Roxanne Reid
  • Home
  • Book author
    • Travels in the Kalahari >
      • Photo gallery: Travels in the Kalahari
      • Book reviews: Travels in the Kalahari
    • A Walk in the Park >
      • Photo gallery: A Walk in the Park
      • Book reviews: A Walk in the Park
    • The Essential Guide to Self-Editing >
      • Book reviews: Essential Guide to Self-Editing
    • Betrayed
    • Book reviews online
  • Editing & proofreading
  • In the media
    • Travel features
    • Health features
    • Online media
    • Media kit
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Links
  • Contact

10 reasons to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania on safari

31/1/2018

10 Comments

 
Cheetah, 10 reasons to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania on safari
By Roxanne Reid
The famous Serengeti National Park is one of Africa’s most classic safari destinations and it’s no surprise why; it’s home to the Big Five, about 500 bird species and Africa’s most well-known great migration. Here are 10 reasons to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania on safari.

1. Great wildebeest migration
Wildebeest migration, things to do in the Serengeti in Tanzania
Perhaps one of the most popular reasons to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania - and the most popular of all the things to do in the Serengeti - is the Great Migration, when about a million wildebeest migrate from southern Tanzania north towards Kenya and back again. The migration northwards begins in April/May after the calving season, so the southern section of Serengeti is a good place during these months. By July/August, which is peak migration season, when most of the river crossings take place, the herds have moved towards the northwestern Serengeti. From here they cross into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, where they graze from September/October to December, then slowly migrate southwest back to Tanzania to start the whole cycle again.

If you’re determined to see the migration, to hear the grunting and see the dust, ask your safari company to help you book camps in the right areas for the month when you’re travelling. Bear in mind, though, that this is nature, and depending on the rains and many other factors, even in July/August you might sit for days waiting for a river crossing, or even miss one completely.

2. Game drives
Lion, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Elephant, 10 reasons to visit Serengeti in Tanzania on safari
Cheetah, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Game drives are one of the best reasons to visit the Serengeti on safari. Luckily, you don’t have to come during peak migration season (when it’s more expensive and more crowded) because there’s excellent game viewing all year round. Lion, leopard and cheetah sightings are common, as are elephant and buffalo. The only one of the Big Five we found a little trickier to spot was the rhino. During a game drive, your guide is your best friend, and he (or she) will wow you with what he finds, even if it’s smaller creatures like banded mongoose or birds. If you’re self-driving, take it slow and keep your eyes peeled; sometimes a gathering of other vehicles is a good indicator of worthwhile sightings.

3. Birding
Martial eagle, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
​With some 500 bird species in the Serengeti, there’s something to thrill even people who don’t really think of themselves as birders. Larger birds we saw included martial eagle, bateleur, Verreaux’s owl and white-bellied bustard displaying and calling, sounding a bit like an old-fashioned horn-hooter from early movies. Here, small doesn’t mean insignificant, with yellow-throated and cinnamon-breasted sandgrouse, greybreasted spurfowl, Fischer’s sparrowlark, capped wheatear, Usambiro barbet and Fischer’s lovebird just a few of the birds providing colour or attractive calls.

4. Hot air balloon flight
Hot air ballooning over Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
There’s nothing like taking to the air at dawn in a hot air balloon to get a new perspective on the Serengeti. See the sun rise over the vast plains, criss-crossed by game tracks. Spot animals out in the open in the cool of the early morning, before the day heats up and they take cover in the shade of trees or koppies. Float with the wind as the pilot finds a channel, dip low to see the animals or climb to 300m for an eagle’s eye view of the Serengeti landscape. Once you’re back on the ground, enjoy a champagne breakfast before returning to camp. A hot air balloon experience is expensive (around US$550) but will definitely be memorable if you can scratch the cash together. Try Serengeti Balloon Safaris.

5. Walking safari 
Identify wildlilfe tracks on a walking safari in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Another great reason to visit the Serengeti is a walking safari. The bush has its own unique way of talking to you, and it’s not something you can hear on a safari vehicle. So slow down, switch to silent mode and follow your guide into a world of bird calls, sandy tracks and other signs of animals. Smell the bushes and the dust, feel the rough leaves of a bush, learn about dung; it’s a chance to get close to the earth and feel the wilderness at a more intimate level. Not all Serengeti camps offer bush walks, so if this is important to you, check before you book.

6. Maasai village visit
Visit a Maasai village at Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
You may visit the Serengeti mainly for a wildlife safari, but you can’t really understand it fully without engaging with the local Maasai people who have lived here and in southern Kenya for hundreds of years. If you get a chance, try to visit a Maasai village to learn about their culture and lifestyle. Discover the importance of cattle and other livestock to the Maasai, hear about how they build their homes and perhaps some of their marriage customs.

Some Maasai cultural experiences can feel unauthentic and forced. The best way to avoid the more commercialised tours is to look for an operator that practices responsible tourism that benefits the local community in an ethical and sustainable way. See point 10 below for more about responsible tourism in Tanzania.

7. The call of the wild
Verreaux's eagle owl
There’s nothing I love more than lying in bed at night and hearing the sounds of the bush. If you stay in small camps in the Serengeti, the wildlife will be all around you. Listen for the roar of a lion, the whoop of a spotted hyena, the grunt of a hippo or perhaps the call of an owl. Early mornings are wonderful times in the bush too, the first bird calls mounting to a crescendo, perhaps the trumpeting of an elephant, the yelping of jackals, even moaning of the wildebeest or hysterical iha-iha of zebras.

8. The landscapes
Landscape with koppies in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Elephants drinking, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
In the Serengeti, the landscape begs to be savoured and photographed, as much part of the safari experience as the superb wildlife. Serengeti is a Maa (the language the Maasai speak) word meaning ‘endless plains’ and these dominate the landscape, peppered here and there with umbrella trees. Clusters of giant rocks create attractive koppies, with gnarled trees that seem to grow directly out of the rock. Fever tree forests grow in swampy areas, termite mounds grow tall and acacia woodland and fig trees hug the rivers that snake through the landscape.

9. Sunsets and sunrises
Sunset, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Make the most of early starts and sundowners to enjoy Serengeti’s beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Enjoy a concerto of muted pink and lilac in the morning, or the showy gold and orange of the sinking sun that silhouettes umbrella trees and a giraffe or wildebeest in the distance. Here on safari, you’re close to the earth and your days are defined by the natural ebb and flow of light. Find a patch of silence to drink it all in so you can remember what it looked and felt like long after you’ve returned home.
​
10. Responsible tourism
Look for camps that support responsible tourism in the Serengeti, Tanzania
When you travel to the Serengeti, you can help local people and conservation by choosing to book with companies that support responsible tourism. This means companies and camps that include environmental sustainability in their principles of operation, touching the earth lightly. They will focus, for instance, on concepts like reducing, reusing and recycling, as well as solar energy. It also means they are committed to benefiting local communities (e.g. in health, education, employment, development, and so forth) and helping to support research and conservation efforts.

Responsible travel companies to look for in Tanzania include: andBeyond, Asilia Africa, Hoopoe Safaris, Kirurumu Under Canvas, Legendary Expeditions, Nomad Tanzania, Singita and Wild Frontiers. On each of their websites you’ll find a declaration of their responsible tourism attitude and achievements, helping you to choose your safari partner wisely.

Two bonus tips
If you’re making the trip to Serengeti, two things to do close by that you should consider adding to your itinerary are the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (a World Heritage Site in the Highlands that’s named after a large volcanic caldera/crater) and Olduvai Gorge (one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world).
​
Like it? Pin this image!
10 reasons to visit the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, from the wildebeest migration, game drives, hot air ballooning and walking safaris to birding, landscapes, responsible tourism and more. Pin this to your safari board. #safari #wildlife #Serengeti
10 reasons to visit the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, from the wildebeest migration, game drives, hot air ballooning and walking safaris to birding, landscapes, responsible tourism and more. Pin this to your safari board. #safari #wildlife #Serengeti
You may also enjoy
Things to do on safari on the Northern Circuit, Tanzania
Masai Mara: a feast of wildlife sightings in Kenya
Best African safari holidays: 7 parks everyone should visit

Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
10 Comments
Maggie Watson
9/2/2018 01:34:00 pm

I see from your blog you also went to Kenya too. We can't afford to do do both. Which would you recommend if we want to see lots of game. we are both keen wildlife photographers.
Cool blog.

Reply
Roxanne
9/2/2018 01:42:52 pm

We did both, Maggie, because flights were expensive and we didn't foresee ever being able to afford to go back again. We loved our Serengeti experience, but we saw more game, especially big cats and hyenas, in the Masai Mara. I think it also depends on the time of year you go and the camp where you stay, but our experience in Kenya in June was better on this occasion.

Reply
Frankie link
10/2/2018 08:18:23 am

This post has made me realise how little I actually know about safari, wild animals and the landscape they live in. I feel more informed now! And very inspired :-)

Reply
Roxanne
10/2/2018 08:58:13 am

Always glad when I can inspire someone else with my passions, Frankie. Thanks.

Reply
Kelly Barcus link
10/2/2018 08:45:06 am

Your photos are incredible! A hot air balloon over the Serengeti sounds like an amazing experience; I'm sure the views were breathtaking!

Reply
Roxanne
10/2/2018 08:59:12 am

Thanks for the compliment, Kelly. Everything about the Serengeti was fabulous and we even fell in love with our guides.

Reply
runawaybrit link
10/2/2018 08:45:09 am

Wow! Your pictures are incredible! Did you use a zoom lens, and, if so, which one? I just came back from Tanzania, but I didn't get pictures like that of the lions because they were so far away - even on maximum zoom they look like small dots!

We are thinking of going back, do you think that July would be a good time?

Reply
Roxanne
10/2/2018 09:04:42 am

Thanks, my chief photographer is my husband. He uses a 100-400 lens for wildlife pics. But we were fairly close to them beforehand. July is high season in the Serengeti, so it's a good time for the migration and other animals in the northwestern section, but you'll probably have to put up with lots of vehicles jockeying to get the best vantage point.

Reply
Kirstin Street link
11/2/2018 02:39:52 am

Oh gosh your pictures make me want to go back in an instant! I miss the Serengeti!! Your lion photo is #goals

Reply
Roxanne
11/2/2018 07:02:39 am

Ah, thanks Kirstin, that's good to hear. I could go back too, even though I went so recently. What I love is that every day brings something special.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get email links to the latest posts

    Buy my books
    Travels in the Kalahari, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2012​

    A Walk in the Park, amazon.com e-book
    2nd ed e-book 2015
    The Essential Guide to Self-Editing, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2017

    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

    Categories

    All
    Baviaanskloof
    Books
    Botswana
    Camping
    Cape Town
    Chobe
    Conservation
    Drc
    Eastern Cape
    Etosha Namibia
    Food
    Free State
    Garden Route
    Gauteng
    Issues
    Kalahari
    Karoo
    Kenya
    Kruger National Park
    Kwazulu Natal
    Lesotho
    Limpopo
    Linyanti
    Malawi
    Mozambique
    Mpumalanga
    Namaqualand
    Namibia
    Nature Parks
    Northern Cape
    Okavango
    Overberg
    People
    Photography
    Richtersveld
    Tanzania
    West Coast
    Western Cape
    Wild Creatures
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za

Privacy Policy and GDPR compliance
​* We promise that we take data safety seriously and use your private data only to offer a personalised experience
* If you subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive our newsletters. You can always unsubscribe by following the link in email or by emailing us
* If you gave us your name, it will only be used to personalise the newsletters
* We have never sold, we are not selling, and we will not sell any of your personal data provided to us
* The blog uses cookies to track activity. It is anonymous except for telling us your location and what you did on our blog
​
Photo used under Creative Commons from berniedup