SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Tanzania has emerged as Africa’s best safari destination, with a variety of activities to do and beautiful attractions to see. Serengeti national park is regarded as Tanzania’s best safari destination.

Serengeti national park is a national park located in the northern region of Tanzania in East Africa. It is located in the regions of Simiyu and Maya. Serengeti national park neighbors the Masai Mara national park of Kenya and the Ngorongoro conservation area. Serengeti national park is famous for its large number of beautiful wildlife, the major highlight for visiting this national park, is to witness the annual migration of the zebras and blue wildebeest.

A combination of Serengeti national park and Masai Mara Conservation Area makes up the best wildebeest migration spot in the whole world.  Visiting any of these national parks gives you a chance to see multiple animal species with magical experiences coming during the Mara River crossing. This is the time when the rule of the jungle “Survival for the fittest” is most applicable and evident. Is watching the great wildebeest migration one of your dreams? It is high time you considered visiting Tanzania’s Serengeti national park.

The three regions of the park

Serengeti plains

These are located in the southern region of the national park, famous for the granitic kopjes and the volcanic grasslands. It is in this region that the wildebeest migration starts. During the months between December and March which is the calving season, the region becomes the best animal viewing spot. During this period, the grass is always green and the wildebeest migration tends to move slowly since there are many newborns. By the month of March, wildebeests roam the areas of Lake Ndutu heading southwards. Travelers visiting the Ngorongoro Conservation areas can easily spot wildebeests roaming the southern plains of Serengeti national park.

Western corridor

This is flatter than the southern area of Serengeti national park, with plants, mountain ranges, riverine forests, and the plain rivers of Mbalageti and Grumeti. This is the most preferred area by visitors since the wildebeest migration crosses river Grumeti and the experience is more like that on the Mara River in Masai Mara Conservation Area. A glance at the wildebeest migration can be witnessed in the western corridor, from the month of May to July. The area stretches towards Lake Victoria.

Northern Serengeti

This region is made up of open woodlands, hills, and the famous ground kopjes. It is the least busy area of the park and its remoteness is the reason behind the region’s beauty. The majority of the travelers to this region fly in. The best time to spot the great wildebeest migration in this region is between the months of July to September. Within this region, the wildebeests and other animals start crossing the Mara River heading to Kenya northwards. This is the point where Tanzania’s Serengeti national park joins Kenya’s Masai Mara Conservation Area.

The Central (Seronera) region Serengeti.

This is the middle area of Serengeti national park. It is the best region to visit when you are in a rush and thus does not have time to explore other regions of the park. The other unique feature of the Seronera region is that it is one of the areas with large numbers of leopards in the world.  This is the busiest area of Serengeti national park and it has quite a number of safari lodges and accommodation facilities.

Activities and attractions in Serengeti national park.

Game drives

The most fascinating activity in Serengeti national park is a game drive experience. Game drives through the park give a chance to see the various wildlife species located in the park, including the 5 five game. An early morning game drive starts early enough and ends at 11; 00am. For tourists that prefer the afternoon session, this starts at 2:00pm till 5; 30pm.  Wildlife spotted in Serengeti include the impalas, Elands, Lions, Giraffes, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, black Rhinos, Grant’s gazelle, top, Kongoni among others.

Morning game drives in Serengeti national park.

An early morning game drive starts early enough and ends at 11; 00 am. This game drive is best for travelers who spent a night at the park as it starts early. It is during this game drive that you get a chance of seeing the early risers of the park and the hunters before they go back into hiding. Animals are in a somewhat settled mood as they graze on the fresh green grass in the morning. If you are lucky enough, you may land on the predators feasting on a morning kill. This is one of the best safari experiences on an African wildlife safari.

Afternoon game drives in Serengeti national park

For tourists that prefer the afternoon session, this starts at 2:00 pm until 5:30 pm. An afternoon game drive in Serengeti national park gives you a chance to see great numbers of animals converging on the water sources to get water for drinking. For example at the Mara River, wildebeests converge to drink water while lions use it as a hunting spot. There are higher chances of seeing a Nile crocodile grab the nose of a gazelle, zebra, or wildebeest while it is drinking. It is here that documentaries and the best nature photography photos are captured. Wildlife spots in Serengeti include the impalas, Elands, Lions, Giraffes, Leopards, Elephants, Buffalos, black Rhinos, Grant’s gazelle, top, and hartebeest among others.

Full-day game drives in Serengeti national park

Travelers who do not easily get enough of the animal views embark on a full-day game drive in Serengeti national park. The park offers one of the best full-day game drives in Africa. Embarking on such an activity implies that you will spend the whole driving from one side of the park to the other. However, the size of the park is vast to the extent that it cannot be explored all in just one day. During this activity, travelers get more insight into the behaviors of animals at different times of the day. For instance, you will get to know when they are grazing, mating, relaxing, hunting, playing, and breastfeeding their young ones, to mention but a few.

Night game drives 

This is the best time for predator lovers to spot their favorite actions during an African safari. For filmmakers and photographers, night game drives in Serengeti national park could be one of the best times to do their work. While hunters struggle to get what to put in their stomachs, the hunted use their instincts and their senses to detect danger and survive. A game drive in the darkness becomes nice when the birds stop singing, and hunters leave their hiding places and look for something to eat. It is during the night that the rules of the jungle come into play.

Birding

Bird watching in Serengeti national park is an exception experience, to encounter while with a visit to the park. Serengeti is home to over 500 different bird species, 11 of which are endemic to the park and 100 are permanent to the park’s forests. The forests are home to as well the migratory birds that usually migrate between the months of November and April. Birds species encountered while birding in the national park include the following. Kori busard, Fischer’s love birds, Rufous –tailed weaver, Grey Breast spurfowl, southern ground horn bill, Black –headed gonolek, grey –backed fiscal, crowned lapwing, Green-back woodpecker, Grey –capped social weaver, Nubian woodpecker, Speke waver and many more.

Hot air balloon adventure

A balloon safari takes off into the skies of the park, giving a better view of the different attractions, landscapes and wildlife where the tour vehicles cannot reach. Hot air balloon safaris give travelers an opportunity of seeing the park right from its top. It usually comes in the company of bush breakfasts and sundowners – one of the favorite safari experiences offered in Africa. This same adventure can be experienced in Murchison falls national park of Uganda.

Attractions in Serengeti national park.

The great wildebeest migration

Over 1.5 million wildebeest and over 2000 Zebras is a major highlight for the Serengeti national Park. Witnessing the great migration is a say more and worth planning for, for every wildlife safari. This usually happens annually between the months of May to July.  The endless plains of Serengeti national park are home to thousands of wildebeests. Embarking on such as safari give travelers an opportunity to dive into the life of these species. These animals are always on the move. They are guided by their instincts, fresh green grass and the need for water. The great wildebeest migration takes places not only in Serengeti national park but also in Kenya’s Masai Mara. The migration involves death of the weak and the old as well as birth of the new ones. During this migration, the animals cross different rivers which is always a do or die mission.

To the predators such as lions, leopards, hyenas and wild dogs, selecting one animal to turn into food is not as easy as it seems. It has to be a well-planned move characterized by good game plan, power, combined effort, taking advantage of the opponents’ weakness as well as forcing mistakes. On the other hand, the hunted such as gazelles, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes and waterbucks, surviving the hunters calls for working in unison, running faster than your enemy and sometimes sacrificing the weak to save the strong for the future. It is during the wildebeest migration that one can prove the principle of “survival for the fittest.”

The best time for wildebeest migration in Serengeti national park is during the months of December to March and July to September.

Retina hippo pool

This is located in the Seronera sector of the Serengeti Park. Retina pool is a home to the huge number of hippos. Visitors can view the large pools of hippos on foot while taking memorable pictures and videos for pleasant memories. It is this sector that makes up for the big 5 animals in Serengeti national park. In this area travelers get an opportunity of taking pictures closer to the hippos while on foot.

Lobo valley

The valley accommodates most of the big cat species, for there is plenty of prey for the big cats such as the lions, leopards in the valley. Other wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, and baboons can be sighted in the lobo valley as well. This is also part of the great migration in the months between July and November.

Kopjes

Kopjes are rock formations. They are resting areas for most predators, and offer a magnificent horizon view of the beautiful land scape of the park. A visit to these areas reward views of black rhinos of Serengeti.

Ngorongoro crater

This is part of the Ngorongoro conservation area that is part of the Serengeti part. The area is home to about 30,000 wild game, open for viewing. This is whole year with that fact they cannot migrate from the Ngorongoro crater. The crater is a source of water to the thirsted wildlife and food from the ever green vegetation. It is within this region that wildebeest migration starts. Usually, the calving season takes places within the area.

Olduvai Gorge.

This is the area where the first remains of man were discovered. The area is a good destination for archeologists and researchers. The region is a good animal viewing spot as well since black rhinos are found within.

Accommodation at Serengeti park.

Accommodation facilities in Serengeti national park range from budget to mid-range and then high-end or luxury. It all depends on the traveler’s choice and affordability. Accommodations facilities in this park include; Serengeti Serena safari lodge, Four seasons safari lodge, Seronera wildlife lodge, Kubu-Kubu tented camp, etc.

What is the best time to Visit Serengeti national park?

Serengeti national park is an open destination for all kinds of travelers. However, depending on the travelers’ activities of interests, some seasons might be better than others. For instance, the best time for a wildebeest migration experience in Serengeti national park is during the dry months of June to October.

For a relaxed wildlife safari in East-Africa, Serengeti national park is among the top safari destinations to always think about. We at Love Uganda safaris help in planning & organizing all safari tours for a lifetime.