Exciting Safari Activities to Experience in Serengeti National Park
Game drive
The game drive also known as game viewing is one activity that provides a great experience of Serengeti national park. Game drives are carried out within the different sections of Serengeti national park with the sections being the Southern end section which borders the Ngorongoro crater, the Northern section bordering Maasai mara national reserve and seronera area in the central circuit. The game drives carried out within Serengeti national park are sub-divided into four categories and those are;
The Morning game drive
The morning game drive usually begins at sunrise and ends at 11:00 am (East African Time). The morning game drive allows visitors to see the nocturnal animals as they retreat back to their places of rest being it dens or holes, the game drive also gives visitors an opportunity to observe the herbivores’ creatures grazing around the park. The morning game drive is a chance to view wildlife creatures like wild dogs, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, leopards and also hippos as they return from night grazing
The afternoon game drive
The afternoon game drive is the second game drive in Serengeti national park and is commonly carried out after lunch. However, visitors are also allowed to carry lunch boxes during the drive. The afternoon game drives are performed between 2:00pm to 5:30 pm (East African Time) though they are not that much rewarding as the morning game drives because most animals will be taking shelter since the sun is already hot. But depending on your luck, you could still enjoy wildlife viewing as much as that of the morning game drive
The Full day game drive
A full-day game drive is the majorly performed type of game drive within Serengeti national park. It is usually carried out between a time period of 6:30 am to 5:30 pm (East African Time). During the full-day game drive, visitors have that perfect opportunity to view wildlife creatures for longer periods of time creating a wider experience with wildlife creatures during their tour. Visitors who go for the full-day game drive have the opportunity to see animals like Cheetahs Lions, Giraffes, Buffalos, leopards and many more.
The Night Game drive
Night game drive is the last game drive and it is usually a rear type of game drive within Serengeti national park through the night drive is available on request but they come with an extra fee. The night game drive offers a chance to visitors to see the nocturnal wildlife creatures that live within the national park
Generally, the game drives around Serengeti national park offers the opportunity to visitors to see animals such as Oribi, Kobs, Wildebeest, Lions, elephants, rhinos Leopards and Cheetahs hippos, giraffes, gazelles, buffalos’ warthogs and many more
Birding/ bird watching
Serengeti national park is a paradise for birds home to over 500 bird species such as permeant and migratory birds like water birds, raptors and songbirds. the birds can be viewed or seen all year out but the best period of bird watching is between November to April since this is the breeding period of most birds also the migratory birds from some parts of Europe and North Africa travel back to the park during this period. The areas for the best bird viewing within Serengeti national park are the central part of Serengeti, the Ndutu area and then the Grumeti area. the bird species that can be viewed around the park include weavers, secretary birds, Kori bustard, Fischer’s lovebird, vultures, Southern ground hornbill, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, grey-breasted spurfowl, woodpeckers, Black-headed gonolek, Spur sterling, Black Eagles, Ostriches, rufous tailed and many more others
Hot Air Balloon
Serengeti national park is quite large, hot air balloon safari could be another good alternative to explore the park as it provides an aerial view of the park’s beautiful scenery like the savannah plains, wildlife creatures that may also be viewed during the safari as one sail 1000 meters above sea level on average. The balloon safaris usually take a period of one to four hours. They do start as early as 6:00 am (East African Time) but are mostly determined by the weather of that particular day. The hot air balloon safaris are carried out in specific parts of Serengeti national park such as the northern, central, and southern parts. Before entering the basket to take a seat for takeoff, you will have a briefing from the crew members including the pilot to ensure you enjoy your experience during the hot air balloon safari.
Nature walks
Serengeti national park covers an area of about 14,763 square kilometres, the area coverage makes it a park with great potential to explore and see during a guided nature walk. The nature walks are always conducted alongside an armed ranger that will guide the visitors throughout the walk ensuring they have maximum protection. The nature walk is designed for all age groups and it’s that period where you move out of the vehicles, walk, feel and touch the nature filled within the park with nature walk being another best way to unveil the beauty of the park. Nature walks are a great opportunity to explore the park as you enjoy viewing different wildlife creatures such as reptiles, birds, insects and also various plant species and many more.
Witnessing the wildebeest migration
Watching the wildebeest migration will leave you astonished as you wander the action-packed beauty of the animal behaviours as they migrate from one place to another. The great migration of the wildebeests is an event where millions of animals not only wildebeest but also other animals like zebras cross Serengeti national park all the way to Maasai Mara, Kenya. What makes the migration more interesting is the fight for the survival of the fittest as other predators like lions, crocodiles and others also wait to hunt down the animals on the move. Nature nest safaris encourage you to plan your trip as soon as possible such that you don’t miss the opportunity to experience the greatest wildlife migration.
Other activities include visiting Olduvai George which is an attraction site where early man remaining’s was first discovered. Visiting the site would give you more experience as you move around the George and view the footprints left by the ancestors. Visiting the retina pool is also another activity that can be done while at Serengeti national park because you might end up witnessing the hippos fight from the retina pool. Visiting Grumeti river can also be a worth-it activity as you get to see the crocodiles infested within the river and you might end up seeing the wildebeest migration live that usually becomes fun as the animals try to cross river Grumeti.