Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
passenger-carrying 4WDs to Karatu (Tsh5000; they park at Mbulu junction) departing
Ghorofani and other lake towns during the morning and returning throughout the afternoon.
At other times, hitching is usually possible.
Serengeti National Park
In the vast plains of the Serengeti, nature's mystery, power and beauty surround you like
few other places. It's here that one of earth's most impressive natural cycles has played
out for eons as hundreds of thousands of hoofed animals, driven by primeval rhythms of
survival, move constantly in search of fresh grasslands. The most famous, and numerous,
are the wildebeest (of which there are some 1.5 million) and their annual migration is the
Serengeti's calling card. During the rainy months of January to March, the wildebeest are
widely scattered over the southern section of the Serengeti and the western side of Ngoron-
goro Conservation Area. Most streams dry out quickly when the rains cease, nudging the
wildebeest to concentrate on the few remaining green areas, and to form thousands-strong
herds that by April begin to migrate northwest in search of food. The crossing of the
crocodile-filled Grumeti River, which runs through the park's Western Corridor, usually
takes place between late May and early July, and lasts only about a week. Usually in August
they make an even more incredible river crossing while leaving the Serengeti to find water
in the Masai Mara (just over the Kenyan border) before roaming back south in November
in anticipation of the rains. Besides the migrating wildebeest, there are also resident pop-
ulations in the park and you'll see these smaller but still impressive herds year-round. In
February more than 8000 wildebeest calves are born per day, although about 40% of these
die before reaching four months old.
The 14,763 sq km Serengeti National Park is also renowned for its predators, especially
its lions. Hunting alongside the lions are cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, jackals and more.
These feast on zebras (about 200,000), giraffes, buffalos, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles,
topis, elands, hartebeest, impalas, klipspringers, duikers and so many more. A few black
rhino in the Moru Kopjes area give you a chance for the Big Five, although they're very
rarely seen. It's an incredible birdwatching destination too with over 450 species, including
brightly coloured Fisher's lovebirds and large ground hornbills.
Seronera, at the heart of the park, is the most crowded area since the largest lodges are
here and almost all short trips into the park don't travel beyond it. Busy, however, has bene-
fits since animals here are more relaxed around vehicles. Other sections are also rewarding;
if not more so because you won't get stuck in a pack of 20 vehicles jostling to look at a
lion. See the Sleeping section for further details about the different regions.
One new development in the Serengeti is the introduction of
walking safaris
. Led by
Wayo Africa
( 0784-203000;
www.wayoafrica.com
) , multiple-day camping trips are
available in the Moro Kopjes and Kogatende (by the Mara River) regions and can be as
