The Northern Serengeti region is one of the few parts of Serengeti national park that are still largely untouched with breathtaking scenery and rich species. During the dry season, the area’s most compelling feature is certainly the vast herds of migratory wildebeest and zebra. The North Serengeti, on the other hand, is home to a diverse range of resident animals, including lions, elephants, hippopotamuses, giraffes, crocodiles, and the uncommon Oribi antelope.
Safari Highlights to northern Serengeti
Without a doubt, the Mara River, which flows across the Northern Serengeti before entering Lake Victoria to the west, is the focal point of this vast Serengeti region. Massive hippos and a multitude of species, including giraffes, elephants, leopards, and lions, call the river home. Between July and September, tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebra brave currents and giant Nile crocodiles to reach the opposite bank of the Mara River, where they make their journey north into Kenya’s Masai Mara national reserve.
These thrilling river crossings are an important element of seeing the Great Migration in action, and while they can get crowded with game drive vehicles on the Kenyan side of the river, there are significantly less people on the Serengeti side.
Walking safaris are a relatively new addition tourist activity to the Serengeti, and they are only available in a few locations around the park with northern Serengeti being one of them. Walking through the Serengeti’s wilderness is the best way to see the Serengeti’s wildlife and landscape, and camping in the bush and sleeping under the stars takes the traditional safari experience to a whole new level.
Apart from walking safaris and game drive in northern Serengeti, go hot air balloon safari for sunrise views over the plains and 360-degree animal spotting from the skies. When you land on the plains, the beautiful dawn flight concludes with a lavish champagne breakfast.
Best time to visit northern Serengeti
The greatest time to visit the northern Serengeti is between September and October, when the great wildebeest migration passes through on its way south from the Serengeti Mara and Masai Mara to the southeastern Serengeti Plains. On wetter years, the area can also see a lot of wildebeest, but only on wetter years when the northward migration takes a more easterly route. It should be noted that the timings for seeing the migrating herds are very unpredictable. But there’s enough to see in this region of the Serengeti at any time of year.
The Lobo Hills (southern Serengeti) are notable for harboring larger numbers of lion prides, and also this area sustains the majority of the park’s elephant population. The exquisite serval, a little spotted cat most typically seen darting through open grassland immediately after sunrise, is also prevalent.
Safari Tips to northern Serengeti
The ideal months to visit the Northern Serengeti are June through October, while the optimum months for Mara River crossings are July through September.
Because there are only a few permanent lodges in the northern Serengeti, lodging options are restricted. Mobile camps move into the area during the peak months of the migration, from July to October, to provide the ideal location for catching the spectacular Mara River crossings. On their own private concessions, a few mobile camps and lodges operate in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area.
If you need to travel south through the park after a visit to the north, head out of Klein’s Gate, through the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, to the picturesque flamingo-dusted Lake Natron, the imposing volcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai, and the Crater Highlands, before returning to the park.
OTHER SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS OF NORTHERN SERENGETI
MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR
- The Great Migration’s passage of the Mara River
- From July through November, birds migrate northward.
- Endangered Oribi antelope and black rhinoceros.
- Big cat sightings in the historic Lobo Valley
SIZE
- 2,200 square miles.
TOPOGRAFHY, LANDSCAPE
- Savannahs
- Open Woodlands
- Riverine Areas
- Hills and
- Valleys
MAIN ANIMAL SPECIES
- Wildebeest
- Zebra
- Eland
- Lion
- Leopard
- Cheetah
- Oribi
- Giraffe
- Elephant
- Rhino
- Hippo
- Crocodile
ACCOMMODATIONS
Most accommodations in this Serengeti region (northern region) are mobile campsites that migrates with the wildebeest. Here are some of the accommodations option in this part of Serengeti
- Andbeyond Serengeti under canvas
- Kaskazi mara camp
- Kimondo migration camp (asilia, Africa)
- nomad lamai Serengeti
- mara Kati Kati tented camp
- Nasikia mobile migration camp
- sanctuary kichakani Serengeti camp
- sayari camp (asilia Africa)
- Serengeti river camp
- Singita mara river tented camp
