Best Time to visit serengeti national park

Best Time to visit Serengeti national park

Best Time to visit Serengeti national park: Serengeti national park is a great tourist destination situated in Serengeti ecosystem lieing in the Mara ad simiyu regions, Serengeti national park covering an area of 14, 750 square kilometers lies in the great northern tourism circuit of Tanzania. Serengeti national park is famous for the greatest spectacular wildebeest experienced by the park on the annual basis involving a migration of over 1 million wildebeests and 250,000 zebras.

 Serengeti national park is divided into four sectors that is southern plains, northern sector, Seronera and western corridor, all these sectors are home to a huge concentration of wildlife which are easily seen in the park such as lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, zebras,  Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle, topi, coke’s hartebeest, masai giraffe, waterbuck, impala, warthog, hippopotamus, antelopes, common eland, roan antelope, aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, ground pangolin, crested porcupine, hyraxes, cape hare, fringe-eared Oryx, dik dik, cheetah, two species of jackals, African golden wolf, honey badger, striped hyena, serval, mongooses, two species of otters, east African wild dog.

Serengeti national park is also a bird haven with many bird species estimated to be over 500 species  such as Masai ostrich, secretary bird, Kori bustards, helmeted Guinea fowls, Grey-breasted spurfowl, southern ground hornbill, crowned cranes, marabou storks, yellow-billed stork, lesser flamingo, martial eagles, lovebirds, Oxpecker, Black-headed gonolek, Fischer’s lovebird, Green-backed woodpecker, Grey-backed fiscal, Grey-breasted spurfowl, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hildebrandt’s starling, Red-capped robin-chat and many more.

Serengeti national park is a tranquil tourist destination visited by a thousands of tourists which makes the park one of the top national park in Tanzania, Serengeti national park experiences wide climatic variations though it is typically moderate climatic conditions with even average temperatures throughout the year. The park never gets too hot and is consistently cold in the night and morning with temperatures falling by approximately 6.5 degrees Celsius per 1000 meters you climb in the altitude range of 1139 to 7133 were Serengeti national park lies. Because of the cold nights and mornings in the park it is very essential and helpful for you to carry warm clothing like sweaters, scarfs while going for a morning game drive in Serengeti plains.

Serengeti national park experiences both wet and dry seasons, wet/ rainy season in the park comprises of long and short rainfalls. Short rains are experienced from November to December and long rains are experienced from June to October, in wet seasons it is possible to receive no rain throughout the day but thundershowers are very much expected in the afternoon.

It is always a good time visit Serengeti national park but for some reasons depending on your intention as a tourist to visit the park and experience you wish to get while on a safari, perfect time to visit Serengeti national park depends on a period of time as explained below

JUNE TO OCTOBER

This period is typically a dry season and  the best time to view the amazing passage of wildebeests through the western corridor which is best viewed in June and July, in this period the  vegetation cover in the plains  of Serengeti is relatively less thick which gives easy uninterrupted views of the animals. Also it is usually dry and very sunny thus high concentration of wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes, wildebeests and many more around waterholes, rivers and any water source as they are looking for water to quench their thirst most especially around the Seronera area.

The period between Junes to October, it is usually cold during mornings and nights most especially in the months of June, July and August. Because of the coldness weather condition are advised to carry warm clothing’s to keep warm while on early morning game drives and through the night. Also in this period Serengeti national park it is hard to contract malaria as there is near to no mosquitoes in the park.

NOVEMBER TO MAY

The period of November to May is typically a wet season receiving both short and long rain seasons, this period is an excellent period to witness predator action, predators in Serengeti national park include lions, leopards, buffaloes and wildebeests. Since it is a wet season the park’s scenery is at its best, this period is a calving time in the southern region of Serengeti plains. November and May period is the best period for tourists who like less crowded area as the park receives a less population of tourists most especially in the months of April and May.

In this period months of October – December it is the perfect time to witness the fascinating great migration, the great migration of wildebeest and other animals like zebras in this period is at a stage where animals return to the southern grasslands  in the western corridor along Grumeti river.

Summary of periods of time in Serengeti national park

• Excellent time to visit Serengeti national park is in the months of June, July, August, September, and October
• Good time to visit Serengeti national park is in November, December, January and February
• Fair time for a visit in Serengeti national park in March, April and May
• High season in Serengeti is experienced almost throughout the year but period of July – March is the most crowded period especially around Seronera
• Low season is experienced in April and May
• Best weather is experienced in June to October because this period receives little to no rainfall
• Worst weather is experienced from March to April, this period is typically wet as it receives a lot of rainfall
• April and May are low season with the park experiencing low number of tourists

Travel tips to Serengeti national park

• Plan your safari timing carefully
• Book your safari early
• Choose and specific the activities of your choice for a safari in Serengeti national park
• If you are getting to the park by air make sure you book your flight before time