The Serengeti

It is the same migration that moves from the southern Serengeti to the north before crossing into Kenya’s Maasai Mara and then returning back to the Serengeti. The ‘difference’ comes in what you can see. In the southern Serengeti in January to March the wildebeest give birth and so there are millions or calves and this creates a bonanza for predators. In terms of river crossings, the Serengeti does not have the steep banks that are so associated with the Mara so while you can see them crossing you are less likely to have the big jumps down into the water that the Mara is famous for.

Given that the migration spends more time in the Serengeti you have more opportunities to see it as it is only in the Mara from July to October with most of the herds crossing back into the Serengeti from September.

Yes and no. In the peak season (and wherever the migration is) there will be large numbers of tourists - particularly for crossings on the Grumeti, Sand and Mara rivers. However, as an example, at this time when the crossings are happening there are very few tourists in the central and eastern sections of the Serengeti and there is still plenty of wildlife (the predators don’t move) so you have large swathes of incredible open plains with very few tourists. Similarly, even in peak seasons there are places you can stay that are away from the main areas that take the day visitors or tourists from those main areas a couple of hours to get to meaning you have often the best morning and afternoon light relatively alone.

Koppies (or kopjes) are little rocky outcrops that dot the open plains in the central and eastern Serengeti (mostly). They make great vantage points for predators like cheetahs and lions to scan the open plains for prey and to keep a watch for danger. They also make great photographic opportunities with often stormy sky backgrounds or opportunities for silhouettes or lion cubs playing and jumping across the boulders. And if you’re lucky you can sometimes find barn owls nesting in the gaps between boulders.

I love photographing cheetahs in the Serengeti and in my view it is the best place in Africa to see and photograph these incredible cats. The central and eastern sections are the best places to see them with the vast open grassy plains and rocky koppies making a perfect habitat for them to hunt, spot prey by climbing and scan for danger.

The Mara River does flow into the Serengeti from the Maasai Mara. The crossings are less dramatic however as the river in the Serengeti does not have the steep banks that are associated with the Mara. However, if you time it right (September) you can have most of the crossings coming towards you as the wildebeest make their way deeper into the Serengeti from Kenya’s Maasai Mara.

My favourite is September when everyone is usually up north looking for crossings back into the Serengeti. At this time I enjoy being in the central and eastern sections where there are great cheetah and lion populations who make use of the koppies. It is quiet and you can often have incredible sightings all to yourself. The rain and storms are beginning to build on the horizon ahead of the short October/November rains and so you can often have very dramatic skies. Similarly, I enjoy March in the same area as most tourists are in the South with the now-finished calving season and the Serengeti is quieting down ahead of the heavy April rains.