Serengeti lodges & Camps

Central Serengeti

Lodges in Central Serengeti  : The Central Serengeti, lying at the heart of this spectacular national park, is the most popular region in the reserve for its abundant wildlife, large numbers of big cats and quintessential Serengeti landscapes of acacia-studded savanna. Resident wildlife makes this part of the Serengeti a fantastic year-round destination, but the months of April to June and October to December, when the herds of the Great Migration pass through the area, are when it’s at its peak.

The Seronera River Valley, located in the south-central region of the park, is one of the most popular areas in the entire reserve. Known as the Big Cat Capital of Africa, the Seronera is rich in lion, leopard and cheetah – and people often spot all three in one day of game drives. Look for leopards around the Seronera River, which is home to one of Africa’s densest populations of big cats, while lions can often be seen on the kopjes (rocky outcrops).

The Serengeti Plains – the open savanna south of the Seronera River – are prime cheetah territory. Other animals to spot in the area’s varied habitats of rivers, swamps, kopjes and grasslands include elephants, hippos and crocodiles in the rivers, buffaloes, impala, topi, jackals and bat-eared foxes.

While the year-round supply of water from the Seronera River means that the area is excellent for wildlife spotting throughout the year, April to June is the peak season for game viewing in the Seronera, as this is when the plains are full of migrating wildebeest, zebra and gazelle as they’re making their way up north. The central location of the Seronera means that it’s one of the best places to see the Great Migration in action, as the animals are moving through the area for months.

Hot air ballooning is a must-do when you’re visiting the Serengeti. Floating gently above the grassy plains in the golden light of dawn, spotting animals from your suspended basket is an experience you’ll never forget. If you’re staying in the Central Serengeti, you can get a transfer to and from your lodge or camp to the hot air ballooning launch site near the Maasai Kopjes. A champagne breakfast once you land is the cherry on top of an amazing activity.

Many lodges and camps offer a visit to a Maasai village so that you can learn more about the famous semi-nomadic pastoralist tribe who have long lived in the area that is now the Serengeti and the Masai Mara national parks. At the Maasai village you’ll be treated to members of the village singing and dancing, with the male warriors doing a traditional jumping dance. You’ll also be able to buy beautiful jewellery and handmade crafts, which make great souvenirs – and also support the local economy.

Eastern Serengeti

The Eastern Serengeti is one of the most beautiful regions of the park: mountains, valleys and sweeping grassy plains that are lush in the green season, dotted with granite outcrops and sliced through by meandering rivers. It’s one of the more remote regions of the park, which makes it perfect for adventurous travelers who prefer their safaris off the beaten track. The region can be visited year-round for wildlife sightings, but November to February are the best months to see the Great Migration herds passing through towards the Southern Serengeti. The green season of December to May sees the plains become lush and verdant, which attracts abundant game.

Home to the biggest concentration of cheetah on the continent, the Gol Kopjes is the most famous landmark in the Eastern Serengeti, while the area is also known for its lion and leopard sightings. Under a two-hour drive from the Central Serengeti, the Soit Le Motonyi region, which opened in 2014 after being closed for two decades for cheetah conservation, is drawing visitors for its pristine, totally undeveloped landscapes of grassy plains and acacia woodlands, completely secluded camps – and for cheetah.

Lodges / Hotels / Accommodation / tented camps in Eastern Serengeti has various accommodations located in distinct areas of the park. Select your preferred option below (sorted alphabetically) to view individual details of your tour lodge or camp. If you’re staying in the Eastern Serengeti, consider making a side trip outside of the park to visit Lake Natron, a brightly hued lake with a pinkish crust that attracts millions of flamingos between June and November. You can swim in the lake, and explore the surrounding scenery, which is remarkable – think volcanic craters, waterfalls and gorges. Close by to the southern end of the lake, the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai (“Mountain of God” in Maasai) looms over the Rift Valley. Adventurous travelers who are up for a bit of a challenge can tackle the 2962-metre ascent of Ol Doinyo Legai over three days.

Northern Serengeti

Lodges in Northern Serengeti  : The Northern Serengeti offers a chance to escape the crowds: this region of the park – wedged between the Central Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve to the north – is remote and relatively inaccessible, which means it sees fewer visitors.

Travelers who make it to this corner of the Serengeti will be rewarded with gorgeous landscapes of green rolling hills, granite outcrops and acacia woodlands dotting open savanna, incredible wildlife, and most importantly, massive herds of wildebeest and zebra making the dangerous crossing of the croc-infested Mara River during the Great Migration in June and July and again in September, October and November. This sector of the park is also home to the greatest concentration of elephants in the Serengeti, as well as good numbers of lions, leopards, cheetahs and hyenas and diverse resident animals such as giraffes, topi, eland and hippos.

Lying in the park’s northeastern corner, the remote Lobo Valley is a particularly beautiful part of the park, encompassing open plains, rolling hills, dramatic kopjes and woodlands. It’s known for large elephant herds and the second-largest lion pride in the Serengeti, and it’s not unusual to spot lions, leopards and cheetahs on one game drive.

The Lobo Valley is also home to year-round resident game such as giraffe, hartebeest, topi and buffalo, while the herds of the Great Migration pass through the valley in July and August, moving north and then returning on their southwards journey between September and November.

Outside of the park’s boundaries to the east and bordering Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Maasai-owned Loliondo Game Controlled Area is nearly a third of the size of the Serengeti itself. This private concession is an important wildlife corridor and the herds of the Great Migration pass through here on their southwards march from Kenya in November and December.

The benefit of staying in lodges in the Loliondo is seeing all of the wildlife of the Serengeti but with the activities that are not permitted in the national park: night drives and off-road driving. Lodges also offer walking safaris and cultural activities with the Maasai.

Southern Serengeti

Southern Serengeti lodges: : Grassy plains studded with granite kopjes extend endlessly across the scenically beautiful Southern Serengeti, which stretches from the bottom of the Central Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Maswa Game Reserve. It’s one of the best areas to see the animals of the Great Migration: visit between December and May to see the huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle arriving to calve, and then at the beginning of the dry season making their way northwards again in search of green grass. February is a particularly good month to visit the Southern Serengeti to see thousands of baby wildebeest taking their first steps on the savanna – and being targeted by hungry lions, cheetahs and hyenas, which are in abundance in the region.

The Southern Serengeti is a seasonal region, as during the dry season, from May to October, when the plains are parched and there’s not much left to graze, most of the herds have left the area. Because much of the Southern Serengeti lies outside the national park, lodges and camps permit off-road driving, which is not allowed in the rest of the park. A safari in the Southern Serengeti is all about seeing the Great Migration in action on daily game drives, whether it’s baby wildebeest being born and taking their first steps on the lush green plains in the early months of the year or watching the vast herds on the move as they track their course northwards towards the Masai Mara.

The Southern Serengeti is one of the places where you can see the full circle of the Great Migration: the herds returning to graze in December with the start of the green season, the birth of the babies in January and February, and the departure of the herds as the grass starts to dry at the end of the rains. The Southern Serengeti is one of the few places in the Serengeti where you can do walking safaris. Exploring the bush on foot is one of the best ways of immersing yourself in the wilderness and learning about the smaller creatures that you miss on game drives. And then there’s seeing large game on foot: truly thrilling encounters that make for an exceptional safari experience.

Hot air ballooning is offered in the Southern Serengeti, with a launch site located in the area. A gentle sunrise flight will give you incredible views over the vast plains and a totally different kind of wildlife spotting. February is an excellent month to do a hot air balloon safari in Southern Serengeti to see baby wildebeest being born on the savanna.

The Serengeti Cheetah Project, located in the Southern Serengeti, is monitoring cheetah numbers in the hopes of helping to conserve this very vulnerable species. Some camps in the area help cheetah conservation by asking guests to collaborate in cheetah research by submitting photos and any details about the cheetahs they’ve spotted on game drives.