To many people who visit Tanzania for the first time and when the time comes to decide on a safari destination, the name Serengeti pops up naturally.
But what is the excitement all about? And is it really worth going?
Here are 10 reasons to visit the massive game reserve.
Probably the most prominent reason for visiting the game reserve, its best when done with expert tour guides. No matter what happens, make sure to keep your eyes open to capture the most.
Watching millions of migrating wildebeest on the flat-topped grasslands of the Serengeti has been on the top list of every visitor’s itinerary. Here is one of the best natural dramas nature can produce. With over 2 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and an assortment of other small herbivores trekking over 3,000 kilometres from Maasai Mara in Kenya to Serengeti in Tanzania and vice versa, it goes without saying that every visitor to this East Africa’s icon will enjoy the excitement and more from this event that happens every year from either of the two countries barring man-made disasters like what happened recently when a team of rangers accidentally set on fire large tracts of savannah.
Birdwatching in the Serengeti comes second only to the wildebeest migration spectacle. There are over 500 species of birds in this expansive natural habitat. You can photograph marabou storks hunting for juicy morsels in the tall grasses or a male ostrich dancing for his female mate and a pair of crowned cranes singing for each other.
No expedition in the Serengeti is complete without ticking off the Big Five. The lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos. The large lion population is a favourite choice of many visitors.
The game reserve is so large and expansive that your gaze gets lost in the four directions. Serengeti which in Maasai means “endless plains” comprise savannah stretches that extend far and beyond what your eyes can see and your mind can fathom. The sheer size, 15,000 sq km will give you space to breathe and relax from your busy city lifestyle.
While on a visit to the game reserve you’ll get spoilt for choice when deciding where to spend the night. There is a choice of both budget public campsites and high-end lodges.
Soaring above the savannah in a hot air balloon is arguably a more than valid reason to visit the Serengeti. Experience a stunning morning that you can only dream about. Hot air balloon trips start at dawn and this leaves you the rest of the day for game drives.
Watch the sun rise up at dawn and set in the evening like no other place in the globe. If nothing else catches your fancy while in these iconic planes, the sunsets will.
For both a novice and the pro, the Serengeti game reserve remains the ultimate when testing your photographic skills. Whether zeroing on a crocodile trapping a desperate gnu with its massive scissor-like jaws, catching a bird killing a snake or snapping an ostrich chasing prey in burst of up to per hour, Serengeti has a piece of action for all.
One of the greatest tribe that ever lived on this earth, the Maasai tribe is known for its unique lifestyle and culture, not to mention one of its most feared attributes, the ability to kill a full-grown lion with his bare hands. Take a chance to visit members of the Maasai community in their beautifully constructed kraals on the Serengeti villages.
Read Best Places to visit in the serengeti for more information
KENYA, Mombasa: A photograph taken by the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism (MEAACT), shows a general view of the Mombasa skyline opposite EnglishPoint Marina in Mombasa, 02 June 2015. The 4-acre ocean view EnglishPoint Marina represents an iconic landmark that overlooks the Mombasa skyline in a natural marina basin with a modern design and contemporary feel. The multi-million dollar marina resort features a 26-room hotel, conferencing facility, a roof-top restaurant, a casino, swimming pool, 96 serviced apartments including 8 penthouses seafront restaurant, gym and spa, as well as a boardwalk with retail outlets, water-sports centre and fully-serviced, 88-berth marina. MANDATORY CREDIT: MEAACT PHOTO / STUART PRICE.