Tired of being a tourist? If visiting cities has become a lackluster experience, it is time to set your sights somewhere else. If you want a totally unique and unforgettable experience, one destination that you would want to visit is Serengeti known for its “wildebeest migration.”
Serengeti takes pride of this phenomenon said to be among the world’s “most spectacular natural event.” Imagine over ttwo million African animals – wildebeest along with zebra, Grant’s gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle, impala and eland – traveling between Serengeti (Tanzania) and Masai Mara (Kenya) in response to their biological clocks to time their “birthing, courting and mating” along the way.
It’s Happening Right Now!
If you decide Serengeti is your itinerary this spring/summer, you better decide fast because Wildebeest migration begins three months early according to Oliver Smith in his blog posted in Telegraph –Travel Section
The wildebeest migration, one of the greatest spectacles in the natural world, has begun – three months ahead of schedule
Safari experts were left “astounded” after hundreds of thousands of wildebeest began arriving in the central areas of the Serengeti this week. The migration typically begins in early summer, but unusually dry conditions in the southern Serengeti have encouraged the animals to head north far earlier than usual.
“It’s one of the earliest sightings on record,” said Bradley Murray, general manager of Singita Faru Faru Lodge on the Grumeti River, in the heart of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. “They started passing through the reserve unexpectedly on May 1 last year and we thought that was a big deal – but this is incredible.
Why is it good visit to Serengeti this early? Coming now means you will witness the awe-inspiring migration at Serengeti minus the usual peak season prices. This means the rates of the lodges and other accommodations are at rock-bottom rates so you can save a lot.
One thing you must know about the wildebeest migration is that you need to make your timing right. Failure to do so will mean spending for “nothing.” You’ll travel all the way to Tanzania or Kenya and not see any beast at all.
Get the Timing Right!
If you want a dramatic and memorable “safari adventure” in Africa or witness a wildebeest migration, you need to have an idea when is the best time to come. This is what Dominic Chadbon offers in his blog “How the Wildebeest Migration Works” posted in Go2Africa.com. Chadbon’s blog also comes with suggestions to have a great time while out there. For instance, there are tips as to where an adventurer can stay. Check this out:
JANUARY: The herds are in Tanzania’s Serengeti, moving south from the north-east region and into the southern Serengeti, Ndutu area and Ngorongoro Conservation area – which often means out of the confines of the (unfenced) national park itself. It is calving season – prepare yourself for lots of Bambis, and lots of gore as predators swoop in.
FEBRUARY: The good grazing of the Southern Serengeti, Ndutu and Ngorongoro Conservation area means the herds remain in the far south.
MARCH: They are still in the south but the grasses have all been munched up, the last calves squeezed out and the herds are starting to gather in preparation for the next leg.
APRIL: Make sure you are on the southern Serengeti plains – the wildebeest begin their northward journey, and many have left already and are in the central and even western Serengeti.
Where to stay: Serengeti Under Canvas and Olakira Camp are mobile tented camps which follow the wildebeest migration across the Serengeti plains.
These were based on migrations patterns observed through the years, what you may call as “historical data.” With the climate change, however, it can be harder to predict when is the best time, just like what is happening this March of 2015 when the great migration is happening three months earlier. To make sure you’ll get your timing right get the most up-to-date advice by forwarding an inquiry to travel authorities or tour operators. Make sure you are getting answers from a safari expert.