Serengeti

Recommended number of days at this destination: 2 - 10

The most famous safari destination in the world! And for good reason. The number and variety of animals is excellent. It is one of the few remaining destinations where all of the "Big Five" - elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and black rhinos might be spotted in a single day. The Serengeti also is the location of the famous Wildebeest Migration occurs. Throughout the year, at least a portion of the migration herds are in the Serengeti.

From Moshi/Arusha, to include the Serengeti into a safari itinerary will need at least 4 days, with 5 or more days being ideal. The travel time overland from Moshi to central Serengeti is about 9 hours. Most commonly this span is broken up by visiting another destination along the way, then completing the drive the next day. But it is also possible to get to (and/or return from) the Serengeti by small plane (18 - 22 passengers) in just a couple of hours. Since the park is so large, there are 10 airstrips inside the Serengeti. There is also the option of flying into/out of central Serengeti (Seronera) to/from Zanzibar on a medium size plane.

The Seronera portion of the Serengeti is most commonly visited. Year-round this is a good and reliable destination, although the rains during April/May may make some roads too muddy even for 4wd safari vehicles. There are many accommodation options in the Seronera ranging from basic campsites, to ulta-luxurious lodges such as Four Seasons Serengeti. This portion of the park has a large number of cats - lions, cheetahs, leopards, caracals, servals, and African civits. The varieties of other animals are too numerous to list but the Seronera includes populations of elephants, giraffes, impalas, buffaloes, hippos, rhinos, warthogs, zebras, varieties of gazelles, hyenas, and wildebeests.

During the months of May, June, and November a portion of the migration herds pass through Seronera.

During the months of January - March, visiting the Ndutu portion of the Serengeti is well worth the trip. Ndutu straddles the southern Serengeti and a portion of Ngorongoro Conservation Area (but not the crater). During these months, the wildebeest migration herds are present and February is the birthing season for the wildebeests. During a 3 week period approximately 400,000 calves are born. This is an active time for lions, leopards, and hyenas as they look for weakened mothers and vulnerable calves to pray on. But a new-born wildebeest can stand up within 3 - 5 minutes after birth and will be able to run at good speed within 10 - 15 minutes.

There are several lodges and tented camps in this area, from mid-range to luxury, but no public campsites. If desiring a basic camping safari, overnights would need to be in Seronera with a visit to Ndutu as a day trip from there.

Northern Serengeti is a great place to visit during the months of July - October because of the presence of migration herds. Kogetende is about a 3 hours drive from Seronera although this time is misleading since it will take much longer because there is game viewing opportunities throughout the entire drive. The Kogatende portion of the Serengeti is where the Mara River is located, the site of the dangerous river crossings of the migration herds frantically trying to avoid the huge Nile Crocodiles and lions hiding on the far river bank. What is not commonly known, is that where these river crossings take place, both sides of the Mara River are in the Serengeti, not Kenya's Masai Mara. Not all of the herds cross into Kenya, a good portion remain inside the Serengeti. There are many tented camps in the area, some extremely luxurious. There are no public basic campsites in Kogetende, but overnight camping can be done in the Lobo portion of the Serengeti, about 90km away.