Serengeti National Park is Africa’s most famous game park and its reputation is well earned. A haven for many of the continent’s most iconic animals, the park is incredibly vast and beautiful, boasting the endless savanna landscapes that so many of us imagine in Africa. At more than 5,700 square miles, the park protects a huge area where wildlife is allowed to live and thrive. In addition to the National Park itself, the larger Serengeti ecosystem measures more than 15,000 square miles and includes private reserves and Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve.
The Serengeti ecosystem is home to Africa’s Great Migration – a perpetual movement of more than 2 million wildebeest, zebra and other plains game that follow seasonal rains, seeking the nutritious grasses that spring from the associated moisture. It is one of the largest migrations of animals on earth, second only to a very special seasonal bat migration in Zambia (ask your Journey Specialist about it!).
Many people have seeing the Great Migration at the top of their travel wish lists. Not only for the massive concentrations of wildlife, but for many other species – resident and migratory – that interact with the migration or are sustained by it through predation. The big cat action can be very exciting in Serengeti – visitors have the chance to spot lion, leopard and cheetah, as well as smaller species such as serval and caracal. Other predators that are possible to see in Serengeti include hyena, wild dog and python.
With Serengeti’s enormity, it’s important to work with an expert to plan your trip. Different areas offer different topography, accommodations, and in some cases species; and seasonality is a big factor for when and where to visit the ecosystem. Traveler volume is also a consideration – the high season can be crowded, but an expert can work with you to help avoid the highest concentrations of visitors or to book you into one of the private reserves within the Serengeti ecosystem.
Accommodations in the Serengeti range from basic mobile camps to luxury lodges (and everything in between). Whether you want a plunge pool to cool off in after a long day or the luxury of your own private mobile camp, one of our Journey Specialists will find the right fit for you. We can even recommend a camp with its own boutique brewery!
Game drives are the most common activity for safari-goers in the Serengeti. We also recommend opting for a hot air balloon safari followed by a Champagne breakfast. This offers the chance to see the vastness of the Serengeti and its wildlife from above, along with a special celebratory meal out in the bush!
Travelers who opt to stay in a private reserve have more activity options ranging from night drives, bush walks and community visits to anti-poaching unit interactions, yoga and wellness activities, bush meals and sundowners.
Photos courtesy AAC President Kent Redding, Sanctuary Serengeti Camp, andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, AAC Journey Specialist Diana Garcia Hernandez, Singita Faru Faru Lodge, AAC Livingstone Club member Debbie R. and Sayari Camp.