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.

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1. Great wildebeest migration

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

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

​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

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 

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

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

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

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

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.
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10. Responsible tourism

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).
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