If you have a thing for traveling, we are sure Africa has been on your travel bucket list, and your trip to Africa will always be incomplete without the Serengeti. From The Serengeti National Park wildlife to serene scenic views, Serengeti National Park is home to the Great Migration and has become a wonder of nature on the planet.

So, if you want to know more about it, read on because we have all the secrets mentioned!

(before, I have written about Ruaha National Park, which is a bit of a different experience)

What Is Serengeti National Park?

This is a national park located in northern Tanzania, spanning over 5,700 sq mi. It is located in the northeast portion of Simiyu and the eastern Mara region and also covers 15,000,000 hectares of the virgin savanna.

It is known for the biggest annual animal migration, including over 250,000 zebras, 1.5 million blue wildebeest, and the largest population of lions in Africa. The migration of wildebeest being the biggest one. However, it is under the threat of ranching, population growth, and deforestation.

The park covers woodlands, a riverine forest, a savanna, and grassland plains. It has a diverse landscape, ranging from open grasslands to savannah and undulating woodlands.

Not so surprisingly, there are extreme weather conditions in the national park, given the geographic diversity. Also, the habitats are quite diverse because they might have originated from the volcanoes series, which added craters and mountains to the landscape.

The most amazing and refreshing part is the Mara River that flows to Lake Victoria from the Kenyan highlands and passes through the Maasai Mara National Reserve (do you know it’s the only permanent river in the park?). It’s divided into three regions, including northern Serengeti, Serengeti plains, and the western corridor.

Click on the picture below to have a closer look at google maps on the Serengeti:

The plains are treeless grasslands and have granite formations. The western corridor boasts a collection of riverine forests and miniature mountainous ranges, along with dense plants.

As far as the northern Serengeti is concerned, it’s dominated by hills, open woodlands, and Commiphora, but it’s almost impossible to access. There is no human habitation except for some hotels, campsites, and lodges.

The Serengeti national park wildlife.

The Serengeti National Park wildlife is as diverse as its landscape. To illustrate, it has a lion conservation unit that’s been around since 2005 and has more than three thousand lions. Also, the African leopards can be seen in the dense population (around 5 leopards per 39 sq mi) during the dry season.

Serengeti National Park is home to over 5000 African bush elephants, more than 28,000 African buffaloes, and over 50 rhinoceros (the rhinos roam around on grasses, shrubs, and woody forbs). Other Serengeti National Park animals include;

Mammal Carnivores:

• Cheetahs
• Spotted hyena
• Jackals
• African golden wolf
• Striped hyena
• Honeybadger
• Caracal
• Otters
• Mongooses
• Serval
• East African wild dog
• Aardvark
• African civet
• Common genet
• Ground pangolin
• African striped weasel
• Cape hare
• and much more..

Primates:

• Olive baboons
• Yellow baboons
• Vervet monkey
• Black and white colobus
• Patas monkeys
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Reptiles:

• Nile crocodile
• Black-necked spitting cobra
• African python
• Rainbow agama
• Serrated hinged terrapin
• Chameleon
• Puff adder
• Leopard tortoise
• Nile monitor
• Black mamba
  
  
  
  
  

Birds:

When it comes down to Serengeti National Park wildlife, there are over 500 species of bird seen in the park, and some of them include;

• Shoebills
• Masai ostrich
• Kori bustards
• Grey-breasted spurfowl
• African collared dove
• Southern ground hornbill
• Pink-backed pelicans
• White stork
• Marabou storks
• Hadada ibis
• Tanzanian red-billed hornbill
• African fish eagles
• Lovebirds
• Vultures
• Goliath herons
• Black herons
  

How Far Is It To Travel To Serengeti?

The best route to Serengeti National Park is the fly-in safari. With the safari, you can fly from Kilimanjaro International Airport as well as Arusha Airport. From either airport, it will take around one to five hours to fly to one of the seven airstrips of the park.

The Best Times To Visit

The best time to visit the Serengeti National Park is from January to February or June to September, but it’s best to plan the trip during The Great Migration. For instance, winter is the optimum time to check out the herds in Southern Serengeti, but if you want to visit Northern Serengeti and Western Corridor, opt for autumn and summer months, respectively.

The safari operators will have sufficient information about the animals’ direction and adjust the itineraries according to the movement of the herd.
The temperatures are often constant and have daytime spikes, but the weather is much cooler in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, given the higher elevation.

Moreover, if you wish to go in April and May, don’t forget to pack the rainboots because these months see the most rainfall, but remember, you might not find many camps and lodges as they close during the slow season.

Some More Highlights Of Serengeti National Park

In addition to seeing the amazing Serengeti National Park animals, there are other highlights of the park that you must enjoy, including;

• Take a guided nature walk and explore the local flora and fauna, and you can even enjoy the quiet plains.

• Ranging from Indian cuisine to Chinese food and BBQ buffets, there are multiple food options available. However, if you want something romantic, a bush dinner by the crackling fire and starry sky is a perfect option.

• Set the camp and spend a night stargazing because it’s one experience that you will always remember
  Do check out the Moru Kopjes, and you will be able to see the lions stretching, relaxing, and playing.

• Once you have enjoyed the park, there is nothing better than slipping into the cold pool and soaking the evening sky (Four Seasons Safari Lodge has infinity pools and poolside cocktails!).

• Take the hot air balloon safari to get a unique perspective of this national park.

While you are waiting to travel to Africa, in the meantime you can enjoy these wonderfull Youtube video’s on the Serengeti and dream away! (I know I am!).

What Do Other People Say About Serengeti National Park?

Serengeti National Park has coined a 5-star rating on Trip Advisor, and people have so much to say about it, so shall we check out people’s experiences?

• September 2021, from Arusha from Tanzania, says, “This is the vast area with different wildlife animal species and Birds. The land is flat with the best view”

• August 2021, from African Man from Nairobi, says, “Seronera is an essential stop for travelers either coming to or leaving the Serengeti. The wildlife in the area is simply fantastic”

Are you thinking about buying binoculars to have a good look at all the magnificent birds of Africa?

The Final Verdict

Serengeti National Park will give the ultimate bang of the buck because whenever you visit the park, you’ll have nothing but an exceptional experience. Not to forget, there are some amazing places to stay where you can enjoy the starry nights and have a scenic experience! (and I will talk about those in a future article for sure).

If you have any questions about the Serengeti National Park , please feel free to leave a comment below or if you just would like to chat with me, go ahead!

I would also be very grateful if you join my social media channels or share this page with your friends!

Happy travels!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

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