Serengeti Safari and the wildlife Migration Serengeti Lodge Safaris Travel
Serengeti Safari
Go on a Serengeti Safari and experience a soul-stirring feeling of space. Serengeti comes from the Masai word 'Siringit' meaning 'the place where the land runs on forever' and refers to the flat grassy plains which make up about a third of the park. It is these grasslands and savannahs that ensure that the area is jam-packed full of game.
 

Serengeti

Serengeti is easily Tanzania’s most famous national park, and it’s also the largest, at 14,763 square kilometres of protected area that borders Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Park. Its far-reaching plains of endless grass, tinged with the twisted shadows of acacia trees, have made it the quintessential image of a wild and untarnished Africa. Its large stone kopjes are home to rich ecosystems, and the sheer magnitude and scale of life that the plains support is staggering. Large prides of lions laze easily in the long grasses, plentiful families of elephants feed on acacia bark and trump to each other across the plains, and giraffes, gazelles, monkeys, eland, and the whole range of African wildlife is in awe-inspiring numbers.

The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara attract visitors from around the world, who flock to the open plains to witness the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet. More than a million animals make the seasonal journey to fresh pasture to the north, then the south, after the biannual rains. The sound of their thundering hooves, raising massive clouds of thick red dust, has become one of the legends of the Serengeti plains. The entire ecosystem thrives from the annual migration, from the lions and birds of prey that gorge themselves on the weak and the faltering to the gamut of hungry crocodiles that lie in patient wait at each river crossing for their annual feed.

But it’s not just the wildebeest who use the Serengeti as a migratory pathway. The adjacent reserves of Maswa and Ikorongo, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya all allow the animals and birds of the area a free range of movement to follow their seasonal migrations. Indeed, in the wake of the wildebeest migration, many of the less attention-grabbing features of the Serengeti are often overlooked. The park has varied zones in which each ecosystem is subtly different . Seronera in the centre of the park is the most popular and most easily visited area. The Grumeti River in the Western Corridor is the location for the dramatic river crossing during the wildebeest migration. Maswa Game Reserve to the south offers a remote part of the park rewarding in its game-viewing and privacy, and Lobo near the Kenyan border offers a change to see plentiful game during the dry season.

Discover Serengeti
It was 1913 and great stretches of Africa were still unknown to the white man when Stewart Edward White, an American hunter, set out from Nairobi. Pushing south, he recorded: "We walked for miles over burnt out country... Then I saw the green trees of the river, walked two miles more and found myself in paradise."

He had found Serengeti. In the years since White's excursion under "the high noble arc of the cloudless African sky," Serengeti has come to symbolize paradise to many of us. The Maasai, who had grazed their cattle on the vast grassy plains for millennia had always thought so. To them it was Siringitu - "the place where the land moves on forever."

The Serengeti region encompasses the Serengeti National Park itself, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Maswa Game Reserve, the Loliondo, Grumeti and Ikorongo Controlled Areas and the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Over 90,000 tourists visit the Park each year.
Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. It's unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists - many of which have put their works at our disposal to create this website.

The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.

It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous. Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. So strong is the ancient instinct to move that no drought, gorge or crocodile infested river can hold them back.

The Wildebeest travel through a variety of parks, reserves and protected areas and through a variety of habitat. Join us to explore the different forms of vegetation and landscapes of the Serengeti ecosystem and meet some of their most fascinating inhabitants.

Aside from traditional vehicle bound safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Serengeti plains has become a safari rite-of-passage for travel enthusiasts. The flights depart at dawn over the plains and take passengers close over the awakening herds of wildebeest and zebra, gazelle and giraffe. The extra altitude allows guests to witness the striking stretches of plains punctuated only by kopjes. Up in the sky, you have Africa all to yourself.

Welcome to the Serengeti Safari and wildlife migration.

Accommodations in Serengeti: Serengeti Lodge Hotels

Klein's  Luxury Tented camp Camp Serengeti
On the edge of the Kuka Hills, Kleins Camp stands with excellent views of the valley. The camp contains ten intimate en suite cottages of local rock and thatch with wooden floors and classic interiors. Kirawira Camp
Kirawira is situated on a hilltop that overlooks the vast plains of the Western Serengeti. The open-sided architecture of the public areas keeps guests constantly in touch with nature.

Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge
Located on a hill with awesome views across the sweeping plains youll find Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge. Home to the great migration, the Serengeti offers you an abundance of wildlife to enjoy. Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti Sopa lodge is located in the Nyarboro Hills in the south west of the Serengeti National Park, and is the only tourism development in this section of the Park.

Grumeti River Luxury Tented camp Camp Serengeti
Located in a secluded valley in the Serengeti lies the tented Grumeti River Camp. It is nestled beneath tall trees along side a tributary of the Grumeti River. Migration Camp
The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai word 'siringet' meaning 'endless plain' and at Migration Camp one experiences the vastness of the sweeping plains.

Serengeti Sopa Lodge
This is an older hotel, dating from the late '70s, with all rooms designed to enjoy excellent views. Rooms extend in a double-storey spread to either side of the central communal areas. These are decorated in an intriguingly charismatic style, with an impressive rocky water feature at the centre of the reception area, and at least one extraordinarily tall wooden giraffe to greet guests in the dining room.

Kirawira  Luxury Tented camp Camp Serengeti
Kirawira is an extraordinarily fine permanent tented camp, elegantly furnished throughout with Victorian antiques (or reproductions!), including studded leather folding wardrobes and polished brass taps and trimmings. The lavishly tented dining area is laid out across dark polished teak floorboards, all covered with rich woven rugs and surrounded by fine writing desks and 1920s safari memorabilia, and its hilltop position gives fabulous views across mile upon mile of the Serengeti bush all around.

Migration Camp Serengeti
This charismatic permanent tented camp is set in absolute isolation among wide flat rocks and spreading acacia, above a northern branch of the Grumeti River, and footprints in the mud in front of the tents indicate the nightly grass-mowing activities of local hippopotami. This old wooden-stilted camp has recently been taken over and upgraded by the Halcyon Hotel Group, who have refurbished the accommodation with chunky wooden furniture and wrought iron fittings, and built an elegant outdoor spa bath surrounded by wooden decking.

Ndutu
This low-key lodge is quietly situated on the warmer banks of Lake Ndutu, and offers a small and charismatic choice for slightly more basic but nonetheless good quality accommodation. It is also excellently placed in the middle of the path of the Great Migration, which surrounds the nearby plains in November and June. Its small, thatched stone rooms are designed in a fairly utilitarian block style, but are well placed in a wild, ground level location with wildlife potentially close at hand and the chance to sit back and enjoy great, silent, uninterrupted sunsets

Nomad Tented Camp Serengeti
The Serengeti Safari Camp is a fully mobile safari camp accommodating a maximum of 8 guests which moves across the vast Serengeti as it shadows the wildebeest migration. The camp is sited in an area that has the greatest concentration of game or good access to that game at the time of the safari with every possible comfort in the depths of the African bush. The flexibility of this camp gives guests the best possible opportunities for gameviewing probably in Africa as a whole. Guests have the freedom of their own private vehicle with the services of a top professional

Kusine tented camp
Perfectly sited in a cluster of kopjes, Kusini is a permanent tented camp blended seamlessly into the delicate environment of the predator-rich plains of the Serengeti. The surrounding short grass plains provide the setting for the most spectacular natural phenomenon in the continent of Africa, the wildebeest migration, during which time the hordes amass around the camp for the birthing of their young. Kusini's nine tents feature ensuite bathrooms with showers and elevated terraces overlooking the Serengeti plains.

Mbuzi Mawe Serengeti
Lying in the central Sereonera region of the Serengeti is the 15 tented rooms of Mbuzi Mawa, the Serengeti and Serena's newest Tanzania lodge. Very different to all of the other Serena properties, Mbuzi Mawa is a small lodge as opposed to a large hotel designed to fit in more with the authentic safari atmosphere than the larger hotel chains.
A welcome break from the Serena chain and one of the best value small camps around. The 15 rooms however are booked up well in advance so if you want a space dont hang around or you simply do not have a chance

CCA Safari Under Canvas
This is a new departure for CCA - owners of the most luxurious (and expensive) lodges in Tanzania.
CCA's Tented Mobile Camps in the Serengeti moves according to the season and the path of the migration. If you want to get very close to the game then this is the way to do it. The tents are enormous and ensuite with flush loos

Grumeti Reserves - Sasakwa
Sasakwa Lodge is situated on the top of Sasakwa Hill, with awe-inspiring views over the Serengeti plains. The lodge is built in the grand style of an English manor home and comprises seven suites, ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. Each air-conditioned suite features a bedroom, lounge with fireplace, veranda with your own spotting scope, en suite bathroom with bath and shower, dressing area, guest bathroom, heated infinity plunge pool, direct dial telephone facilities and wireless internet access.

Grumeti Reserves - Sabora Plains Tented Camp Serengeti
Sabora Plains Tented Camp is situated on the Serengeti plains, beautifully decorated in grand campaign 1920s style. The six lavish tents are air-conditioned and feature a bedroom and reading area, bathroom with bath and outdoor shower, viewing deck with your own Swarovski spotting scope, and a library lounge tent. The camp also has a dining room, lounge, wide viewing deck, heated plunge pool, Jacuzzi, tennis court, spa and Colonial Trading Post.

Grumeti Reserves - Faro Faro River Lodge
Faru Faru River Lodge is built on a gently sloping hill, overlooking a waterhole and the Grumeti River. It is built in the style of a classic East African safari camp, with the suites and lodge areas decorated as a throwback to the timeless Colonial era. Each of the six air-conditioned suites feature a picture window and deck, with your own Swarovski spotting scope, from which you can enjoy the rugged landscape, whilst at the same time, the luxurious comfort of your suite.

Nomad Nduara Camp
Designed to celebrate nomadic cultures around the world; the Mongolian Gers or Yurts, and Tanzania’s own Maasai bomas were the inspiration for Nomad Tanzania’s new Serengeti camp. The 12 bed “yurt” camp has replaced Loliondo Safari Camp, and continues to move between north & south Loliondo (the eastern boundary of the Serengeti) to give clients the best of what this stunning area has to offer.

Kusini Camp
The short grass plains surrounding Kusini provide the setting for the most spectacular natural phenomenon in the continent of Africa, the wildebeest migration. Mbuzi Mawe Camp
Set amid rocky outcrops or kopjes as they are called locally, which are geological features of the Serengeti, Mbuzi Mawe tented camp is in the heart of the Serengeti National Park.

Speke's Bay Lodge Serengeti
Speke Bay Lodge is located on the south eastern shore of Lake Victoria, 15 kilometres from the Serengeti National Park, and resembles a small village, stretched out along the shores of the lake. Seronera Wildlife Lodge
Seronera Wildlife Lodge is situated in the central Serengeti and has 75 double rooms. The building was constructed in the 1960's almost entirely of wood and glass around a natural "kopje" or rocky outcrop.

Serengeti Lobo Wildlife Lodge
Lobo Wildlife Lodge offers simple but comfortable rooms, incredible views, friendly service, good food and an unbeatable position for dry season wildlife viewing in the Lobo River Valley. Mbalageti
Mbalageti is situated on the Mwamyeni hill and offers a breathtaking view of the Serengeti plain lands and the Mbalageti River. For views of sunset or sunrise, there are 12 luxury tented chalets on each side of the hill.

Olakira
Olakira Camp is a mobile tented camp that moves through the Serengeti, following the Great Migration. The eight luxury mobile tents have large king-size or twin beds and convenient bathrooms. Sayari Lodge
Sayari camp is a seasonal camp that moves at certain set dates throughout the year to follow the great migration. Sayari Camp has eight tents equipped with fully en-suite bathroom facilities.

Faru Faru River Lodge Serengeti
Faru Faru River Lodge is built on a gently sloping hill, overlooking a waterhole and the Grumeti River. It's in the style of a classic East African safari camp, decorated as a throwback to the timeless Colonial era. Sabora Plains Tented Camp
Sabora Plains Tented Camp is situated on the Serengeti plains, beautifully decorated in grand campaign 1920s style. It also has a spa, which features 2 therapy rooms for treatments.

Sasakwa Lodge
Sasakwa Lodge is situated on the top of Sasakwa Hill, with awe-inspiring views over the Serengeti plains. The lodge is built in the grand style of an English manor home and offers 7 luxurious cottages.

Serengeti safari tours Tanzania safari to Serengeti lodge safaris