("Siringit" - maasai word for "wide open plains")

The Serengeti is famous for its endless grassy plains and islands of rock or "kopjes", the "big cats" and millions of migratory wildebeest and zebra. This is the largest national park in the north of Tanzania, and covers an area of 14,763 square kilometres (slightly larger than Northern Ireland or roughly the size of Kuwait).

The Serengeti National Park is just a small part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem which comprises seven main regions: the Serengeti National Park, Grumeti and Ikongoro Controlled Areas to the west, Loliondo Controlled Area to the north east, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve to the north, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the east and the Maswa Game reserve to the south.

The Park itself has 3 distinct areas - the Seronera area (roughly in the middle), which has a number of resident game all year round, the northern and western corridors, and the southern areas bordering Ndutu which are more interesting when the migratory herds are in these areas. The Grumeti River in the western corridor and the Mara River in the north also offer visitors glimpses of Africa's largest crocodiles (for those daring enough, there is a rope bridge across the Grumeti River that one can attempt to cross, whilst the ever-watchful crocs laze on the banks below dreamily...)

The Serengeti is where many people spend most of the days of their safari. Most of our clients spend from 2 to 6 nights in the Serengeti alone. Huge expanses of short-grass plains make game viewing exceptionally good. Among the remarkable features of these vast plains are the Kopjes (islands of rock formations) where a number of wildlife shelter from the mid-day sun or seek refuge from predators. The Serengeti is justifiably famous for its huge concentrations of game especially the predators (lion, leopard and cheetah) and of course the spectacular migration of millions of wildebeest and antelope. Driving time to the Serengeti from the Ngorongoro Crater is about 4-6 hours depending on where your lodge/campsite is situated.

There is magic in the Serengeti and many who visit this great park have been touched by its awesome beauty and intangible spectacle that unfolds as night turns into day and the heat of the mid day sun gives way to cooler nights. The changing colours of the skies during thunderstorms, spectacular sunrises and sunsets and in the heat of the midday sun, offer a changing canvas with awesome and spectacular effects. Even at night, with no street lights to dim the night skies, the millions of stars shining above the Serengeti seem to shine out more brightly than anywhere else on earth - perhaps faces of previous kings shining down upon the land they once roamed with pride?

One of the greatest thrills is a Dawn Balloon Safari over Central Serengeti - the aerial perspective of the park at sunrise is ethereal and absolutely magnificent. Flights at dawn can be arranged with pick-up from most Serengeti hotels or campsites and includes a luxurious champagne breakfast awaits you in the heart of the bush. The sheer luxury of it all......the ultimate treat for a loved one, the perfect gift.

There are a great number of beautiful lodges and tented camps in the Serengeti to suit most budget ranges (see link below) and many campsites offering varied accommodation in different areas of the Serengeti.