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.
