Serengeti National Park is a great safari destination worldwide with an undeniable wildlife safari experience. Guess what, the park gives travelers chances to make their dreams come true. It is the same destination where countless wildlife movies have been recorded and stands as home of the Great Migration event that happens annually.
Serengeti National Park is a World’s Heritage site teeming with wildlife with more than 2 million ungulates ,4000 lions ,1000 leopards ,550 cheetahs and some of 500 bird species inhabits an area close to 15,000 square kilometer in size. Just take your next step to explore the endless Serengeti plains dotted with trees and Kopjes from which majestic lions control their kingdom. Gaze upon the Great Migration in inspirations. Expect to see everything from bird’s -eye view and soar over the plains at sunrise during a hot air balloon safari.
During your safari holiday here, you will enjoy listening the sound of lion roaring at night which is complimentary.
This national park was established in 1951 and listed on the list of World Heritage Site in 1981.More fact Serengeti stands the only place where you can witness millions of migrating wildebeest over the Acacia plains. It is ranks to be an untouched African wilderness that welcomes millions of tourists thus making the greatest wildlife destination on earth.
Today, the number of visitors visiting the park has increased because they want to witness millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and elands on a mass trek to quench their thirst for water and eat fresh grass. During this great cyclical movement, these ungulates move around the ecosystem in a seasonal pattern and can be defined by rainfall and grass nutrients. Interestingly, these large herds of animals on the move can’t be witness anywhere else. Serengeti National Park is protected though unfenced, thus giving animals enough space to make their return journey.
This great event usually starts in the south of the Serengeti, with the birth of half a million calves between January and March. They can be months full of new life and action.
Briefly The History of Serengeti National Park
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, explorers and missionaries described the Serengeti plains and the massive population of animals in the area. It also explains that only minor details were reported before explorations in the late 1920s and early 1930s supply the first references to the great wildebeest migrations, followed by the first photographs of the regions.
About 2,286 square kilometers was created in 1930 as a game reserve and today is described as southern and eastern Serengeti. Between 1930 to 1937 hunting activities were allowed. In 1940, the area was protected and later in 1951, it was established into a national park, covering southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.
Originally, Serengeti National Park was gazette in 1951, also included what now is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area ‘’NCA’’. In 1959, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area was divided off from the Serengeti National Park to the Kenya border.
In 1961 the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya was created and in 1965 the Lamai Wedge between the Mara River and Kenya border was extended to Serengeti National Park thus creating a permanent corridor to allow the wildebeests to migrate from the Serengeti plains in the south to the Loita Plains in the north. In 1962, Maswa Game Reserve was established and north part of the Grumeti River in the western corridor was added in 1967.
In 1972 Stockholm conference, Serengeti became a UNESCO ‘’World Heritage Site’’ and was officially established in 1981.
Attractions and Activities to do in Serengeti National Park
The Attraction in Serengeti National Park brings much excitements to tourists in Tanzania every year. It is located in the North Eastern part of the country and covers an area of about 30,000 square kilometer. The north of the park is counted to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the west are two Game Reserve ‘’Ikorongo and Grumeti’’ and to the Southwest small area is part of Maswa Game Reserve. Serengeti means ‘’Endless plains among the Maasai’’.
Below are remarkable activities to do and see in Serengeti, well explained; Nature walks, game drive, Hot Air Balloon safaris, Bush meals, visiting the Serengeti visitor center ,Visiting Olduvai Gorge ,Visiting the Ngorongoro Crater ,observing the Wildebeest Migration, Visiting the Masai ,Camping ,exploring the Bologonja Springs, the Lobo Valley ,the Moru Kopjes ,Bird watching ,Swimming ,the Hippo Pool and Lake Natro.
Morning game drive;
A game drive in the Serengeti National Park is the most popular thing to do. Engaging in game drive is the perfect way to see Big five and other resident creatures. Animals in the Serengeti are very active in the morning and evening hours.
The morning game drive starts at sunrise and ends at arounds 11:00am which allows you to watch predators of the park such as spotting hyenas, wild dogs ,lions , cheetahs ,leopard and hippos. Lions love hunting in the night and early in the morning before the sun set down.
The afternoon game drives start from 2:00pm to 5:30pm. If you don’t to miss anything ,you can go for the full day game drive which starts from 6:30am to 5:30pm.
Guided Nature Walks:
This is an excellent was to discover the Serengeti in away that would not be possible while on a standard game drive. Nature walks in Serengeti is unpredictable and you don’t follow specific tracks. During your guided nature walk, expect to enjoy eye sighting of reptiles birds, insects and other rare plants along the way. You will be accompanied by the armed ranger who knows about the different species in the park.
Hot Air Balloon Safari
This is an exceptional experience one wouldn’t miss on his bucket list of activities to do in Serengeti. Where you will be able to adventure the vast Serengeti National Park ,from thousands of feet above the ground ,you will get an aerial view of the plains and the animals that roam it.
Safari balloon in Serengeti carries between 12 to 16 people and costs USD500 per person per day.
Meals in the Bush
What a unique experience out there in jungle of untouched wildness. This experience is good for honeymooners in the Serengeti. You will find/enjoy dinner in the middle of the African wilderness.
Visit the Serengeti Visitor Center
Tourists want get more information about the park ,you recommended to visit this visitors center. The Centre contains exhibits information about the Serengeti ,the ecosystem and its history.
The Olduvai Gorge
The Olduvai Gorge referred to as ‘’Cradle of mankind’’ .This is the place where the first human remains where excavated by the Leakey family. It is located close to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and within the East Africa Rift Valley. Today, it was established as a research base where you can discover several fossil and tools that were over 2 million years old.
Visit the Ngorongoro Crater
Well, Ngorongoro crater is longer part of the Serengeti and now part of the wider Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Fact is that, the crater is home to over 30,000 large mammals and has often been described as ‘Garden of Eden’’ for wild animals. Animals within the Ngorongoro do not migrate and this allows wildlife viewing perfect throughout the year.
Wildebeest Migration
This is an incredible safari experience which is unvoided, where you can watch over 2 million herbivores like zebra, gazelles and wildebeest, migrate between the Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara National Reserve each year. Although, they go through great challenges and have predators like lions, hyenas, leopards and wild dogs. The have to cross the Mara River as they cross to Kenya and they risk drowning.
The wildebeest migration offers countless opportunities to witness the great battles between prey and predators. Tourists enjoy spending the whole day watching the wildebeest graze.
Visit the Maasai
The Maasai are semi–nomadic pastoralists living in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania. These are the people who still believe in their ancient traditional practices and values. A visit to their villages ‘’bomas’’ is an amazing opportunity to learn about their culture, cook traditional food, milk domestic animals among others.
Other activities to engage in while on safari in Serengeti National Park; Camping, The Bologonja springs, visit the Lobo valley, Visit the Moru Kopjes among others. Get started planning for your next safari in Africa/Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
