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Welcome to Serengeti national Park
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Tarangire vegetation
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About Us

About Serengeti National Park

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In the late 1800s and early 1900s, explorers and missionaries described the Serengeti plains and the massive numbers of animals found there. Only minor details are all that were reported before explorations in the late 1920s and early 1930s supply the first references to the great wildebeest migrations, and the first photographs of the region. An area of 2,286 square kilometers was established in 1930 as a game reserve in what is now southern and eastern Serengeti. They allowed sport hunting activities until 1937, after which it stopped all hunting activities. In 1940 Protected Area Status was conferred to the area and the National Park itself was established in 1951, then covering southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro highlands. They based the park headquarters on the rim of Ngorongoro crater. So, the original Serengeti National Park, as it was gazetted in 1951, also included what now is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). In 1959, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was split off from the Serengeti National Park and they extended the boundaries of the park to the Kenya border. The key reason for splitting off the Ngorongoro area was that local Maasai residents realized that they were threatened with eviction and consequently not allow to graze their cattle within the national park boundaries. To counter this from happening, protests were staged. A compromise was reached wherein the Ngorongoro Crater Area was split off from the national park: the Maasai may live and graze their cattle in the Ngorongoro Crater area but not within Serengeti National Park boundaries. In 1961 the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya was established and in 1965 the Lamai Wedge between the Mara River and Kenya border was added to Serengeti National Park, thus creating a permanent corridor allowing the wildebeests to migrate from the Serengeti plains in the south to the Loita Plains in the north. The Maswa Game Reserve was established in 1962 and a small area north of The Grumeti River in the western corridor was added in 1967. The Serengeti National Park was among the first places to be proposed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at 1972 Stockholm conference. It was formally established in 1981.

Location of Serengeti

SerengetiNational Park is located in Mara Region, its about 335km from Arusha town to Serengeti

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Serengeti safari areas

Seronera & southcentral

Seronera is the site of the oldest tourist lodge in Serengeti National Park. It is also the site for the visitor information center, which includes a small museum, coffee shop, picnic area, and staff village. Seronera is also the location for a cluster of campsites and lodges near the visitors center. Seronera is a well-known area for balloon safaris. This truly is Serengeti Central

About Seronera & southcentral Serengeti

A stay or visit to the Seronera area, in the very heart of Serengeti National Park, involves a bit of comprimise. The area southeast of Seronera becomes the center of wildlife viewing during the December-April rain season as vast herds of wildebeest congregate here in this period. Seronera is also known as predator capital of the world, sightings of leopard, cheetah and lion is (almost) guaranteed. The peak of wildlife and visitor activity is between March and May, the period in which the wildebeest and their entourage are found in the area. It also is a pleasant area to be as it offers a variety of different habitats and water is available year round. The upsides, abundant wildlife, great accessibility and many facilities, come with a price. It is important to realize that parts of this area experience very high visitor traffic. The area may attract a serious clustering of safari vehicles, especially when it concerns big cat sightings. In unfortunate circumstances you may see a single lion, whilst being joined by a pack of 20 safari vehicles. However, it is still very well possible to enjoy the Seronera area (and you should!): why not try to avoid the crowds or select more remotely located accommodation.

Wildlife viewing near Seronera

Most safari game drives concentrate along the Seronera River and with excellent reason: lion sightings are common and the riverbank is home to one of the world's densest population of leopards. The sausage trees and umbrella thorns rank among the best places in Africa to search for leopards - there are too few tall trees for these elusive creatures to be well-hidden. Several lion prides in the area have also taken to the trees regularly in recent years, particularly during the rains. A very special sight! The kopjes near Seronera also offer lion sightings regularly. Especially the Moru Koppies provide very good lion and cheetah sightings. The area also accommodates around 25 black rhinos, offspring of a herd of seven that migrated across from Ngorongoro. The vast plains south of the Seronera River, often known as the Serengeti Plains, are good for cheetahs sightings. Ecologically, the plains running immediately southeast from Seronera form a continuum with the Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater Area, comprising open grassland dotted with several clusters of koppies. The plains rising towards the Kamuyo Hills west of the Seronera River are good for spotted hyena, , cheetah and elephants. Fed by the Mbalageti River immediately northeast of Moru Koppies, the small, saline Lake Magadi (a common name for lakes, as 'magadi' just means caustic soda or salt) often supports large numbers of aquatic birds, including thousands of flamingos when the water level is suitable. The Retima Hippo Pool is home to up to 100 hippo’s, which can be seen basking near the confluence of the Seronera and Grumeti rivers about 15 kilometers north of the park headquarters.

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Southeastern plains & Ndutu

The southeastern plains represent the image of the classic Serengeti. These short-grass plains stretch from the western side of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the southeast Serengeti National Park. It is a vast open expanse and hosts all familiar Serengeti animals: from lion, eland, wildebeest, to skittish bat-eared foxes and ostrich. If lucky, you may even encounter a graceful secretary bird strolling the plains.

About southeastern plains & Ndutu

The southeastern portion of Serengeti is teeming with wildlife year round, but the peak in terms of wildlife density is between December and April. Giant herds of wildebeest and zebra are attracted by the seasonal rains pouring down. In this period the best area to see wildlife is around Lake Ndutu, in the heart of the wildebeest gathering. This is where female wildebeest give birth to countless calves and therefore makes up one of the highlight of the Great Migration. All these young herbivores serve as a magnet to predators with the result of southeastern Serengeti becoming the dramatic scene of new life, and death. The vachellia woodlands surrounding the lakes provide shelter to a range of birds not to be found elsewhere in the Serengeti. Stay alert and you may spot a fantastically coloured Fischer's lovebird. With all the action concentrating in this area it is important to point out that the phenomenon attracts, besides predators, a lot of visitors, resulting in high vehicle traffic. The December to March period also implies that it may rain significantly.

Low season paradise

After all the action has moved to greener pastures, the area experiences a much quieter season, between April and November. The southeastern plains and Ndutu become a tranquil place where other visitors are scarce but wildlife remains abundant. This is an excellent time to visit and stay here. Between April and November the southeastern plains dry out, turning the landscape into a thinly vegetated area. Two lakes support scores of wildlife: the perennial Masek Lake in the Ngorongoro Crater Area and the seasonal Ndutu Lake.

Wildlife viewing southeastern plains

The southeastern plains are dotted with several clusters of koppies (or kopjes). Kopjes form a microhabitat inhabited by non-plains wildlife such as rock hyrax, klipspringer, leopard and various cliff-nesting raptors. Lions use kopjes as shelter or as vantage point enabling to survey the surrounding plains. As the name suggests, Simba Koppies, on the main road between Seronera and the Ngorongoro Crater Area is good for lion sightings. The grasslands around the more easterly Gol Koppies is excellent for both cheetah and lion. Although trees flourish on the sides of koppies, a striking feature of the surrounding plains is its lack of trees altogether. The explanation for this feature is that the volcanic soil is too hard for roots to penetrate. Also see: why are there no trees on the plains?

About the Western Corridor

Both the Grumeti and Mbalageti rivers support substantial chunks of riverine forests before emptying into Lake Victoria. Also, a few minor mountain ranges are found in the area. The Western Corridor is an aesthetically pleasing portion of the park and supports a sizeable spectrum of resident wildlife throughout the year. The busiest period in terms of visitors is the May-July period which coincides with the Great Migration passing through the Western Corridor on their trek to the north. While the crossing of the Grumeti River may be lesser known compared to its northern counterpart, the crossing of the Mara River, but offers sightings just as exhilarating with the added benefit of fewer fellow visitors at the crossings. The Grumeti River is the first enormous obstacle for the herds to tackle. The narrow stretch of land comprising the Western Corridor is flatter than the more northerly parts of Serengeti National Park. It is moister and more densely vegetated than the southern plains. The characteristic vegetation of the Western Corridor is park like woodland, dotted with areas of open grassland and dense stands of the whistling thorn (Vachellia drepanolobium).

Wildlife viewing in the Western Corridor

Wildlife viewing in the Western Corridor is consistent throughout the year. The broken savannah south of the Grumeti River supports substantial resident populations of giraffe, wildebeest, elephant, zebra and other typical plains animals, and lion. The little-visited open grasslands north of the river are good for cheetahs. Serengeti balloon safaris are offered during the Great Migration season (from the beginning of June to the end of October).

Grumeti Game Reserve

Grumeti Game Reserve, next to Serengeti National Park, is an integral part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem. The Tanzanian government created the reserve in 1994 to protect the annual wildebeest migration route. The right to manage and conserve the 350,000 acres comprising Grumeti was granted to the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund (now known as Grumeti Fund) in 2002. This for the benefit of conservation in this area of the Serengeti.

About Grumeti

In the remote western reaches of the Serengeti, there are only a few lodges here, and one seldom sees other safari vehicles. As Grumeti is in a remote and beautiful corner of Serengeti National Park, it perhaps is one of its best-kept secrets. Because of its remoteness, it makes for an exceptional game viewing experience with the feeling of the exclusivity. The numer of visitors in Grumeti is limited to around sixty guests in only a few small Serengeti luxury camps, this is a prime quality area devoid of tourist crowds. Looking for a private experience without the crowds? Grumeti allows you to experience a private Serengeti. Grumeti is known for its large lion prides comprising between 20 and up to 60 individuals. The opportunities for seeing lions in Grumeti are outstanding; this is also the place where you can enjoy a sighting alone.

  • Walking safaris & night drives