SERENGETI
Explore Serengeti National Park in Tanzania
In 1913 Stewart Edward White stumbled into an African plain of Serengetti and remarked he “found myself in paradise.” The Maasai called the plain Siringitu which translates as “the place where the land moves on forever.” The Maasai had been grazing their livestock on the open Serengeti plain for hundreds of years before the first European laid eyes on it. Over the years there have been several spellings including Serenghetti, Serengheti and Serengetti. Today it is commonly agreed that Serengeti is correct.
History of the Serengeti Plain
In the beginning, the Serengetti was renown for the varied and abundant hunting opportunities it provided. In the 1920′s so many lions were killed that the British created a partial game reserve of 800 acres, about 3 square kilometers. This reserve was the foundation of the Serengeti National Park. Today the park encompasses more than 30,000 square kilometers. While the park is mostly in Tanzania, a portion of the park is located inside Kenya.
Earnest Hemingway, James Michener and Peter Mathiessen are a few of the notable authors to find inspiration in the Serengeti. If it had such a profound effect on them imagine what you will experience when you visit the Serengeti National Park.
Safari to the Serengeti National Park
Getting to the Serengeti park is not nearly as difficult as you might think. More than 90,000 people visit every year. Tanzania has several international airports. The Kilimanjaro International Airport is the one nearest airport to Serengeti National Park.
You can take a bus ride from the airport to the park. But why drive when you can fly? Inside the Serengeti National Park is the Seronera airstrip for Charter planes. Serviced by several Tanzanian airlines, you will have no trouble finding a charter flight to take you into the heart of your destination.
Staying in the Serengeti
There is ample lodging for any traveler to the Serengeti National Park. If you prefer the finer accommodations, there are resort type lodges that easily rate five stars. For the more adventurous there are the camps along the Wildebeest migration path.
Whether you choose to stay in lodges or camps the experience is guaranteed to be exceptional. The food provided throughout the Serengeti is first rate. Every one of your hosts possesses an intimate and complete knowledge customer service.
Embark on a Safari in the Serengeti
How you choose to see the wildlife is up to you. There are numerous options for your safari throughout the park. Drive to the animals with an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide at the wheel of a jeep or take in the breathtaking landscape from an environmentally friendly hot air balloon.
No matter what time of year you choose to visit, there will be plenty to enjoy. The ecosystem supports a stunning variety life. Lions, hyena, elephants and giraffes are just a few of the beasts you are likely to see. When near one of the many rivers or lakes you may spot a hippopotamus or crocodile.
One of the most famous and magnificent sights in the Serengeti park is the Wildebeest migration. From April to June which is the migration season, more than a million Wildebeest, some 200,000 Zebra and more than 350,000 Gazelle chase the rains north and west. These great herds travel clockwise through the Serengeti all year in search of grass and water to sustain their large numbers. Taking the opportunity to view this pageant will certainly create a memory never to be displaced.
The Serengeti national park is easily one of the best paces in the world for a birder. The variety and abundance of avian life is truly phenomenal. Perhaps will be privileged to spot the tiny but brilliantly colored Red-capped Robbin Chat. In addition, you are sure to be awed by the dearth of flora and fauna that grow in great abundance. The Acacia trees and Moabab provide a spectacular image when viewed in the fading light at sunset.
One thing is certain. The Serengeti National Park is one of the most beautiful and enduringly natural places on earth. Peter Matthiessen wrote his classic The Tree Where Man was Born while he stayed in the Serengetti. Earnest Hemingway wrote several stories inspired by his visits to the Serengeti plain. Imagine what a trip to the Serengeti National Park might inspire you to.
