The Serengeti is Tanzania’s oldest, most popular national park and a stunningly beautiful world heritage site. The abundance of wildlife in these expansive, rolling plains is mind-blowing, with unbeatable predator versus prey action on tap. The famed year-round wildebeest migration is a ‘must-see’ spectacle, with vast numbers of animals moving through the national park and beyond in search of fresh water and grazing. With careful planning, intensive (high impact) game viewing is possible at any time of year, and many visitors choose to divide their trip between at least two areas of the park to maximise sightings.
Accommodation ranges from high-end permanent lodges to simple mobile tented camps which follow the migratory herds. From the Southern Plains to the Western Corridor, the Serengeti covers a vast area with a number of distinct areas each with its own unique attributes and pros and cons depending on the season of travel, budget and their location relevant to the migration. Read our quick overview of the areas within the Serengeti.
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At the heart of the park, the Central Serengeti offers phenomenal concentrations of resident game and a particularly high density of leopard, lion and cheetah. While visitor numbers in this wildlife hotspot are inevitably high, and vehicle congestion is only to be expected, game viewing is second to none.
The Southern Plains are a spectacular destination during the December to April calving season, when the Serengeti’s predator-prey activity is at its most intense. Calving also takes place in the park’s South Easterly reaches, and while it’s relatively quiet here for the rest of the year, this can be an excellent spot for travellers looking to escape the crowds and witness more sedate wildlife encounters in secluded surroundings. The Serengeti’s southern tip is home to a lower density of animals, but is a wonderful location for those interested in palaeontology, geology, and cultural interaction with the Maasai people, plus some exceptional walking safaris are on offer.
Migratory patterns are reasonably predictable year-on-year depending on rainfall, and the migration tends to pass through the Serengeti’s Western Corridor during the May to June mating season. This area features the crocodile-rich Mbalagati and Grumeti Rivers, with their resident colobus monkeys, good permanent population of game, and prolific birdlife. The promise of show-stopping migratory river crossings make trips here a popular choice.
Although the park’s northern horizons may not have the magnetic appeal of neighbouring areas, the migration does pass though during the July to November dry season and these seemingly endless plains, with their scattering of kopjes and small rivers, are a delight. To the North-East, the Serengeti Mara has a unique feel with strong resident wildlife and some high calibre, albeit expensive, camps. The adjacent Lamai Wedge, with its predators lolling in the shade of desert date trees, is the only part of the Serengeti where off-road driving is permitted, making for some fabulous up-close sightings.