Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is Africa’s most famous park. Renowned for its incredible concentrations of predators and the Great Migration of two million wildebeest, the Serengeti guarantees an exceptional safari. The endless grassy plains (Serengeti in Maasai) are the richest grazing grounds on the continent, and therefore home to the largest herds and the highest concentrations of predators on the planet. To focus solely on the Great Migration would be to do the Serengeti a grave injustice. Even taking the Great Migration out of the equation, it can be argued that the Serengeti is nevertheless the finest park in Africa. Vast herds of grazers, huge prides of lion, spectacular expanses of uninterrupted views, wildebeest river crossings, great leopard sightings, good concentrations of cheetah and some of the best camps in Africa – what more could you want! The Serengeti is one of those very rare places that has a huge reputation, yet still somehow manages to surpass expectations and take your breath away. Surrounded by remarkable tribes such as the Masai and Hadzabe, this wider area is also fascinating from a cultural perspective. In a nutshell, the Serengeti is the mother of all safari parks and the most celebrated wildlife reserve in the world. There is absolutely nowhere else to match it. Absolutely outstanding! 

The Serengeti’s Great Migration

The Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtakingly beautiful setting and the best place in Tanzania to see the Big Five. However, as one of the world’s most astonishing and renowned natural wonders, the Ngorongoro Crater does get busy, and at times very busy. Due to the crowds we recommend a two-night stay only here, then moving on to the Serengeti for a quieter, more private safari experience.

Any trip to Northern Tanzania has to include the Ngorongoro Crater: it is one of the most beautiful natural wildlife safari sites in the world and an exceptional place to interact with people from the Masaai tribe. The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous such crater is without question the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa, including all the big five and plenty of predators. 

Ngorongoro Crater: game viewing

Originally created to preserve the path of the Great Migration, the Serengeti and its surrounding reserves cover nearly 30,000 square kilometres. Throughout the year huge herds of wildebeest and zebra move in a clockwise direction around the vast plains, searching for fresh grazing grounds. For further information on the movement of the herds, have a read of our Great Migration page. To maximise your chances of viewing the herds, it is crucial to choose the right accommodation for the time of year you are travelling. Witnessing the migration in the Serengeti is really as good as it gets in terms of your Tanzania Safari. he Serengeti has a wide variety of accommodation, ranging from large hotels to small luxury lodges and no-frills safari camps. The Serengeti is most famous however for its mobile camps – lightweight safari camps that effectively move with the migration herds. There are a number of these mobile camps operating in the Serengeti, with our favourites being Alex Walker’s Serian, Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp, Asilia’s Olakira Camp and finally CCA Serengeti Under Canvas. The newer Ubuntu has been a welcome introduction as a more economical alternative. If the idea of ‘going mobile’ is a little too adventurous then our favourite luxury lodges are Singita’s Faru Faru, Sabora and Sasakwa or their Singita Mara Tented Camp, as well as Kleins Camp, Sayari Camp and Nomad Lamai Camp. The Serena and Sopa hotels, central and with good year-round game viewing, are the best accommodations for families with young children. 

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