Rains keep the migration around Ndutu

The decent rains over the past month has meant that the short grass plains around the southern Serengeti are still able to feed the herds. They will stay here until they are forced to move due to the lack of grazing. The "norm" is that the wildebeest would already have started moving in large numbers, but in the past few years this has been happening later than normal. We are still waiting for the main migration to start moving west and north west, but for the moment they remain around Ndutu.
Safari guests have been enjoying superb gameviewing with predators enjoying the abundance of wildebeest and their vulnerable foals.

Migration starting to move

The main migration herds are still around Ndutu, but a number of large pockets of wildebeest have started moving west and north west.

As the rains start to dissipate more of the herds will start leaving the southern Serengeti.

The best camps to be based at the moment are:
Premium camps -
Kusini tented camp
Tanzania under Canvas

Economy private tented camps -
Mobile private tented camp: A great choice for safari enthusiasts who want to see the migration without the need for all the superfluos luxuries.

Rain in Ndutu

There has been a lot of rain around Ndutu, Masek and the Ngorongoro slopes. This is keeping the main wildebeest herds in the southern Serengeti. There are lots of foals getting stronger for the journey north.

A safari at this time of year is always challenging as the roads are muddy and a number of them have been closed by the rangers. Game viewing is excellent with huge herds across the plains and plenty of predators tracking them.

The best place to be based is for a safari is around Ndutu, Kusini or Seronera.

Herds starting to head towards Grumeti

Small pockets of herds have started moving west towards the western corridor of the Serengeti. The main herds are still in the Ndutu area, but will also start moving in the coming weeks. They normally head west or north west (towards Seronera) around this time.

Calving season in the Serengeti

This is the rainy season in the Serengeti and this season has seen its fair share of rain. The southern Serengeti is green and lush with excellent grazing for the wildebeest herds. There are literally wildebeest as far as the eye can see on the Ndutu Plains. The herds stretch from Oldupai in the east, Ndutu and towards Seronera, the Golini Plain and Lake Masek.

This is calving season in the Serengeti and there are young foal everywhere. The wildebeest pick this time of year to foal as the conditions are perfect with lots of lush grass and water. The foals will have a month or two to gather their strength before beginning to long migration north to the Masai Mara.

Due to the heavy rains, the ground is muddy and moving around is hard going. A safari at this time of year is challenging with a lot of tracks too muddy to traverse. It can be a rewarding time for the safari die-hards as you will have the Serengeti to yourself. But expect rain!

The best safari camps to be based at are the permanent camps rather than tented camps - for obvious reasons - the tented camps can get quite muddy without permanent footpaths and structures. Having said that, a number of mobile operators do do a great job in setting up robust camps.

Recommended locations include: Seronera, Ndutu