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January: The massive herds of
wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are to be found on
the plains of the southern Serengeti.
February:
The wildebeest begin foaling and they
do this at roughly the same time with all the
predators in close attendance. Many people only
want to see the migration and don't realise that
this is a comparable wildlife spectacle. One of
th e best times to see the predators.
March-April: Heavy rains are approaching and the
grazing is starting to get worse. The herd
begins to move northwards along the western
corridor of the Serengeti.
May-June: The herd moves towards the Grumeti
controlled area where there is still good
grazing and they begin to cross the Grumeti
river where crocodiles lie in wait for their
annual feast and you find the scenes occurring
that has made the wildebeest migration famous in
so many wildlife documentaries.
July-August:
The herd is drawn ever northwards
towards the Masai Mara in their quest for better
grazing. They have one more dangerous river to
cross, the Mara, before they receive their
reward in the sweet grazing plains of Kenya.
The Great Serengeti Migration Trail Come and see the World's Greatest wildlife
migration visiting Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater,
Lake Manyara and Tarangire. The best time to
visit is December to February and from May to
July.
SAMPLE ITINERARY
DAY 1 ARUSHA Upon your arrival meet at Kilimanjaro
international Airport and transfer to your hotel
/ campsite in Arusha for bed and breakfast B/B.
DAY 2: ARUSHA TO LAKE MANYARA PARK – 130 KM / 2
HRS: After your breakfast at 08.30 drive from Arusha
with your packed lunch to Manyara park for game
viewing. At 1300 hrs take your lunch in the park
picnic area, evening drive to your lodge/
campsite for Dinner and overnight at Manyara.
DAY 3: MANYARA TO SERENGETI 190 KM / 3.5 – 4
HRS: After breakfast at 0800 hrs drive from Manyara
with your packed lunch and game enroute to the
great Serengeti Plains via Ngorongoro
Conservation Area.
After lunch at leisure in the lodge/ campsite or
proceed with your game drive around Seronera or
trace the direction of the migration. Dinner and Overnight in the Serengeti at
Serengeti Serena Lodge, Serengeti Sopa Lodge,
Seronera wildlife lodge, Kirawira Luxury Tented
camp or budget campsite.
DAY 4: SERENGETI CENTRAL AREA:
After breakfast leave with your linch for game
drive on the Serengeti Park acacia Savannah in
the central to the east region. Around 12.30 and
13.00 break for your picnic lunch, thereafter
proceed with tour afternoon game drive. Im mid
January to February, much to mid April, 95% of
females of wildebeest mate to a total of 600,00
then 8 to 8.5 months later those females that
conceived give birth on the same southern plains
after a long travel. Evening drive to your
lodge/ campsite for your dinner and overnight at
Serengeti.
DAY 5: SERENGETI SOUTHERN AREA
After breakfast take a packed lunch with you and
continue with game viewing on Serengeti Park.
The migration can be seen on a long chain
approximately 40 Km heading to the south western
direction. Around 1230 and 1300 break for your
lunch. After lunch have a rest for one hr, then
proceed with your game viewing following the
move of the migrants on the southwest of the
park. Aprox 1.3 million wildebeest, 250,000
gazelles and 200,000 Zebras have been recorded
sharing the short grass/ water which is the
source of food for the millions of Animals in
this South Area. Dinner and overnight at Serengeti Lodge/
Campsite.
DAY 6: SERENGETI – NGORONGORO
 After breakfast with your packed lunch drive and
game enroute to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It
is your option whether you pass by Oldupai Gorge
a historical site whereby the early man lived
and can also pass by the Maasai boma if you are
interested in the real African life tradition
and culture, After your lunch enroute adds to
the crater rim for your dinner and overnight
Lodge/ Campsite.
DAY 7: NGORONGORO – CRATER
After breakfast , descend into the crater floor
with your lunchbox for game viewing. The famous
Ngorongoro Crate is rich of wildlife, each
species have their own territories, so this is a
very good time to visit the crater as it is
during the end of November to December also
during the end of the long rain season. Late
April to May, numbers of animals come out for
green grass and water so Spotting them becomes
easy. Your packed lunch will be served on the
crater floor at the picnic site near Lerai
forest or hippo pool. Many crater visitors want
to see rare species , “the Balck rhinoceros’ ,
this is the right time, because during the dry
season is very hard to see them as they are
afraid of sun burn. Late afternoon ascend the crater for your
dinner/ overnight on the crater rim, lodge/
campsite.
DAY 8: NGORONGORO – TARANGIRE
This morning after breakfast leave Ngorongoro
with your lunch box to Tarangire Park for game
drive. World large mammal “ Elephants are very
common in the park, also world large trees “
Baobab Trees” are everywhere on the park.
Evening drive to your lodge/ campsite for dinner
/ overnight at Tarangire.
DAY 9: TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast at leisure in you lodge/
campsite until lunchtime and this time you take
your hot lunch. After lunch continue with your
rest until 1500 hr, the time you drive for
evening game viewing on Tarangire Park. 1700 hrs
back to your lodge. Campsite for dinner/
overnight Tarangire.
DAY 10:
TARANGIRE TO ARUSHA After breakfast, leave Tarangire with your
packed lunch to Arusha town, there is an option
if you would like to pass by Meserani Snake Park
the place where you would have lunch and on your
way there many curio shops you can stop and buy
some souvenirs if you would like, our guides
knows the safe place where you can stop and
shop. Afternoon drive and arrive in arusha town
check into your hotel/ campsite. Late evening
drive to the center of Arusha town at the
Central Market for bird watching, these birds (
sacred ibis, hummercop and hadad ibis are
arriving from Lake Natron, Lake Manyara and Lake
Eyasi). Around 1830 hrs back to your lodge/ campsite for
dinner and overnight.
DAY 11: ARUSHA – AIRPORT – HOME
After breakfast, at leisure in the lodge/
campsite or Transfer to Kilimanjaro
International Airport for you flight back home.
Our Pricing Includes: Transport & Transfers in a safari van with a
pop-up roof Three meals a day Park entrance fees
Driver's allowances Service of an English speaking professional
guide/Driver
Our Pricing Excludes
International flights to/from your home Tips & gratitude’s
Airport transfers Personal insurance Alcoholic drinks
Accommodation before & after the safari.
Serengeti Wildebeest migration Safaris, Maasai
Mara migration safari, Wildebeest migration,
Serengeti wildlife migration Serengeti, Animal
Migration Safari
Wildebeest Migration - The Migration Made
Simple
Wildebeest location updates (see below) and a
month by month guide to lodges and camps giving
you the best opportunity to witness the east
Africa’s wildebeest migration.
The endless plains of east Africa are the
setting for the world’s greatest wildlife
spectacle - the 1.5 million animal ungulate
(wildebeest) migration. From the vast Serengeti
plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya’s
Masai Mara over 1.4 million wildebeest and
200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked
by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a
clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in
search of rain ripened grass.
There is no real beginning or end to a
wildebeest's journey. Its life is an endless
pilgrimage, a constant search for food and
water. The only beginning is at the moment of
birth. An estimated 400,000 wildebeest calves
are born during a six week period early each
year - usually between late January and
mid-March.
As of September 1, 2008: The Wildebeest herds
are currently in the northern areas of
Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and in
Kenya's Masai Mara Reserve. Wildebeest have been
crossing the Mara River daily. Guests staying at
the Governor's Camps in the Mara and at
Migration Camp in the Serengeti have been seeing
hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra
daily.
As of November 1, 2008: October continued a
trend of cool mornings and warm days in Kenya's
Masai Mara. The migrating herds of wildebeest
and zebra have grazed the Mara grasses right
down. The northern and central areas of the
Serengeti have received some very heavy rain
showers and the herds have followed their noses
in search of lush, green grass. The end of the
month was marked by large river crossings as
wildebeest and zebra left the Mara on their long
trek down south. The herds now stretch from Lobo
through the Tagora plains area to central
Seronera area and down to Naabi Hill. It is
common to receive patches of wet weather in the
Serengeti towards the end of the dry season (in
October), so the rain may just be this and not
an early onset of the short rains. If this is
the case, it will dry out rapidly and the
wildebeest will head back north until they feel
the real rains start.
As of January 1, 2009: The mega-herd spent the
holidays on the Ndutu plains however, due to
lack of rain, have traveled north and west to
the longer grass plains around Kusini and Naabi
Hill on the border between the Serengeti
National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area. When the rains return the nutrient rich
short grass will green up rapidly and the herds
will return southeast to the Ngorongoro
Conservation area for calving.
As of March 1, 2009: As of late February, the
lack of good rains has forced the migration to
move towards the Maswa Game Reserve border. With
the coming of the long rains we expect the herds
to return to the Ndutu area and complete
calving.
As of May 1, 2009: As of late April, heavy rains
have returned to the Serengeti and the
wildebeest have made their way back to the Ndutu,
Gol and southern Loliondo. The Masai have been
watering their cattle in this area and it is
hoped that the widespread rains will allow the
Masai to return to their more permanent
homesteads allowing the wildlife to fully relax.
As of July 1, 2009: As of early July our friends
at Nomad report that the bulk of the migration
is still in Tanzania - along the western
corridor / Musabi areas all the way to Grumeti.
Large groups of wildebeest are also up in Lobo
area. We would expect the herds to remain spread
out until it dries out further (there is still a
good amount of green grass and reliable water
for the wildebeest and zebras).
As of August 1, 2009: The wildebeest have
entered the Mara! The northern Serengeti
national park personnel have reliably informed
us that the migrating herds have taken two wings
– one heading north from Grumeti area to the
west, while an eastern wing is the one now
moving into the Mara.
As of October 1, 2009: The wildebeest are
scattered throughout Tanzania's western
corridor, northern Serengeti and Kenya's Masai
Mara. Travelers in both Kenya and Tanzania have
been witnessing wildebeest crossing the Mara
River!
The Migratory Path (see chart below)
December, January, Feburary, March: The
Serengeti National Park / Ngorongoro
Conservation Area is arguably the most
impressive wildlife sanctuary in the world.
During the months December through March the
seemingly unending plains of the southern
Serengeti and the Conservation Area are
inhabited by enormous herds of wildebeest and
zebra. The great herds graze on rain ripened
grass. We feel this is the best time to visit
the Serengeti.
In the calving season (late January through mid
March when over 80% of the wildebeest give birth
over a period of a few weeks) the herds
concentrate at the Ndutu and Salei plains
(Southern Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation
Area) attracting the attention of predators like
lion, cheetah and hyena.
During this period the migration is best
observed from a luxury mobile camp in the Ndutu
/ Naabi area or from Ndutu Safari Lodge.
April, May: During the months April and May the
depleted plains are unable to sustain the
endless herds. The migration, sweeping west and
north, moves from the short grass plains of the
southern Serengeti / Ngorongoro Conservation
Area to the long grass plains and woodland of
the Serengeti’s western Corridor, almost to Lake
Victoria.
This period is during the long rains and is
considered off season for wildlife viewing in
east Africa as roads are often impassable. Ndutu
Safari Lodge, Kusini Camp and the Serengeti
Serena Lodge are fine for wildlife viewing
during this time. So are campsites in the Ndutu/Naabi
area.
June: By the end of May the wildebeest have
exhausted the Western Corridor’s best pastures
and the herds must move further north. Entering
the Lamai Wedge and the Mara Triangle breeding
occurs May through June.
This is a transitional period between the rains
and the dry season. Faru Faru River Lodge,
Sasakwa Hill Lodge, Sabora Plains Tented Camp,
Grumeti River Camp, Migration Camp, and Kirawira
Camp are good options for viewing the migration
at this time. Seronera and Moru area campsites
are best.
July, August, September, October: By July the
countless herds have amassed along the swollen
Mara River - a final barrier from the short
sweet grasses of the Masai Mara. Sometimes the
crossing place they have chosen is shallow
allowing the majority of animals to pass safely.
In other areas the waters boil with drowning
wildebeest and slashing crocodiles. Please note
that the vast majority of travelers do not
witness the wildebeest crossing of the Mara as
the timing and duration varies widely each year
- in years of little rain very few wildebeest
cross the Mara River into Kenya.
Between July and October the wildebeest reside
in the Mara. We recommend Governor's Il Moran
Tented Camp as the leading safari camp in the
Masai Mara. Other tented camps include
Governor's Main Camp, Little Governor’s Camp,
and Bataluer Camp. Tanzanian lodges recommended
during this time include Faru Faru River Lodge,
Sasakwa Hill Lodge, Sabora Plains Tented Camp,
Grumeti River Camp, Migration Camp and Kirawira
Camp. Kirawira and Moru area campsites are best.
November: The arrival of the short rains call
the migration southward. During the short rains
of November the wildebeest migration is best
viewed from Klein’s Camp. Campsites in the Lobo
area are best.
As November ends the migration is making its way
back to the southern Serengeti and early in the
year they once again give birth. The circle of
life is complete.
*Note - the migration is a natural event and the
timing varies month by month; year by year.
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