Serengeti Park
Tanzania

Photo of cheetahs

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The Serengeti National Park is where safari goers come to truly experience Africa. The park is featured on many National Geographic shows, the park is rich with wildlife, endless plains and sunrises and sunsets that make the heart go wild. The park is known for its huge wildlife populations. White-bearded wildebeest, zebras and gazelle migrate annually from the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania to the grasslands of the Maasai Mara in Kenya in search of fresh grass.

Serengeti National Park Safaris

The Serengeti National Park is the ultimate safari destination in the world. Few safari destinations are as exclusive, untouched or unique in their offerings. To help you find the best safari accommodation in the Serengeti Park, we have accumulated a list of luxury safari camps for you to choose from. Each camp is divided into each of the regions in the park to help make your selection easier.

Popular safari activities include game drives, walking safari, balloon rides and local Maasai village tours.

Park Origins

The Serengeti National Park, or Serengeti Park, or just Serengeti, was founded because the area was used for hunting lions and this led to a vast depopulation of the animals. The British colonial administration in Tanzania created a partial game reserve of around 3.2 square kilometers (800 acres) in 1921 and made it a full game reserve in 1929. This was the foundation of what will one day become known as the Serengeti Park, which was officially established in 1951. In 1981 it was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Park origins continued.

The Maasai people

The Maasai people are one of the mainstays of the Serengeti Park. Many guests to the park take day trips to their villages to learn more about this enigmatic people who have called the area home for centuries.

The Maasai have a rich history and culture. They struggle to keep their culture as pure as possible, however this remains a challenge for them as the modern world keeps intruding on their pastoral lives.

Park Regions

With the world famous Maasai Mara National Reserve to the North, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the southeast, Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves to the West, the Maswa Game Reserve to the southwest, and the Loliondo Game Control Area to the northeast, you will find the Larger Serengeti Ecosystem which is all connected with free roaming animals which leads to a more biodiversity. This entire area is considered as one of the most beautiful areas in the world and is a must-see for any nature lover.

The park is vast and to make it easier it is divided into three areas, each with a large variety of animals and plant life.

The Western Corridor is known for the black clay soil which covers the savannah of the entire region. This area is home to the Grumeti River which is featured often in television documentaries on the Great Wildebeest Migration, often showing how the large Nile Crocodiles hunt the animals trying to cross. The area is home to various other animals such as lions, leopard, cheetahs, patas monkeys, hippopotamus and the majestic martial eagles.

The Northern Serengeti is covered in beautiful open woodlands and is probably the best place in the park to find Elephant and giraffe. It is one of the best areas to find the dik-dik, which is one of the smallest antelope in Africa, standing at around 30-40 centimeters (12-15 inches).

The Serengeti Plains is quite spectacular. Almost completely treeless, it provides great views of animals roaming. This area is where the Wildebeest calve from December until May. The influx of young proves to bring about a great deal predator sightings as they regularly target the easy prey. During the wet season, other large herds of buffalo, zebra, hartebeest and various other animals occur and with the vast open plains which makes the viewing effortless, it is easy to see why the Serengeti Plains is such a popular area for tourism.

Wildlife

The park is home to a large array of animals. Included in this is the entire Big Five, however the rhino populations are very small due to the large amounts of rhino poaching in all of Africa. Strong measures are taken in the park to ensure the safety of this endangered animal.

Some of the other animals found in the park are large herds of impala (one of the most successful mammals on earth), Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelle, klipspringer, giraffe, warthog, roan antelope, bushbuck, lesser kudu, oryx, hartebeest, eland and many others.

A list of more commonly found mammals in the Serengeti Park.

Other carnivores within the area include the very rare African golden wolf, striped hyena, spotted hyena, African wild dogs, honey badger, serval, cheetah and many others.

The area is a birder’s paradise, featuring more than 500 different species of birds, ranging from the very large ostrich to the very small finches.

A list of the more commonly found bird species in the Serengeti.

Tanzania Safaris

Safaris in Tanzania are amazing. Few places are still so wild and so beautiful. The local people are friendly and helpful. The food is delicious. No wonder it is so popular.

Tanzania offers many safari destinations - Serengeti being one of the most popular.  Safaris come in three different options:

Luxury Safaris

Luxury safaris in the Serengeti are hosted at various exclusive camps. The camps have either a fixed lodge (walled buildings) or luxury tented camps (referred to as glamping), at these lodges and camps, you will find high-quality meals included in the price. Most also offer safari activities such as game drives. These are the easiest ways to do a safari, however, it is also the more expensive way. For a list of these lodges, refer to the Park Lodges page.

Budget Safaris

Budget safaris are offered by a local tour operators. Accommodation is either outside the park or in one of the public campsites. Some operators make use of special campsites which offer exclusive use for group bookings. The experiences in this type of safari vary. Some of the tour operators are superb and provide high-quality products where others often find guests are unhappy with their level of service or food or experience… or even all of these issues. For some suggestions of great operators why not contact us? We can recommend a few who provide a good level of service.

Self-Drive Safaris

Self-Drive Safaris are for the true adventurer. During such trips, one can join a safari trip for a day with a guide, however, the majority of the people who prefer this kind of safari like to drive themselves. We recommend 4x4 vehicles - the roads can get challenging, especially during the rainy season.

 

For more travel tips, you can use this resource.

Luxury Safari Camps

The camps in the Serengeti National Park are world famous as they provide some the best wildlife experiences to be found. Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Adventure Most Epic

Wildlife

Wildlife in the park is a favourite amongst the many visitors. With its mostly unspoilt natural surroundings, the wildlife lived in the area for thousands of years.

Photo of zebras running across the field Photo of elephants in the fields Photo of a hot air balloon soaring over the park