This is the oldest and most famous of Tanzania's national parks, measuring 14 763 sq. km. The park name is derived from a Maasai word meaning "endless plains" and houses the largest concentration of wildlife in the world. With all the hype that this park receives, one may have doubts whether the park can live up to such a reputation. The answer is that it seldom disappoints and is great to visit any time of year (although the roads may tough to negotiate due to mud during April & May).
The Serengeti is renowned for the huge concentrations of wildebeest and zebra. Approximately 1 500 000 wildebeest and 250 000 zebra migrate annually in a circular pattern between the Serengeti National Park's Western Corridor and Kenya's Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Contrary to belief, the migration of these animals is a continuous affair with stopover points along the way. These migration trends are dependent on the rains.
The Seronera Valley provides for some of the best game viewing. Jutting kopjes provide a vantage point for lion to sit a gaze on the herds and plan the next meal. June and July sees the animals moving off to the Togoro Plain on the border of the Grumeti River. This presents an obstacle for the vast herd, as they have to cross the queues of the eagerly awaiting crocodiles. August to September sees the animals moving off to the Lobo area and into the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, in neighboring Kenya. As much as the river crossing has been hyped and raved about, it seldom disappoints. While the Mara River borders Kenya at some parts, most of the river crossing occurs with both sides being inside of Tanzania. The herds return back south in late October to mid November and head back to the southeast Serengeti.
Although we have stated some months for each stage of the migration, there are variations since the cycle is dependent on the grazing conditions. Is it difficult to predict in advance how the migration will proceed. It is even more difficult to predict when the herds will make the mad dash across the river but we keep close tabs on these events and can help with an educated guess.
If you want to see the annual migration of the wildebeest, then come to Serengeti! A Serengeti safari tour that is arranged by Lava Peaks can bring such a big opportunity for you. The Serengeti safari tour we arrange is going to fill your journey with adventure and fun. You are really going to enjoy this Serengeti safari tour.
Although the migration is indeed a spectacular event, the Serengeti makes a great destination regardless if the herds are in that particular area at the time. There is no bad time to visit the park although during the rains in April - May can make the roads quite difficult to travel even with 4w drive. From Moshi/Arusha, a safari that includes the Serengeti requires at least four days although it can be done in less if you fly in by small plane. There are many great lodge and tented camp options inside of the park along with campsites. For an amazing experience never to be forgotten, you should consider an early morning balloon safari ending with a picnic breakfast served with sparking wine in the open. Contact us for details and options.
During late November or December through to May / early June, lines of wildebeest (sometimes up to 40km long) can be seen on a journey which can be up to 800 km long. These vast herds of grunting and snorting animals consume a staggering 4000 tones of grass each day. Hot on their heels you will find the ominous and ever present lion, cheetah and hyena. They are particularly interested in the calving season that coincides with the migration off the plains. In a period of only 3 weeks, some 400 000 cows give birth. Unlike most antelopes who seek cover, wildebeest prefer to calve in open terrain, which provides another breathtaking spectacle. These new calves provide easy pickings for larger scavengers and cats. This is the reason why wildebeest calves are able to be up and running within 4 minutes of birth. A wildebeest can delay birth by up to a month in order to time the birthing with the rest of the herd. The short and synchronized mass birthing increases the survival rate of the calves. The best time to witness this is between the end of January to February.
Lava Peaks Adventures is a local company owned by two Tanzanians with broad experience in the tourism industry and related fields. One of the owners, Ramson Swai is an established mountain ..
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