A Complete Guide to Exploring Serengeti National Park: Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, named after the Maasai term siringet, which translates approximately as “the area where the land flows on forever,” is one of Tanzania’s oldest wildlife reserves. It’s also one of Africa’s most recognizable safari locations.
Situated in the country’s north, it partially borders Kenya and, together with the Masai Mara National Reserve, serves as the background for the yearly Great Migration, which many believe to be the world’s most stunning natural phenomenon. The park encompasses more than 14,700 square kilometers, including large swaths of grassy plains and dense riverine woodland.
The Serengeti environment has given nomadic Maasai people rich grazing grounds for more than 200 years. The region was first seen by Europeans in 1892, and it quickly became a favorite destination for large game hunters. The colonial British administration responded to the reduction in Serengeti’s lion population in 1921 by establishing a partial reserve in the region. This was expanded into a complete reserve eight years later, and the Serengeti National Park was founded in 1951.
In 1959, two years before the nation won independence from the British, the colonial administration evicted Maasai from living inside the park’s bounds. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 in recognition of its immense ecological value.
The park has traditionally been separated into three main geographic sections. The southern Serengeti plains are the largest of them, a famous, virtually treeless savannah area that serves as a breeding habitat for wildebeest and antelope, which concentrate here from December to May before beginning their trek north.
The Grumeti River and its surrounding woodlands are part of the Western Corridor. The wildebeest migration travels through this region of the park from May to July, but it’s also an excellent site to observe water birds and other aquatic animals all year. Lastly, the wild northern Serengeti forests are ideal for spotting elephants and giraffes, as well as witnessing the spectacle of the migration’s Mara River crossings.
Things to do during your visit to Serengeti National Park.
A conventional jeep safari is only one of the many wildlife-watching opportunities provided by Serengeti resorts. Although night safaris are prohibited within the park, numerous operators provide after-dark wildlife drives in the Serengeti ecosystem’s private concessions.
These are the only ways to witness the amazing nighttime animals of the region. Walking safaris, horseback safaris, and charter jet safaris are other fascinating choices. There is also a morning hot air balloon safari, which is a very pricey and unique event that you will remember long after you return home.
If you become tired of seeing wildlife, you may go on a cultural tour of one of the Maasai settlements close outside the park’s limits, or travel south to the archaeological site of Olduvai Gorge. A tiny museum here depicts the life and work of Louis and Mary Leakey, whose anthropological finds at Olduvai and neighboring Laetoli help us comprehend human evolution.
Wildlife Viewing in Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park has the highest concentration of plains game in Africa. There are about 2 million wildebeest, 900,000 Thomson’s gazelles, and 300,000 zebras. Additional antelope species include the common Grant’s gazelle and Coke’s hartebeest as well as the uncommon dik-dik and roan antelope. This expansion of prey species invariably leads to a robust predator population.
The Serengeti, in fact, has Africa’s greatest lion population and is one of the finest spots in the world to spot the elusive leopard. Cheetahs, two kinds of hyenas, and the rare African wild dog can also be seen here. At night, smaller felines and nocturnal species such as the aardwolf and ground pangolin emerge.
All of the Big Five can be seen in the Serengeti, albeit the small reintroduced population of black rhinos is extremely difficult to see. The dry season from June to October is ideal for general game viewing since the vegetation is less thick and animals cluster near waterholes, making them easier to identify.
Bird Watching in Serengeti National Park.
Those who enjoy birding will be right at home in the Serengeti, which has over 500 residents and migratory bird species. The grey-breasted spurfowl, the Rufous-tailed weaver, and the beautifully colorful Fischer’s lovebird are all native to Tanzania. Near-endemic species like the Usambiro barbet and the Hildebrandt’s starling should also be on your Serengeti bucket list, A Complete Guide to Exploring Serengeti National Park
The park is home to numerous endangered or severely endangered vulture species and boasts Africa’s largest ostrich population. It is also home to the Kori bustard, the continent’s biggest flying bird. The rainy season from November to April is ideal for birding because resident birds are in breeding plumage and migrant species come from North Africa and Europe.
Witness the Great Migration.
The chance to see the Great Migration is the Serengeti’s main draw for many visitors. Several Tanzania safari companies and mobile camps are committed to placing you right in the middle of the action, whether it’s seeing newborn calves take their first steps in the southern plains or witnessing the drama of a Mara River crossing.
To see the migration, plan your journey carefully because the herds’ movements are reliant on the rainfall and might vary from year to year. A normal game drive, regardless of when you visit, provides you with a front-row experience of Serengeti’s extraordinary biodiversity.
If you wish to watch the wildebeest migration, the herds congregate in the south from December to May, then migrate to the Western Corridor from May to July. To view the herds crossing the Mara River, visit in July, August, or November.
Where to stay during your visit to Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti National Park is well-known for its opulent five-star campgrounds and lodges. Among the alternatives available in the park. Fixed tented camps mix the romanticism of camping under canvas with the opulence of formal furnishings, staff, and gourmet dining, whilst movable tented camps follow the migration, keeping you at the center of the activity. Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Kirawira Serena Camp, Mbalageti Safari Camp, and &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas are among some the lodges and camps available in the park, A Complete Guide to Exploring Serengeti National Park
How to Get to Serengeti National Park.
Visitors traveling by automobile to Serengeti National Park will most likely enter through the Naabi Hill Gate in the park’s southeastern part. The gate is a 2.5-hour drive from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and a seven to eight-hour journey from Arusha, the safari capital of northern Tanzania.
Some firms will organize road transfers from Arusha, while others will pick you up from one of the park’s airstrips: Kusini and Ndutu in the south, Seronera in the center, Lobo, Kleins, and Kogatende in the north, and Grumeti or Sasakwa in the west. Charter planes from Arusha or Kilimanjaro serve these minor airstrips.
