Serengeti National Game Park is one of the most famous destinations in Africa, Tanzania’s oldest park, covering a whopping 1.5 million hectares, it is home to an incredible diversity of animals. The moment you make a decision to go to Tanzania, Serengeti is one of the main destinations you can never miss while on your migration safari and Zanzibar holidays.
The rich grasslands of the Serengeti allow it to support the millions of wildebeest that live here. the landscape is dotted with Woodlands and acacia trees as well as ‘Kopies’, large granite outcrops rising up from the plains. The park is home to some of the world’s fiercest predators: cheetah, spotted hyena (usually in the morning), jackal, bat-eared-fox, and wild dog as well as the big five. giraffes, mongoose, baboons, aardvarks, colobus monkeys, monitor lizards, and giant Nile crocodiles are part of Serengeti.
For the sake of ostrich, Serengeti has the highest population in Africa as well as a great number of other bird species. The park is also home to some endangered animal species like elephant, wild dog, and cheetah. Serengeti National Game Park is a diverse park with the central part being a year-round destination, northern part known for the wildebeest migration in the months beginning June towards October not forgetting the southern part of the park known for calving. 2 million wildebeest and zebra move in a continuous, annual cycle through the rolling savanna hills in pursuit of the rains. When you go determines what part of the migration you’ll see.
January to March is the calving season and here baby animals are born in the southern Serengeti. April to June is the Rut, a mass breeding event on the southern plains where male animals become territorial. In July, crocodiles begin to feel the taste of the crossing beasts by grabbing them during the Mara River crossing.
In fact, the staggering variety of wildlife makes the Serengeti a haven of biodiversity. Giraffe, zebra, hyena, cheetah, baboon and hippo are but a few of the high-profile animals that live in the park. It’s also a birder’s paradise, home to over 500 species that include ostrich, tawny eagle, superb starling and lilac-breasted roller. You can find leopards resting in acacias limbs and lions basking in the sun on rocky outcrops called Kopjes that dot the plains. Lions are everywhere in the park. You can never miss out on the African buffalo and elephant.
Although Wildebeest Migration’s herds make their way into Kenya during October, the Serengeti remains a spectacle for game viewing. In November, the rain prompts fresh grasslands in the southern areas, enticing grazers. It’s an ideal time for travelers to take advantage of lower hotel rates. By the end of November, the wildebeest herds start their southward migration, heading towards the Lobo section of the Serengeti. The wildebeest herds grow strong on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti including the Kusini, Ndutu, Masek and Maswa wilderness.
A game drive in the Serengeti is the most experience you can never miss out. It is the best way to see big 5 and other resident creatures. Animals in the Serengeti are very active in the morning and evening hours. The morning game drive starts at sunrise and ends at around 11: am. It is designed to allow you spot nocturnal animals retreating back to their holes/dens or observe herbivores going out to graze. It is an excellent time for spotting hyenas, lions, cheetahs, leopards and hippos. You will take breakfast earlier than usual or ask staff in your lodge to pack for you something so that you don’t get hungry while out in the savanna.
Go for a hot air balloon safari, thousands of feet above the ground where you get an aerial view of the plains and the animals that roam it. It starts in the morning and ends with champagne breakfast in the African wilderness. The safari takes between 12 to 16 people and You will never forget the experience of getting a bird-eye view of the Serengeti plains and Africa’s famous wildlife.
You can also take time to visit the Olduvai Gorge where the very first human remains were excavated by the Leakey family and discovered several fossils and tools that were over 2 million years old. This is the best opportunity to visit and see as well as learning more about the early man evolution.
You will go for the wildebeest migration which is the best experience ever in the Serengeti national park. You will stay there for some time as you watch them organizing to cross the crocodile infested river and deal with the high current. This offers countless opportunities to witness the great battles between prey and predator. The survivors will take off very fast from the river to go and find their new area of feeding.
This is one of the most interesting experiences which you can even go for as many times as you wish. The morning session is the most powerful since all the beasts crossing have the energy and determined to cross the Mara river.
Masai visit is also a wonderful experience. A visit to one of their Boma is an excellent opportunity to learn about their culture and traditional beliefs. They are very friendly and will show you how to hunt, milk domestic animals, cook traditional food and much more.
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