Serengeti National Park the Best National Park 2020
Serengeti National Park the Best National Park 2020
Serengeti National Park the Best National Park 2020: Serengeti national park is one of the famous tourist destinations of Tanzania and is located in the northern part of the country. This national park is part of the northern tourist circuit of Tanzania which also has other national parks such as Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park, and Ngorongoro conservation area.
Annually, Serengeti hosts the wildebeest migration which is one of the 8 natural wonders of Africa and is the world’s largest movement of animals which involves movement of about 2 million wildebeests.
The national park was recently named the best national park in the world according to trip advisor. The national park was the first out of 25 other national parks which also included Tarangire national park and Kilimanjaro national park.
Trip advisor is a platform where different travellers share their safari experiences and other information about different destinations. Trip advisor mentioned Serengeti as the best national park in the world during the 2021 conservation awards.
A big part of Tanzania is made up of national parks which include Tarangire national park, Ngorongoro conservation area, Lake Manyara national park, Selous national park, Ruaha national park, Arusha national park, Gombe stream national park and many others.
The minister of tourism and natural resources mentioned about Serengeti being named as the best national park in the world during a press briefing for the World Wildlife day which had a theme “forests and livelihoods; sustaining people and the environment”.
The theme of the World wildlife day highlighted different aspects such as the central role of forests, forest or tree species as well as ecosystems in sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people globally and in particular the local and indigenous communities with ties to the forests and forest adjacent areas.
The park also has the oldest ecosystem and it stretches up to the Masai Mara national reserve in the south western part of Kenya where the great wildebeest migration also takes place.
Wildlife species which can be spotted in Serengeti national park include elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos, hippos, zebras, gazelles, kudu, waterbucks, giraffes, cheetahs, impalas, antelopes and many others.
Serengeti national park has different parts such as central Serengeti or Seronera area, western Serengeti, southern Serengeti and northern Serengeti. The different parts of the park can be visited by tourists during their safaris in Tanzania.
The national park covers about 14750 square kilometers and is made up of savannah plains, woodland, rock outcrops, rivers, swamps, acacia trees and beautiful and diverse scenery which is home to the various wildlife species of Serengeti national park.
Activities which are carried out during a safari in Serengeti include the following;
Game drives
Game drives in Serengeti are carried out at different times of day such as in the morning, afternoon and sometimes in the night as tourists explore the open savannah plains of the national park in search of wildlife species such as elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, cheetahs, zebras, antelopes among others.
This activity is popular during safaris around the different parts of the park. To engage in these activities inside the national park, some charges are incurred such as park entrance fees which are paid to allow visitors to enter into the national park. This fee varies for adults and children as well as for foreign residents and nonresidents visiting the Serengeti.
Hot air balloon safaris
Another activity which is carried out in Serengeti is the hot air balloon safari which gives visitor an aerial wildlife viewing experience. This activity is carried out in the morning and the charge for the hot air balloon experience excludes park entrance fees.
The hot air balloon safari experience is carried out in the morning as the passengers enjoy the sunset and look out for various wildlife species in the savannah plains below.
Guided nature walks
Guided nature walks are also carried out in Serengeti and they involve walking on foot while exploring the savannah in the national park and getting a close experience with the natural surroundings in the national park.
This activity is carried out in the company of an armed ranger guide as the visitors get to learn how to track animals from their footprints and also enjoy seeing wildlife species on foot in the park.
Maasai visits
Maasai villages are also visited during safaris to Serengeti. During these visits, the tourists interact with the local community and get to know more about their way of life, culture and traditions among other amazing facts.
The Maasai are known for their unique way of life and for their nomadic life and how they depend on their livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep. The Maasai also have local art and crafts such as beaded jewelry like necklaces and earrings which are worn by them in different colors which each have significance in the Maasai culture. Tanzania also has many other cultures which can be encountered while on a safari.
Best time to visit Serengeti
Serengeti in Tanzania can be visited at different times of the year for an experience of wildlife viewing. The dry season from June to October however is recommended since the wildlife species are easy to spot as they gather around water points and the grass is relatively shorter making it easier to see the wildlife species as they graze and hunt in the national park.
In the wet season from November to April, tourists interested in seeing the various bird species in the national park can visit Serengeti which has about 300 bird species such as ostriches, kori bustard, rufous tailed weavers and many others.
How to get to Serengeti national park
The park can be accessed by different means of transport such as flight and driving from Arusha to the national park which is about 7 to 8 hours drive.
