Places to Visit in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

The Serengeti National Park is a recognized national park in the northern part of the African country, Tanzania. It is situated in the Serengeti ecosystem region, covering the Mara and Simiyu regions of Tanzania. Established in the year 1951, the Serengeti National Park is spread over an area of 14,750 square kilometers, located between 2°19′58″ S latitude and 34°34′0″ E longitude. The geographical feature of Serengeti is divers like savanna, grassland plains, woodlands and riverine forest.

The park is positioned on the borderline, contiguous with the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. The park is widely renowned for the migration of a large number of white bearded wildebeests, zebras and for the notable population of Nile crocodile. These substantial migrations are considered as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and the world’s one of the ten natural travel wonders.

History of Serengeti National Park:

Maasai people were the original inhabitants of Serengeti and the first European explorer to visit Serengeti was German Oscar Baumann, visited in 1892. Serengeti became a game reserve in 1929 thoroughly and got the status of national park in 1951.

Travelling Serengeti National Park:

The Kilimanjaro International Airport is the major closest airport to Serengeti National Park, situated near the city of Arusha, around 280 km southeast of Serengeti. Including Amsterdam, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Nairobi, this airport covers many world destinations.

There is also an airstrip within Serengeti that receives charter flights from Kilimanjaro International Airport and costs 135 US$ per way. Kirawira Airstrip is another airstrip serving Serengeti. Serengeti is also accessible by bus from Arusha that takes around seven hours.

Food and Shopping in Serengeti National Park:

Shops are limited near Serengeti National Park, so visitors are suggested to bring essentials from the city. Independent restaurants are less in number near Serengeti, but food can be taken at lodges and camping sites.

Things to do in Serengeti National Park:

Wildlife Safari
Balloon safari
Hiking

Places to see in Serengeti National Park:

Serengeti National Park:

The Serengeti National Park itself is an amazing tourist destination, where visitors can experience the real wildlife beauty of Africa. The park is a great safari site and animals include wildebeests, zebras, tigers and lions. Exploring the park through a guided tour is advised for the easy and safe exploration.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area:

UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located within the Serengeti ecosystem region, around 180 km from the city of Arusha. Established in 1959, it is well known for Olduvai Gorge, which is considered as the world’s one of the most significant paleoanthropological sites.

Ngorongoro Crater:

Situated in Serengeti ecosystem region, the Ngorongoro Crater is famous as the largest inactive and intact volcanic caldera in the world. It is a great site for animal enthusiasts, home to around 25,000 large animals, including rhinoceros, hippopotamus and wildebeests.

Maswa Game Reserve:

The Maswa Game Reserve, founded in 1962, sprawls over an area of 2,200 square kilometers and borders the Serengeti National Park to the south. The reserve is a wide range of attractions like rivers, acacia plants and animals such as buffalo, lion, roan antelope, Cokes hartebeest and Thomson gazelle.

List of other places of interest near Serengeti National Park include:

Arusha National Park
Tarangire National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Cultural Heritage Centre Arusha
Meserani Snake Park
Kilimanjaro Golf
Arusha Clock Tower
The National Natural History Museum
Lake Manyara
Bishop’s Cathedral of Arusha

Best time to visit Serengeti National Park:

Undoubtedly from June to October is the best time visit to witness the natural wonders of Serengeti.

Accommodation options in Serengeti National Park:

Being a world class tourist destination, Serengeti National Park is served by dozens of accommodation centres, mainly lodges and tent camps that are good in both service and facility. Some nice lodges and camping sites in and around Serengeti National Park include: