Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park

Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park is a discussion that many travellers looking to have an Africa safari tour for their very first time do debate upon. Both the Serengeti National Park and Kruger National Park are amazing Africa safari destinations that you should visit at least once in a lifetime. Most first time travellers to Africa are always divided on which the best Africa safari destination is. Should you visit Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park? If you are considering where to go for your next Africa safari, and are divided between visiting Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park, a number of factors would help you on deciding where you are best suited to visit, as per your interests, preferences and budget.

Serengeti National Park is an amazing Tanzania safari destination, that is most sought after by travellers who do visit for an amazing Tanzania safari tour. Covering about 14763 square kilometers, Serengeti National Park has one of the oldest ecosystems in the world with climate, vegetation and fauna barely having changed in over a million years. Serengeti National Park is regarded as one with endless plains filled with vast savannah plains inhabiting a variety of wildlife in Serengeti National Park, including the African big five, wild dogs and so much more. Asides the abundant wildlife in Serengeti National Park, amazing landscapes, scenic views and birds in Serengeti National Park, it is the Great Wildebeest Migration that has more and more tourists visiting Tanzania to be able to witness the great million which has over 1 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of herbivores like zebras and gazelles. Located in the northern region of Tanzania, Serengeti National Park is part of the various northern safari circuits of Tanzania.

Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park is also located in the north eastern part of South Africa, at the border of Mozambique in the east, Zimbabwe in the north and the famous Crocodile River to the south. Kruger National Park covers about 20000 square kilometers of space, with a thrilling wildlife population and indigenous plant species.

The Serengeti National Park and Kruger National Park are the two iconic safari destinations in Africa, alongside the Masai Mara National Reserve, that travellers do look forward to visiting at least once in a lifetime. To those travellers torn in choosing Serengeti national Park or Kruger National Park for their much anticipated Africa safari tour, find below various attributes of each park that shall, in a way, help you in choosing your Africa safari destination;

Variety of Wildlife

Both Parks offer a variety of wildlife species to see including wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, among so many others. Cheetahs are a common sight in the southern part of Serengeti national Park, while they are rather hard and fewer in the central part of Kruger National park South Africa. Kruger National Park is renowned for kudu, sable, nyala, bushbucks and the like, while the Serengeti national Park is famous for the African big five as well as the largest antelope, the Eland. Wild dogs are not easily seen in Kruger National Park, Serengeti National Park on the other hand however has quite the population.

Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park
The African Big Five

Great Migration

Serengeti national Park is your to-go-to safari destination for a profusion of wildlife; and if witnessing the great migration is what you are most interested in witnessing while on your Africa safari holiday, then yes the Serengeti national Park is the best place to go, there is no need for you to be torn between Serengeti national Park or Kruger National Park for this. The great migration which sees over 1 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of grazers making the iconic river crossing can only be seen in Serengeti national Park for the greater part of the year, and Masai Mara National Reserve Kenya and not in Kruger National Park South Africa.

Bird Species

Both Serengeti National Park and Kruger National Park have about 500 bird species recorded in the individual parks, making birding safaris in any of the two top Africa safari destinations quite thrilling and rewarding to travellers akin to sighting a variety of birds in the wild. Travellers after birding safaris in Africa are surely to be torn between choosing Serengeti national Park or Kruger National Park for their much anticipated birding safaris in Africa. Irrespective of if you choose either Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park for your birding safari in Africa, be sure that you shall get to see a variety of bird species. Be sure to carry a good pair of binoculars and take a good bird guide with you.

Landscape and the Scenery

Do not know whether to choose between the Parks in regards to landscapes and scenery? Well know that Serengeti National Park offers some of the most magnificent and commanding landscape views and scenery. Serengeti national Park gives travellers commanding views of the Ngorongoro Crater floor, the grassy endless plains filled with rugged kopjes which dot the park. Kruger National Park on the other hand has great views of the Lebombo Mountains and is mostly of tangled shrub, providing a beautiful backdrop to the park.

Congestion

Both Serengeti National Park and Kruger National Park are great parks which do get congested every other time. The Seronera area  is the most congested place while the Sabi River is the most congested park of Kruger national Park given it is the nearest place to Johannesburg and thus the most easily reached. You can however escape crowds in either Serengeti national Park or Kruger National Park by opting to go the further parts of the parts and also staying in bush camps which do allow fewer people per stay.

Pricing

Travel to Africa is not cheap, but neither is it so expensive that you need to break the bank to get to your safari destination. If pricing is the determining factor for you to choose between Serengeti national Park or Kruger National Park, then be informed that it all depends on your budget of travel, for you can get budget Serengeti National Park safaris, as well as budget Kruger National Park safaris, but yet the Kruger National Park budget safaris are more affordable due to a number of reasons like the lower entrance fees to Kruger National Park, which is higher in Serengeti National Park and also the daily concession fees in the Serengeti national Park all make the pricing of Serengeti National Park safaris higher.

Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park
Serengeti Safaris in Tanzania

Both the Serengeti National park and Kruger National Park are great Africa safari destinations to visit anytime of the year. You could choose between Serengeti National Park or Kruger National Park if you are pressed with time to visit both but if you do have time to spare, you could visit both the Serengeti National Park and Kruger National Park. Get in touch with a reputable tour operator to help you plan a memorable Serengeti national park safari and Kruger National Park safari fit for you.

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