The vast Serengeti Plains are perhaps the highlight of a Tanzanian safari. The Serengeti National Park is a huge tract of grassland that has been the location of countless wildlife documentaries. The landscape is predominantly grassy plains, with occasional rocky outcrops and acacia woodland. The sheer number of plains animals attracts all types of predator, and the Serengeti is home to the ‘Big Five’.
On a safari in the Serengeti National Park you will see herds of zebra, wildebeest and gazelle, large numbers of giraffe and buffalo and of course the big cats - lion, cheetah and leopard. The park is particularly known for the annual migration of the herds to Masai Mara. A safari here is an amazing experience at any time as the landscape is wonderful and there are always resident herds in the park, though the seasons do have a strong influence on your experience. Your time of travel will affect our choice of lodges and camps depending on the wildlife movements. Some private camps are seasonal and move between northern Serengeti, Western Corridor and Southern Serengeti.
For the best wildlife viewing the Serengeti is best visited between about November/December and May. Calving takes place around January/February on the short grass plains to the south of the park, particularly around the Ndutu area. In the dry season (from May) many animals migrate to the Maasai Mara in Kenya where they stay usually from July - October. The migration begins around May/June, and by the end of July most animals are either in the north of the Serengeti or in the Masai Mara. They return to the southern plains, leaving the Mara in about October to arrive in the Northern Serengeti in great numbers by about November.
There are good lodges and permanent tented camps within the park and a number of excellent sites where we are allowed to set up private camps. We also offer different grades of camping safaris - all are comfortable with good services and facilities, but you have a choice of what level of luxury you want to go for.
On the Serengeti National Park borders there are vast areas of land which are also protected areas owned and managed by the local communities rather than by the parks authorities. Some of these offer some of the most spectacularly beautiful scenery in Tanzania with large numbers of resident animals all the year around Tribes is delighted to be able to offer walking safaris in private concessions such as Loliondo (adjoining northern Serengeti), which is a unique experience in Tanzania.