Where is Serengeti National Park Located?
Serengeti national park is one of the most visited national parks in Tanzania and Africa at large. Also known as one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa, Serengeti national park boasts its savannah grassland, natural vegetation and vast diversity of wildlife in an area of approximately 14,763km2 on an altitude of 1140-2099m.
Where is Serengeti national park located? In which country is Serengeti national park located? What is the nearest town to Serengeti national park? How far is Serengeti national park from the nearest town? These are some of the many frequently asked questions about Serengeti national park.
Serengeti national park is the third largest national park in Tanzania. Tanzania formerly known as Tanganyika is a country found in eastern Africa. Situated approximately 250-260km which is about 5-6 hrs drive north of Arusha region, Serengeti national park is located in a district called Serengeti which derives its meaning as endless plains from the Maasai tribe and has administrative headquarters in Migumu town. Serengeti national park is bordered by Maasai mara Kenya on the north.
Simply put, Serengeti National park is located in the northern circuit next to other popular Tanzania travel destinations like lake Manyara national park, Tarangire national park and Ngorongoro conservation area.
History of Serengeti National Park
In 1930, an area of approximately 2,286km2 was designated as a game reserve in southern and eastern Serengeti and by 1940 it had gained bragging rights of being called a game park; Serengeti national park. By 1948, Serengeti national park had gained strict protection when its board of trustees was formed.
As previously mentioned, Serengeti national park now owns a land area of approximately 14763km2 and the famed national park receives approximately 350,000 visitors per annum.
Wildlife in Serengeti national park
Serengeti national park boasts a winning combination of magnificent game drives, vast rolling plains, diverse landscapes and golden savannah vegetation and is home to a vast diversity of wildlife making it the perfect year-round safari destination. These aspects make game drives and bird watching an unforgettable experience for travellers.
Some of the animals found in Serengeti national park include; lions, zebras, impalas, spotted hyenas, elephants, rhinos, warthogs, leopards, wildebeests, serval cats, gazelles to mention but a few.
As for the birds there is Kori bustard, lilac-breasted roller, grey crowned crane, superb starling, hamerkop, African fish eagle, common waxbill, painted snipe, oxpecker, grey backed fiscal and the list is ongoing.
What Serengeti national park is famous for.
Serengeti national park was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it is also considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa. It is one of the few places that boast the oldest ecosystem on earth with a thriving vegetation where nature’s ancient rules and seasonal cycles have been more or less unaltered or untampered with.
Serengeti national park is famous for the great wildebeest migration which hosts the highest number of land animals. It is also home to the African big 5 and home to a variety of wildlife and birds alike.
The Great wildebeest Migration.
The great wildebeest migration is one of the spectacular attractions in Serengeti national park with over 1.5million animals crossing the Grumeti and Mara river looking for water and food. This activity/experience is one that you will never get over. You will be interested by how a mass of wildebeests and other animals like zebras flock together during this migration.
Starting from June to October, it is considered the dry season in Serengeti National Park. In this season, there is more optimal visibility of wildlife sightings since the thick bush thins out and the lush vegetation becomes sparse, clear skies with mild moderate day time temperature which is perfect for taking photographs of the wonderful, amazing and mighty diverse wildlife in the Serengeti.
To add on, the heart of the great migration is in the western part of Serengeti national park in the months of June and July while from August to October it is mainly experienced in the Northen parts of the National Park with the months of August and September being the best time to witness the spectacular wildebeest also referred to as ‘Ngu’ river crossings in the Northern part of the Serengeti.
Activities in Serengeti National Park
Serengeti national park has quite a number of interesting activities that travellers engage in namely, game drives, horseback safaris, hot air balloon safaris, guided walking safaris ,bird watching among others.
Game drives in the Serengeti are considered to be very adventurous mainly because of the bumpy roads and countless number of wildlife you will be exposed to in this encounter.
The hot air ballon safari is one of those encounters you wouldn’t want to miss out on when considering a visit to Serengeti national park after which you get to pop champagne to celebrate an incredible experience of the aerial view of the wildlife in their natural habitats playing, hunting, feeding and relating but most importantly, a safe landing. There is no other experience like this in the wildness of this World Heritage Site; Serengeti national park.
Guided walks however is an activity that takes 2-4 hours depending on your choice and its done with the guidance of one or more armed rangers. This is an adult only activity meaning children are prohibited from participating in it due to the fact that its not safe for them.
One other activity you wouldn’t want to miss out on is a bush lunch in the lush vegetation of this national park. You might want to get your camera ready to capture these truly rare once in a life time moment. Not forgetting the sundowner experience in the evening.
Recommended Safari packages
How to get to Serengeti National Park.
Although Serengeti national park is one of the few places with the oldest eco system and its nature barely tampered with, it is very accessible.
With the park having 7 airstrips with its main airstrip as Seronera airstrip, the most convenient way to get to the park is through a flight. However, the most adventurous way to make the safari experience to Serengeti national park worth a while and rather exciting is through a game drive on the bumpy yet very accessible roads. You can never go wrong with the game drives because of the vast number of wildlife you will sight see enroute even before you can actually have your first game drive inside the park.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a trip to Serengeti national park is one that will want you coming back again and again not only because of the vast diversity of wildlife it has to offer that you might not exhaust but because it is where you should be.
Don’t miss out on this incredible adventure. Reach out to us today to plan your next exciting unforgettable safari to one of the seven natural wonders of Africa and the oldest national park in Tanzania; Serengeti National Park.
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Low season
Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr, may
Peak season
Jun, July, Aug, Sept, Dec