Serengeti

It’s Wildebeest calving season. In just a few weeks, around half a million wildebeest calves are born on the southern plains, with many up and running within minutes. It’s a nursery on an epic scale, and lions, cheetahs, and hyenas are watching closely. Some of the year’s most dramatic predator action.

Calves are finding their feet, herds are still spread across the southern plains, and the rains are picking up. The grass is lush and green, the skies are dramatic, and visitor numbers start to drop. A rewarding month to catch the tail end of calving season without the crowds.

The long rains arrive, and this is the wettest month of the year. As the southern plains dry out, the herds move north through the Moru Kopjes toward Seronera, with the zebra typically leading the way. Many camps close for the season, but those that stay open have the Serengeti almost entirely to themselves.

The rains ease, and the herds move in long, snaking columns, sometimes several kilometres long, heading through the central Serengeti toward the Western Corridor. The rut is underway, with male wildebeest snorting, grunting, and squaring off at every opportunity. Green, quiet and full of life.

The month starts green, lush and blissfully dust-free after the long rains (perfect for photography), before the dry season takes hold in the second half. The herds are spread out, some heading through the Western Corridor and Grumeti, others through the central Serengeti, with the river’s notoriously large Nile crocodiles watching the first Grumeti River crossings closely. Great value just before peak season.

Peak season proper. By mid-July, the herds have usually reached the Mara River, and for the next few months, crossings happen almost daily as wildebeest throw themselves through crocodile-infested waters (often crossing straight back again). The thinning bush also makes it a superb time for walking safaris. The north gets busy, so we recommend splitting your stay between two areas.

Prime river-crossing season. Herds split between the northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, crossing the Mara River back and forth as they follow scattered rains (yes, sometimes the same herd crosses more than once). Crocodiles lie in wait, lions patrol the banks, and the tension is extraordinary.

Herds spread across the northern Serengeti and the Mara, and crossings continue as animals move back and forth in search of grazing. The northern Serengeti is quieter than the Kenyan side, so you’ll often have a crossing almost to yourself. Hot, dry days with excellent visibility.

The grass in the north starts to run out, and as the first rains return to the Serengeti, the herds turn south. Crossings can still happen early in the month, before the columns start heading back through Lobo and the eastern Serengeti. The bush is at its driest, and the resident predators are in fine form.

The short rains usually arrive by mid-November, and the plains turn green almost overnight. The herds are spread out, grazing their way back south through the eastern and central Serengeti. With dramatic skies, fewer visitors and lower rates, it’s a fantastic time to visit.

The herds return to the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti and Ndutu, and the cycle begins again. Fresh green grass, warm days, afternoon showers and the first hints of calving season ahead. Migrant birds have arrived, and the plains are full of life.