, counting only 12 black rhinos. On a few days in safari in Serengeti you will most likely encounter majority of large and medium African species. 

Every day and every game drive is unique and every horizon brings new, exciting and unexpected wildlife encounters.

 Timing is everything! Be in the right place at the right time!

Serengeti national park is divided to North, South East, West and Central part.  

During great migration in Tanzanian side, it’s essential to know the areas of Serengeti in order to book the right area for best migration game viewing safari experience. Nevertheless animals know no borders but our safari drivers are always updated about wildebeest migration location within Serengeti.

Northern Serengeti

Least visited area of Serengeti, due to least numerous number of wildlife in comparison to other areas in Serengeti. However, due to lesser visitors, Northern Serengeti offers probably the last true African landscape.

Game viewing is at its best it the northern Serengeti when the great herds of Wildebeest and zebras are migrating through the area to and from the Masai Mara and the extreme northern Serengeti.

The northern migration usually makes its way through the northern Serengeti in late July and early August appearing on the Mara watershed in Kenya in early August.

The southern migration through the northern region usually takes place in mid to late October. However, the exact timing of Northern Serengeti migration fluctuates from year to year and is completely dependent upon current rainfall patterns.

Northern Serengeti:

•  LOBO VALLEY

•  UPPER GRUMETI WOODLANDS

•  MARA RIVER

•  LAMAI TRIANGLE

Lobo Valley - Wildlife viewing at Lobo area is at its best during the late dry season from mid July to late November and peaks at the end of the dry season from about mid September to late November when animal concentrations are at their highest. This area is also home to large herds of elephants and is home to second largest lion pride called Lobo Pride.

The legendary wildebeest migration thunders through Lobo twice a year including July and August (during the northward migration) and September through November (during the southward migration.)

Upper Grumetti Woodlands  - Wildebeest migration follows the path through the seasonal Upper Grumeti River Woodlands twice a year including July and August (during the northward migration) and September through November (during the southward migration.) A famous game drive in Grumetti area is called Grumetti game Loop where in 24 kilometers of driving you see the best points within area like Grumetti river!

Mara River – Famous Mara River is the place where most of many documentaries we shot to document great migration crossing the river. Crossing the river is also probably the most dramatic event in great migration story – lurking crocodiles preying on wildebeest in the river, drowning is very common too. Crossing the Mara River is real dramatic event where only the strongest survive. Be prepared for strong scenes with struggling with nature – wildebeest swimming desperately to reach the safe banks, other trumbled to death and some just die of excitement and stress.

 It is estimated that approx.. 3000 wildebeest die every year while crossing the Mara River.

 The great migration usually begins arriving at the Mara River in early August. The herds then cross and re cross the river during August and September.

Lamai Triangle – The majority of the migration usually resides here from early August until November.

Southern Serengeti plains


THE TRIANGLE

HIDDEN VALLEY

LAKE NDUTU

KUSINI PLAINS

OLDUVAI GORGE

MATITI PLAINS

Safari to Southern Serengeti is doable between December and March where you will witness the blossom of life. Campsites around Lake Ndutu are perfect starting point  for daily game drives within Southern Serengeti which is also a calving ground for Wildebeest, cheetahs having cubs, large birds flocking to lake shores while lion prides have finally chance to hunt. Prepare for unforgettable scenes of miracle of life.

Eastern Serengeti plains:

SAMETU MARSH & KOPJES

 NAABI HILL

  GOL KOPJES

 BARFAFU GORGE & KOPJES

 SOIT LE MONTONYE

 LEMUTA HILL & WATERHOLE

 NASERA ROCK & ANGATA KITI

 SALEI PLAINS & MT. LENGAI

 OLKARIEN GORGE

 LAKE NATRON

You will take safari to Eastern plains of Serengeti in wet season which takes place somewhere between November and May. It is also possible to visit during dry season but plains turn into semi desert and because of harsh conditions there is not much wildlife present.

Wet season in Eastern Serengeti is the best place in Africa to view cheetahs and since cheetahs hunt during the day, it is most likely you will have a chance to witness them during the hunting action. In addition same season in Eastern Serengeti is also abundant with large hyena groups and thousands of wildebeest and other wildlife. Please note whenever you see your favorite wildlife, be it cheetahs or lions, don’t push your driver to drive too close to animals. Make sure you keep a respectable distance.

 Western Serengeti:

RUWANA PLAINS

LOWER GRUMETI WOODLANDS

MBALAGETI RIVER VALLEY

 MUSABI PLAINS

The Western corridor stretches west from Seronera area in the central Serengeti to almost Lake Victoria. Best time to visit Western Serengeti is from mid May to Mid July. 

If you are visiting Tanzania in Late November, its also a good time to go on safari in Western Serengeti where its stil possible to catch enormous herds of wildebeest on the way to Southern part of Serengeti. Make sure and consult with operator when you want to include safari to Western Serengeti in your safari itinerary, if its feasible or not to visit western side.

Western Serengeti is mainly home to large number of wildebeest and zebras that do not join the annual migration for some reason, as well as place to see buffalo, eland, topi, impala, Thomson’s gazelle and waterbuck. Big cats are seen but not so frequently as in Central Serengeti.

Central Serengeti plains:

SERONERA VALLEY

SERONERA RIVER

RETINA POOL

MORU KOPJES

MAASAI KOPJES

MAKOMA HILL

TURNERS SPRING

SIMBA KOPJES

LONG GRASS PLAINS

The majority of the lodging in Serengeti is located in Central area. For a good reason as Central Serengeti remains resident wildlife throughout the year.  If you visit during dry season from June to November you will have best game viewing experience – seeing resident animals, but if you want to see migration you have to plan safari to Central Serengeti in wet season. No matter of the time of the year it is most likely that you will have luck and see all four large predators lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena, in one day game drive.