The region contains the Serengeti National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Tanzania and several other game reserves, and spans approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of stunning African landscapes.
The Serengeti has become world-famous for its annual “Great migration”, an iconic and dramatic scene in wildlife documentaries for decades, and a true bucket list experience. The migration begins in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania and loops in a clockwise direction through the Serengeti National Park and north towards the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya. This migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing. Over a million wildebeest and other grazers can be witnessed running across rivers and fields as they fight for their lives from the possibility of getting attacked by various predators including monstrous Nile Crocodiles.
Even though one can get fully mesmerized by watching the wildebeest, the Serengeti has a prolific array of other wildlife; and big game at that. Approximately 70 large mammal and 500 bird species are found there. This high diversity is a function of diverse habitats, including riverine forests, swamps, kopjes, grasslands, and woodlands. Packs of African Wild Dog, prides of Lion (the population here is over 3,000), Cheetah, Leopard and Spotted Hyaena are often seen tailing the herds of Common Wildebeest, Plains Zebra and Thomson’s Gazelle. The Serengeti is also home to a diversity of other grazers, including African Buffalo, African Elephant, Common Warthog, Common Eland, Waterbuck, and Topi.
The local Maasai people have a name for the Serengeti; ‘Siringet’ or ‘the land that goes on forever’. Great stretches of grassland dotted with flat-topped acacia trees give the Serengeti that classic “Out of Africa” feel. Many people claim that the sunsets in the Serengeti are the most spectacular on earth, with the sky turning a palette of pinks, purples and oranges before disappearing over the horizon. The dust that had been kicked up from the migrating wildebeest and the threatening rain clouds sometimes even add to the whole scene. Truly magical!
The Serengeti is blessed with a world of variety not just in its wildlife but also in its accommodation facilities, ranging from basic tents to luxury campsites and super luxurious bush lodges to suit even the most discerning traveller’s tastes.
Join one of our Tanzania Safaris and Tours to experience this wonderful safari destination with us.
