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 move freely and thrive.
The Serengeti 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 the 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 National Park – 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 National Park’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 park. Traveler volume is also a consideration – the high season can be crowded, but one of our Journey Specialists 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 for cooling off 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.
A few of our favorites include Serengeti Bushtops for its enormous, well-appointed tents, and their new (optional upgrade) safari vehicle, ‘The Beast,’ which features extra-large, heated seats and personal mini-fridges, among other features; Singita Sasakwa Lodge for its luxury and amenities, along with its private reserve location sitting high above the plains with views for miles; and Mwiba Lodge, a favorite for its location during the calving season as well as for the chance to spend time with the hunter-gatherer Hadzabe and pastoral Datoga people. These are just a sampling of camps and lodges – talk with a Journey Specialist about the right fit for you.
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.
Contact a Journey Specialist to begin planning your Serengeti safari and subscribe to our newsletter below for more information and inspiration.
Photos courtesy AAC President Kent Redding, Sanctuary Serengeti Camp, andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge, AAC Journey Specialist Diana Garcia Hernandez, Singita Faru Faru Lodge, Mwiba Lodge, AAC Livingstone Club member Debbie R. and Sayari Camp