Guide

The best places to see the wildebeest migration

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Sometimes called ‘the greatest show on earth’, the wildebeest migration sees mega herds of almost two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles continuously travel thousands of kilometres in a broadly clockwise direction from the southern Serengeti, north into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, and back again. The migration is one of Africa's classic safari experiences, drawing visitors year round to witness this magnificent spectacle.

Guide

The Best Time To See The Wildebeest Migration

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

By definition, the wildebeest migration is a continually moving and perpetually active phenomenon; where you go depends very much on when you decide to travel. A note on the "route" Beware any safari company that tells you they can guarantee the route the herds will take.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In January?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

A new year means new life, and the stage for the spectacle this month is around the Ndutu Plains in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the south of the Serengeti National Park.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In February?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

In February most of the migration action takes place in the Ndutu Plains, to the southwest of the Serengeti. Behold the classic image of endless plains, blanketed and dotted as far as the eye can see with grazing wildebeest and their newborn calves.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In March?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

After a long period of grazing in the Ndutu region, the once green grass is now over-grazed, with little left for the enlarged herd. The time to move on has come.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In April?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Long rains mean thicker vegetation and scattered herds, which makes viewing more of a challenge. But the rewards of the low season are lower prices and few other people as the migration makes its way north and into ‘big cat territory’.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In May?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The long rains taper off and the herds are on the move, heading north towards Kenya. Routes diverge somewhat, but they’ll all funnel through a narrow corridor between two rivers in a dramatic spectacle.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In June?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The skies are clear, the land dries out, and the herds gain strength and power as the calves mature. But June is no walk in the park.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In July?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

July is primetime viewing for what many consider to be the main act of the migration theatrics – the crossing of the Mara River.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In August?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

Welcome to the height of the high season. Everyone has the same idea of witnessing the most action-packed month for river crossings.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In September?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The September high season in Kenya’s Maasai Mara has its obvious rewards.The skies are sunny, crowds are thinning somewhat, dramatic river crossings are still going strong in Mara side with few crossing between Lamai and Kogatende, predators have hit their stride, and the ‘big five’ are all out in view.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In October?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The end of the high season means the crowds have (mostly) gone.The migration is straddled between Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In November?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

In November the ‘short rains’ start to fall in the Mara.The plains return to their emerald green hue, and the migration is on the move southward, back to Tanzania’s Serengeti.

Guide

Where Is The Wildebeest Migration In December?

Hans Cosmas Ngoteya

The annual cycle of life is turning full circle.The rains have returned, and the wildebeest are on the move back toward the rich grasses of Ndutu.

Guide

The best safaris in Tanzania

Philip Briggs

Tanzania is one of the best places in Africa to go on safari. I first backpacked through it in the 1980s, when I was far too cash-strapped to think about going on a costly safari, so I spent most of my time exploring remote coastal towns, then took a lengthy train and ferry trip from Dar es Salaam to Zambia via Lake Tanganyika.

Guide

The Best Time For Safari In Tanzania

Heather Richardson

With the exception of the rainy months of March and April, Tanzania is a great safari destination through most of the year. The dry season – June to October – is the most popular and best for wildlife sightings, but January and February also see a break in the rains.

Guide

How to book a Tanzania safari

Heather Richardson

There's no denying it, a safari anywhere is an expensive trip – and a safari in Tanzania is at the pricier end of the spectrum.

Guide

What to do in Tanzania besides safari

Anthony Ham

If you're coming to Tanzania, chances are you'll be going on safari.

Guide

Where To See The Big 5 In Africa

Stuart Butler

The "Big 5" safari beasts – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino – were so named because they were the prize targets of colonial-era hunters. Fortunately, modern safari has become a force for wildlife conservation not destruction, and today's safari-goer is more likely to be shooting with a camera than a rifle (aside from the many trophy hunting reserves, which we resolutely do not cover in this guide).

Guide

Trekking in Tanzania

Stuart Butler

I’ve spent my career trekking in some pretty far-flung places, from Nepal to Norway.

Guide

Chimpanzee trekking

Philip Briggs

Chimp trekking runs throughout the year at most of the national parks and forest reserves described above. Hiking conditions are generally best in the dry season, which varies from region to region, but broadly falls over June to August and December to February in Uganda and Rwanda, and August to October in western Tanzania.