Serengeti

Tanzania National Parks calls the Serengeti home to the world’s last remaining large-mammal migration: more than a million and a half wildebeest moving with zebra, followed by the predators that depend on them. The park was established in 1951 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981; it protects the plains, rivers and woodlands that the migration needs, and it originally included the land that is now the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Beyond the herds, the park holds the animals most people dream of seeing on safari, lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos, and more than 500 kinds of birds, from ostriches to eagles and flamingos. TANAPA stresses that the Serengeti is remarkable in any month: even when the migration is elsewhere in the ecosystem, the park’s resident wildlife and its endless plains make every visit worthwhile.

TANAPA suggests June to October, the dry season, for the migration, and January to February for the calving season. The herds follow the rain, so where they are in any given week varies from year to year, and no sighting can be promised. The park is open all year, and TANAPA advises booking accommodation well in advance for the peak migration months, when lodges and camps fill quickly.

June–October

The dry season; TANAPA’s suggested time for the migration.

January–February

Calving season, when the herds give birth.

The park is reached by road or by air. Arusha is the most common starting point, with regular flights to Seronera airstrip in the heart of the park, and the nearest major airports are Kilimanjaro International and Arusha. TANAPA describes the road journey from Arusha as long but scenic. TANAPA advises always travelling with a guide or tour operator, and its guides must be certified.