Serengeti National Park

Understand

The park is but one of several conservation areas within the Serengeti region of East Africa, though a vital one. As well as conserving fauna, flora and iconic landscapes, Serengeti National Park has emerged as a major tourist destination. People from all over come here to engage in safari. The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai language, meaning 'endless plains' while the word safari is the Swahili word for 'journey'. Serengeti National Park is most famous for its animal migration. Nearly one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras move from the northern hills to the south every October and November during the short rains. They then move toward the west and north from April to June when the long rains progress. The instinct to migrate is strong. Hence, no drought, gorge, or river infested with crocodiles can prove to be a deterrent.

History

For a long period of time, the Serengeti was uninhabited which allowed the animals to roam freely until the Maasai started to migrate to the area around a hundred years ago. The earliest known professional hunters appeared in 1913. Soon the area became a game reserve and eventually, a national park was established in 1951. Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. Its 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. 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 most famous. Over a million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras journey south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then turn west and north after the long rains in April, May and June. Over 300,000 tourists visit the park every year.

Landscape

The southern region of the Serengeti National park is naturally endowed with awe-inspiring terrain made up of nutrient-rich, flattened, open plains and short grasses as well as some granite kopjes spread out. With this type of vegetation, game viewing is guaranteed to be exceptional all throughout the year.

Getting there

By plane

The nearest international airport to the Serengeti is Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO IATA) [1] near Arusha. International airlines flying into JRO from outside Africa include KLM, Qatar, Turkish, with Ethopian and Kenyan also offering services connecting via their home ports. Don't expect regular ground transport service to be available at Kilimanjaro Airport. Almost everyone arriving will have arranged their transport. Taxis are available into Arusha for around US$50. Internal flights by small aircraft from Arusha to the Seronera Airstrip in the heart of Serengeti or to Kirawira Airstrip in the Western Corridor cost US$165 per person one way. The cost of charter flights varies widely. Limit your baggage to 10-15 kg (20-30 pounds) per person. It is advisable to carry your luggage in soft bags rather than hard sided suitcases. If you are travelling from Maasai Mara, then it is possible to fly via Migori and Tarime directly to Seronera with Sararlink and Coastal, avoiding the need to transfer via Nairobi. This is a coordinated transfer, and costs around US$600.

By car

The main access road into the Serengeti from Arusha passes the gate of Lake Manyara National Park, mounts the Rift Valley Escarpment, goes on through communal farming lands to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, drops down onto the plains past Olduvai Gorge to the east, and enters the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate. The distance is 325 km and the drive takes around eight hours. At Seronera and Lobo, garage facilities are available to refuel cars. Breakdown facilities, however, are virtually non-existent.

Getting around

Serengeti National Park is enormous, covering about 14,763 km², so getting around almost always requires a safari vehicle. There is no public transport inside the park, and distances between areas such as Seronera, the Western Corridor, Lobo, Kogatende and Ndutu are substantial. Most visitors travel with a licensed driver-guide, although self-driving is possible with a suitable vehicle. A high-clearance 4×4 is strongly recommended. Main game-viewing roads are generally passable in the dry season, but side tracks can become deeply rutted, muddy or flooded during the rains. Road conditions can change quickly after storms, so ask TANAPA staff, lodge personnel or other guides about difficult crossings before setting out. Visitors must remain on designated roads and tracks unless TANAPA has specifically authorized otherwise. Off-road driving damages vegetation and can disturb animals. Night driving is not normally permitted; TANAPA’s Serengeti guidance states that driving is prohibited between 7PM and 6AM. Allow far more time than the map suggests. Wildlife sightings, rough roads and seasonal congestion around migration areas can make progress slow. A journey between different regions of the park may occupy most of a day, so plan accommodation according to the part of the Serengeti being visited rather than commuting repeatedly from Seronera. Seronera, in the central Serengeti, has the densest road network and is the easiest area for first-time visitors to explore. The Seronera River and surrounding kopjes support wildlife throughout the year, making this a useful base even when the main migration is elsewhere. The Western Corridor is reached by longer drives toward the Grumeti River, while the northern Serengeti around Lobo and Kogatende requires considerably more travel from Seronera. During the migration season, vehicles may congregate near the Mara River. TANAPA has special rules for migration crossings: vehicles must give the herds space, remain stationary when required and approach slowly once animals begin crossing. Light aircraft can save considerable time between distant areas. Several airstrips serve the Serengeti, including Seronera, Kogatende, Lobo, Grumeti and others, with lodge or camp vehicles normally meeting passengers for onward game drives. This is particularly useful for combining northern and southern areas without spending an entire day on the road. Carry drinking water, snacks, a first-aid kit, sun protection and basic vehicle-recovery equipment on long drives. Fuel is available only at limited points, so fill up whenever practical and do not begin a remote route with a marginal fuel supply. Mobile reception is unreliable away from the main tourism areas, making offline maps or a knowledgeable guide valuable. TANAPA recommends licensed guides for game drives even where self-driving is permitted, both for safety and because guides are familiar with current wildlife movements, road conditions and seasonal closures.

See

Lake Lagarja and Lake Masak, South Serengeti

From December to May, depending on the rains, the large herds are concentrated on the low lying grass steppe between Olduvai, Gol, Naabi and Lagarja. A base on Lake Masak or Lake Lagarja is then ideal because one can travel from there in all directions. Day excursions take one into areas that are little known so that you can enjoy in peace an animal paradise: for example Hidden Valley, the Soito Ngum Kopjes or the Kakesio Plains. You will enjoy the freedom of travelling cross country in order to be able to find the best places and thus have the chance to see rarer animals such as honey-badgers, wild cats, porcupines. In the right season, Southern Serengeti is not to be surpassed.

Moru Kopjes and Seronera, Central Serengeti

Here the savanna animals are joined by species that have adapted to living in the rocky cliffs. From here, or whilst in transit, you visit Seronera in the centre of the park searching for rare leopards and cheetahs. You can also enjoy the ever changing landscape with gallery forests, kopjes and water holes.

Lobo, North Serengeti

The North Serengeti is very different from the grassy plains in the South. As there is always water present the big herds retreat there in the dry season. In addition there are many species that live here permanently and you will also fairly regularly see elephants. A world for itself are the Bologonja Springs on the border to Kenya.

Do

Take photographs! A good zoom and a large memory card make the results so good you'll be looking at the photos months and months later. (Save them on high quality image and you can do amazing things with your photo program when you get home!)

Shopping

Shopping in the Serengeti naturally is extremely limited due to the absence of human settlements. In Arusha, however, and other major towns you will find curio markets where you can buy all sorts of carvings, masks, Maasai spears, textiles, drums, tinga-tinga paintings, batik work, silk shawls, locally made jewelry, coffee, etc. The Arusha Heritage Centre offers a large variety of souvenirs and crafts. Also, The Sayari Camp had arrangements with locals to supply a little "gift shop" and the money goes right back into local programs.

Tipping

Tipping at restaurants (at your discretion) is 10%. It's common to tip US$5 for each traveler per day at lodge based safaris; US$10 per day for your driver guide and US$5 each per day for the camp staff when camping on mobile safaris.

Eat

Eat fresh roasted cashews, drink watermelon juice, try the tiny sweet bananas or even the red bananas. Most visitors are surprised by the quality and the variety of the food available on safari. No matter whether you are staying in a lodge, a tented camp or a mobile safari camp, you will be served freshly prepared food according to international tastes and standards. Bottled water can be purchased at all the lodges and camps and is provided by all safari operators. Non-alcoholic drinks are often included in the all inclusive rates. It is wise to stick with bottled drinks. Food like salad, hand made pasta bear the risk of catching diarrhea.

Drink

Coffee and mbungo juice are common non-alcoholic drinks found in the park. If you want something stronger, you can try tusker lager and Amarula, a cream liqueur made from the marula plant. Boiled or bottled drinks bear less risk of diarrhea.

Sleep

If you go on an organised safari with a tour operator you will mostly sleep in mobile camps. Here facilities are more limited. The tents usually have simple beds with lining and duvets, camping toilets and showers depending on the safari operator. Many lodges and tented camps operate their own generators or solar lighting systems providing intermittent electricity.

Safari lodges

The term and the concept of the safari lodge are of Tanzanian origin. Here you will find buildings of exciting design, specially build to fit in with the wild landscape of the parks, yet with all the amenities of a luxury hotel, such as swimming pools and fine food. As you eat, drink, laze by the pool or sit on your private veranda, you will be able to observe game, often at only a few yards distance.

Luxury tented camps

There are a few luxury tented camps in the Serengeti offering an absolutely unique safari experience. The tents usually offer fully equipped en suite bathrooms, private verandas and elegant furniture. At night you can listen to the wild sounds of the Serengeti cuddled up in a warm and comfortable bed!

Stay safe

The temperature lets one forget the altitude of Serengeti, which facilitates sunburn. Do not forget sunscreen, or cover yourself with appropriate clothes. Take diarrhoea medicine with you and pay attention when eating and drinking. Health care is limited in the region, but if you have a problem seek help with your lodge. For more serious emergencies, you may end up in Nairobi, or being evacuated to your home country.

More pictures of Serengeti National Park

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.