So often, we hear the question, “Is the migration happening during that time of year?”
The migration never ends.
The animals don’t disappear or leave the Serengeti; it’s a constant movement of over 2.3 million animals.
Generally speaking, the herds will be on the southern plains from December until March. In February and March, the wildebeests give birth. There are a few areas where camps can be situated. Seronera, the center of the park with a larger airstrip, is generally very busy. There are many fairly inexpensive camps and big lodges in this area, which is great for big lion prides and leopard sightings along the water courses. However, the road network around Seronera can get quite congested, leading to those unfortunate pictures of 50 vehicles surrounding a lion.
In the southwest of the park is Moro Kopjes, a stunning area with huge inselberg kopjes. The migration generally moves through here in March. No camps are allowed in this area due to it being a rhino zone, but it is accessible from Seronera and Kusini in the far south. This area can get very muddy during the rains, and many Guides avoid it.
Ndutu woodlands is a very popular place for mobile camps, with over 30 mobile camps moving into this area from December until March. Often, this is in the center of the migration, with Ndutu being a series of shallow lakes and woodlands in the middle of a sea of open grass plains. It’s easy to venture out from here in any direction, depending on where the herds are moving.
However, being a generally small area with over 30 camps, it can get very busy, and it’s far from the sense of solitude one might seek in the vast Savanna.
Ndutu is also a great place for the non-migration seasons. From June to November, it is very dry, but there are almost no other tourists, and it still boasts a great resident population of wildlife.
Kusini is in the very far south. Few dare to venture there… obviously, we do.
The area can get very muddy during the rains and extremely difficult to access if it gets wet earlier than planned. However, we believe the payoff is worth the risk. The area offers a large amount of solitude with very few other camps around, yet it is still on the edge of the plains and will almost always have large herds nearby. The migration generally moves into this area towards the end of December and often stays until the end of May and into June in wet years.
The Eastern Serengeti used to be a big secret, but more and more camps are slowly creeping into the area. The Ngarenanyuki drainage is a popular area with trees where camps work well. Currently, there are around five camps in this drainage. Wilderness has a camp even further east of this system, where we can have easy access to the area while staying tucked away from others.
This area is known for places such as Barafu Kopjes and Gol Kopjes. Gol Kopjes is likely one of the best places to see cheetahs. The migrating herds also move into this area from December to March.
The area where Wilderness has a camp is outstanding for wildlife in the non-migration season. The camp is on the Nyambogati River system, and this will be the only water source in a very large part of the park. Loads of animals move into this area from June to November.
Many animals avoid the main migration. When the migration moves out of an area, other animals move in.
As the rain dries up in the south, the herds focus on thundershowers over Lake Victoria. This draws the herds into the west of the Serengeti. June and July can be outstanding in the west, also known as Grumeti or Kirawira.
This area doesn’t have too many camps and lodges, making it fairly easy to disappear here. The area also has a very nice resident population of animals and is one of those areas that is good most of the year. Grumeti is known for its black cotton soil, which can get a bit sticky during the rains.
The Northern Serengeti is where the migration heads in July, again following the rains. The herds start to arrive in the north around mid-July and stay until the end of October.
June and July are often plagued by fires. The National Parks conduct a ‘cold burn’ in June, leaving the Serengeti black and smoky—definitely something to be aware of.
The Northern Serengeti is generally split by the area south of the Mara River, with names and areas such as Bologonja, where we have our camps, Kogatende, and Wagakuria. The north side of the river is called the Lamai Wedge.
The two Wilderness camps and the Wayo camp are all set up in a 15 km line of camps next to each other in the Bologonja area, offering us a fair amount of space to operate in.
The Kogatende area, nearer to the Mara River, is similar to Ndutu. Most of the Ndutu camps move to this area from July to October. Kogatende can also be quite congested, which is why we decided to be 1.5 hours away from there.
The Lamai Wedge, north of the Mara River and south of the Maasai Mara in Kenya, is a stunning area and used to be a last outpost. Sadly, it’s been discovered, and there might be as many as 10 camps in the wedge. However, the Mara River bridge is often uncrossable from the south, making the wedge quite an exclusive area.
The entire Northern Serengeti is also a fantastic place in the non-migration times. The herds move out, but a whole new set of animals moves into the area. It’s a great place to enjoy total exclusivity when all the other tourists are gone.