Serengeti National Park
The best place on earth to see the Big Five



The vast, untamed Serengeti might just be the best place on earth to see wildlife.
Set across northern Tanzania and extending into Kenya, the Serengeti is home to plenty of luxurious lodges from where you can search for the Big Five (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard).
For part of the year, it's also home to the mighty great wildebeest migration, which brings millions of wildebeest and zebra into its plains, following ancient migratory paths.
Whatever you come to see, the Serengeti is unmissable.
Hidden gems in Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park
Bush Rover Migration Camp
AccommodationThe quirkiest mobile camp, and absolutely one of my favourites places to stay anywhere in Tanzania, is Bush Rover Migration Camp. This consists of six double-story standing tents built around the converted Land Rovers used to transport them between different locales. The ground-floor toilet and shower for each unit is actually built into the Land Rover, while the upper floor comprises a canvas bedroom with a balcony from which you can safely watch passing wildlife or stargaze after dark. The camp sets up in the southern Serengeti over December to March for the calving season, before relocating the Western Corridor to catch the northward migration over June to mid-July, then heading further north, along with the wildebeest, to the Mara River area over August to October.
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Ndutu Safari Lodge
AccommodationBest safari lodge for: Calving season Wildlife photographers, filmmakers and big cat enthusiasts talk in hushed tones about Ndutu Safari Lodge. Founded in 1968 close to the seasonal lake for which it is named, this down-to-earth lodge offers access to a part of the Serengeti-Ngorongoro ecosystem famed for its high densities of carnivores. Ndutu is an excellent base for catching the wildebeest calving season in February, but large herds of grazers are usually present from December through to April, and there's good cat viewing all year round. It also remains one of the best value lodges in this part of the world, offering accommodation in 34 simple stone-and-thatch cottages with private verandas, and meals in a convivial thatched restaurant where I’ve often seen genets creep around the rafters at night.
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Namiri Plains
AccommodationBest safari lodge for: Ultra-exclusive Serengeti experience Over the course of numerous safaris to the Serengeti over the past 30-odd years, few lodges have blown me away quite as much as Namiri Plains did on my most recent visit. This ultra-exclusive new lodge forms part of the highly-regarded Asilia chain and offers accommodation in ten spacious stone-and-canvas cottages decorated with local basketwork. For me, what really makes Namiri Plains special is that it reliably offers high quality cheetah and lion sightings in a corner of the Serengeti that's pleasingly remote from other lodges.
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See the migration in the Serengeti
ExperienceThe big-ticket park is the 12,000-square-mile Serengeti, home to the famed wildebeest migration and a healthy population of big cats: lions, leopards and cheetahs. During peak season— July and August—when the famous wildebeest river crossings coincide with northern hemisphere summer holidays, the park can be very busy. There are four main regions in the Serengeti; the Western Corridor, the Seronera Valley, Lobo/Kogatende in the north, and the Southern Plains. There are several private reserves and conservancies around the Serengeti that offer the same wildlife experience but without the crowds—such as the Grumeti Reserve—but you’ll have to pay top dollar to stay there. At the heart of the Serengeti lies the Seronera River and surrounding valley. This is a good area for year-round big cats and grazing herbivores. The northern regions of Kogatende and Lamai, on the banks of the Mara River, are further off the beaten path and are good for catching the famed river crossings during summer months with far fewer tourists than across the border in Kenya's Masai Mara.
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Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge
AccommodationIf you prefer your safari with the comfort and amenities of a lodge, you can't go far wrong with Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge, a solid upper to mid-market option in the Seronera area. The lodge is inspired by the traditional Tanzanian village with rooms designed as thatched rondavels. Amenities include an infinity pool, a separate bar and an impressive dining room.
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Serengeti Safari Camp
AccommodationBest safari camp for: High-end mobile tented safari Among the absolute top of my recommendations for mobile camps is Nomad Tanzania's Serengeti Safari Camp. This top-end camp moves around five times per season to keep up with the constantly changing wildebeest migration. Accommodation is in classic safari-style canvas tents, and the guides are second to none. You'll want to stay around three of four nights here, and the camp is usually within close reach of an airstrip for easy access.
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Bush Rover Migration Camp
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Ndutu Safari Lodge
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Namiri Plains
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See the migration in the Serengeti
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Serena Serengeti Safari Lodge
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Serengeti Safari Camp
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Serengeti National Park tours


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Natural World Kenya Safaris
The leader in customized and budget-friendly East Africa safaris

