The Serengeti National Park - Serengeti Safaris and Where to Stay

The Serengeti National Park is one of the most celebrated wildlife reserves in the world. This phenomenal National Park, created to preserve the path of the world’s largest intact migration circuit, covers nearly 15,000 square kilometres. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai name meaning ‘endless plains’, and these rolling distances of short grass plains provide an exceptional landscape for wildlife viewing; it is ultimate safari country.

Unique Serengeti Wildlife

This land is justifiably famous for its huge concentrations of wildlife, especially the big cats, as well as being the stomping ground of the Great Migration, a massive accumulation of 1.5 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebras and 350,000 gazelles stretching their legs over 1,200 miles in an annual race to find enough water and green grass for their survival.

Exploring the Serengeti

The National Park is broadly divided into three distinct areas, the Seronera Valley and Seronera River, the Western Corridor and the Northern Lobo area that extends northwards through the Lamai Wedge to the Maasai Mara.

Heart of the Serengeti - Seronera Valley

The greatest proportion of visitors enter the Serengeti through its Southern entrance, the Naabi Hill Gate, which opens onto the Seronera Valley; a vibrant wildlife area at the heart of the Serengeti. This is the region in which the migration commonly stop to calve in march each year, however the Seronera region is characterised by mainly wide open grassy plains and rock kopjes, patched together within a network of rivers that ensure year-round water supplies and keep this region incredibly rich in wildlife throughout the year. All other areas of the Serengeti are more seasonal and much of the time wildlife viewing is dependent on the path of the migration.

The Western Corridor

This follows the path of the Grumeti River up towards Lake Victoria. This region provides superb wildlife viewing action when the migration crosses the crocodile infested waters of the Grumeti; at this point camps such as the CCA Grumeti River or Kirawira come into their own. It is also possible to arrange mobile camping in this region in order to optimise your location.

The Northern Reaches – Lobo to Wogakuria

The Northern reaches of the Serengeti remain fantastically quiet and unvisited, due to their relative inaccessibility. Previously inaccessible swathes of National Park at Wogakuria, close to the Masai Mara border, have been opened up by flying safari options staying at superb permanent tented camps such as Sayari. This region has been described as ultimate paradise for keen safari buffs.