Located in Tanzania, Serengeti National Park is a component of the wider Serengeti ecosystem, which spans 12,000 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) and contains a number of additional wildlife preserves. The actual national park has a 5,700-square-mile extent (14,750 sq. km). It shares a border with Kenya’s Masai Mara and is a GANP Ambassador Park.
The name Serengeti is derived from a similar Masai word which translates, “the location where land goes on forever”. It is also jokingly referred to as the “endless plains.” The region is made up of forests, savanna, riverine forest, and grassland plains. Although wide plains make up the majority of the park, there are some hills between 3,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level (914 and 1,828 m). The towering rock outcroppings conjure images from the film “Lion King,” and it’s possible that you’ll even spot lions there.
When it comes to visiting Tanzania, the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro are practically synonymous. The three of them will virtually always be encountered by visitors together. The migratory herds of wildebeest, zebra, and impala are found in both the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Generally speaking, the national park is divided into three regions by its borders. The Serengeti plains, where the wildebeest breed, are the main area. A second region is a western corridor with savannahs coated in black clay. Hippopotamuses and crocodiles live in this region. You can always find hippos napping and lazing around in the hippo pool close to this area. The majority of the hills and forests are found in the third section, which is the northern Serengeti. The finest location to see an elephant and giraffe is here.
The Serengeti National Park is highly known throughout the world for both its great biodiversity and richness of wildlife. At the park, visitors can see the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo). All of Africa’s Big 7 (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, hippo, and crocodile) can be found in the national park, with the exception of the mountain gorilla.
In addition to lions and leopards, other predators in Africa include the cheetah, hyena, jackals, African golden wolves, honey badgers, servals, and African wild dogs. There is a good probability that you will spot the majority of the predator species because the park’s topography is so open. Keep your eyes open for gathered safari vehicles; you can practically bet if there are more than three grouped together, they are gazing at lions or leopards.
The Serengeti is home to the greatest undisturbed animal migration in the world, making it the ultimate wildlife destination. The migration comprises over 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebra, 500,000 gazelles, and tens of thousands of topi, hartebeest, and impala. This fact is one of the key justifications for why the migration was chosen as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders.
SERENGETI HIGHLIGHTS
One of the most sought-after safari locations in the world is the Serengeti National Park. You won’t wonder “whether” you’ll see anything; instead, focus on how many things you’ll notice. There are roughly 3,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, and 5,000 elephants, which make up the Big 5. The buffalo are the most numerous, numbering about 53,000. However, due to poaching, there are now only 31 distinct rhinos surviving in the park.
The Serengeti National Park’s size makes it possible for visitors on safari to explore endlessly in search of the ideal wildlife encounters. While flying over the plains is beautiful in and of itself, seeing the migrating herd in all of its majesty from above is breathtaking.
When the migratory herd of wildebeest, zebra, and other ungulates crosses the Mara River into Kenya and the Masai Mara National Reserve in September or October, it is one of the most thrilling natural aspects of the migration. The sight of hundreds of wildebeest crossing the river at once is breathtaking. Witnessing one of the river’s crocodiles snare a member of the cross herd would likewise leave you dumbfounded.
SAFARI IN THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The southern plains, the center Seronera Valley, and the western corridor are the three areas for Serengeti safaris that are most in demand. Short grassland covers the broad, flat southern plains. This is the typical Serengeti scene, and what you probably image in your mind when you think about a Tanzania safari.
The largest concentration of species in the area can be found in the center of Seronera Valley, a network of river valleys. The majority of tourists go to this region.
The best way to get to know the world is to become lost in it. Your guide will point out every piece of Serengeti wildlife you come across as you travel over the savanna grasslands.
A safari in the Serengeti National Park will provide you with the chance to learn about the Maasai people’s way of life. While other African cultures outright oppose modernization, the Maasai have developed a special method of fusing contemporary schooling with their age-old customs and traditions.
BEST TIME TO VISIT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
From July to October is the ideal time to visit Serengeti National Park to witness the migration. The Mara River crossing will provide the cattle with their greatest difficulty during the dry season in June and July. Go in January or February, when there is a break in the annual rains and the wildebeest calf, if you are eager to watch the predators in action.
GETTING TO THE SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
The Seronera Airstrip, which is inside the park, serves flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and Ruaha. Flight times range from 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the aircraft you reserve. You may drive from Arusha, which takes 8 hours but is a Tanzania Safari experience in and of itself; along the somewhat bumpy road, you will pass a lot of wildlife and gorgeous landscape.
