SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK Location:
The 14,763 km2park is the second largest park
in Tanzania after Selous National Park. The park
is located near the Kenyan border besides Masai
Mara National Reserve. In fact, the Serengeti
National Park shares border with the Masai Mara
National Reserve. Its location is on the North
eastern side of Tanzania.
Attractions:
Serengeti is perhaps most well known for the
annual migration that takes place across the great
Savannah plains. This is a phenomenal sight: thousands
upon thousands of animals, particularly wildebeests,
as far as the eye can see. During the rainy season
(from November to May), the wildebeests, whose
population has been estimated at around 1'500'000,
are found in the eastern section of the Serengeti
and also the Masai Mara in Kenya to the north.
When the dry season begins at the end of June,
the annual migration commences as the animals
move in search of food pasture. The Serengeti
is also famous for cheetahs, leopards and lions,
some of which migrate with the wildebeests while
others remain in the central plain.
The elephant population in Serengeti was decimated
by poaching, estimated to have fallen fivefold
during the 1970 - 80s, since then, the numbers
have slowly increased. Birdlife is prolific in
the National Park and includes various species
of kingfishers, sunbirds and rollers, ostriches,
egrets, herons, storks, ibises, spoonbills and
ducks. Birds of prey include Ruppell's vulture
and the hooded vulture, several varieties of kestrels,
eagles, goshawks and harriers. There is also a
hippo pool by the name of Retina where you can
have clear views of the hippopotamuses and even
crocodiles.
How to get there:
Air:
There are several airstrips inside the park. There
are return scheduled flights to Seronera and Grumeti
River Camp and also to Lobo Wildlife Lodge and
Klein's Camp on specific days. There is also a
return flight from Dar es Salaam via Zanzibar
which usually takes 2 hours one way.
Road: Serengeti is usually approached from Arusha
along a fairly good road. From Arusha, you will
pass the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park
and through Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Approaching form Mwanza or Musoma on the lake
shore, take the road east and you will enter the
Serengeti through the Ndaraka Gate in the West.
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