Serengeti National Park

Imagine a vast area of land supporting the greatest remaining concentration of plains game in Africa, on a scale unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Equal in size to Northern Ireland, the Park contains an estimated three million large animals, most of which take part in a seasonal
migration that is one of nature’s greatest wonders.

There are no fences; the Serengeti stretches into Kenya’s Mara in the north and Maswa Game Reserve in the south carrying on towards Lake Victoria in the west. Vegetation in the Serengeti ranges from the short and long grass plains in the south, to the acacia savannah in the centre and the wooded grassland concentrated around tributaries of the Grumeti and Mara Rivers in the north. The western corridor is a region of wooded highland and extensive plains reaching to the edge of Lake Victoria. The Seronera Valley in the central Serengeti is famous for the abundance of Lion and Leopard that are generally easy to find.

The Serengeti does not disappoint – in simple terms if you are in the Serengeti at the height of the calving season, the spectacle never fails to astound. Night and day there is an endless cacophony of zebra’s barking and wildebeest grunting mixed with the squeals of the newborn calves.

Whilst talking of the Serengeti, we have to mention the ‘Migration’. Is it wanderlust? No its not. These animals have been moving in search of new pastures since time began. Like everything in nature, it is not predictable, if the rains are late, or if there is a lot of rain leaving pools and lakes the animals can often remain or even split up and later re group. The migration route is not cast in stone.

In brief the animals move as follows:

December to March: animals are congregated around the short grass plains of Ndutu, in southern Serengeti.

April to May: the animals moves North into central Serengeti.

June, July & August: the migration can split in two large groups; one group goes west (not breaking into song) into the Western Corridor around Mbalageti whilst the other heads directly north passing near Klein’s Camp, before crossing the Grumeti Mbalageti and Mara Rivers.

Recently more and more animals are now moving into the area now controlled by Grumeti Reserves, a private concession, which is excellent news.

September to October: the Migration moves into Kenya’s Masai for a short respite before moving back south to its home in the Serengeti.

You can see the migration at almost any time of year; it is just a question of where! The sight that never fails to impress are the plethora of confused gnu’s on the short grass plains and river crossings. We believe the best way to experience Serengeti and the migration is to stay in one of the superb tented camps, which move with the animals.