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 the 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.