The Serengeti has become synonymous with African Safaris, often filling heads with images of golden sunsets over the savannah, or heavy hoofs rising clouds of orange dust, lions stalking in the wake. This is easily the most famous National Park in Tanzania and offers unparalleled safari experiences, including the biggest spectacle on earth, The Great Migration.

Mainly consisting of flat rolling grasslands, interspersed with rocky outcrops (kopjes) which act like magnets for the wildlife, each area has its resident animals, as well as those that migrate through.

SERONERA & MORU KOPJES

The Seronera is often considered classic Serengeti due to the thrilling variety of wildlife throughout the year, particularly between December and May – this is when the rains bring the migratory herds of wildebeest and zebra in one of Africa’s most spectacular sights. Lions resting on the kopjes, eland antelope and flocks of ostrich are all commonly sighted on the vast open plains, and fewer trees means leopard sightings are relatively easier in the sausage trees that dot the river banks. The surreal rock formations of the Moru Kopjes are the setting for the strategically positioned and high-quality tented Dunia Camp.

SOUTHERN PLAINS

Characterised by short-grass plains that extend south into the northern section of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, this area teems with game between December and April when the wildebeest arrive in throngs looking for the first phosphorus-rich green grass after the rains. The rest of the year offers few sightings, aside from gazelle that can remain in the area and attract cheetah. The wildebeest also calve here in a short period early to mid-February, which inevitably attracts predators like lion, hyena and cheetah. Ndutu Safari Lodge straddles the boundary of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and is a brilliant spot for the migration, where wildlife frequently arrives at your door!

LOBO & NORTHERN SERENGETI

The gentle rolling plains of Lobo and Northern Serengeti are popular areas between September and October, when the migrating herds straddle the border of the Kenyan Masaai Mara and the herds frantically crossing the Mara River provide some of the most dramatic scenes of the migration, the frantic wading of wildebeest and zebra, the snapping jaws of crocodiles and and hungry eyes of vultures, circling ahead. Into November, the wildebeest continue to move south through Lobo targeting the fresh green shoots of the plains of the Serengeti. Set amidst the rocky outcrops, the spacious tents of Migration Camp are perfectly positioned for migration viewing.

THE WESTERN CORRIDOR

This area almost reaches Lake Victoria, a much narrower tract of the Serengeti, dominated by the Grumeti and Mbalageti Rivers. Less visited, it nonetheless offers prime migration viewing between May and July, particularly with the crossing of the Grumeti River, which sees giant opportunistic crocodiles gorge on the more vulnerable wildebeest. The luxury tented camp of Grumeti River Camp blends with its natural surroundings as well as being excellently placed for the migration.