|
great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and
giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
The
spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s
greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the
abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the
acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density
of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely,
all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the
spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators,
ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful
serval cat.
But
there is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy agama
lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the
park’s isolated granite koppies. A full 100 varieties of
dung beetle have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird
species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre
secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles
that soar effortlessly above the Lobo Hills.
As
enduring as the game-viewing is the liberating sense of
space that characterises the Serengeti Plains, stretching
across sunburnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at
the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden
expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet
flecked with wildflowers. And there are also wooded hills
and towering termite mounds, rivers lined with fig trees and
acacia woodland stained orange by dust.
Popular the Serengeti might be, but it remains so vast that
you may be the only human audience when a pride of lions
masterminds a siege, focussed unswervingly on its next meal.
About Serengeti
Size: 14,763 sq km (5,700 sq miles).
Location: 335km (208 miles) from Arusha, stretching north to
Kenya and bordering Lake Victoria to the west.
Getting there
Scheduled and charter flights from Arusha, Lake Manyara and
Mwanza.
Drive from Arusha, Lake Manyara, Tarangire or Ngorongoro
Crater.
What to do
Hot air balloon safaris, Maasai rock paintings and musical
rocks.
Visit neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, Ol
Doinyo Lengai volcano and Lake Natron's flamingos.
When to go
To follow the wildebeest migration, December-July. To see
predators, June-October
Accommodation
Four lodges, four luxury tented camps and camp sites
scattered through the park;
one luxury camp, a lodge and two tented camps just outside.
NOTE
The route and timing of the wildebeest migration is
unpredictable. Allow at least three days to be assured of
seeing them on your visit - longer if you want to see the
main predators as well.
|
