Game drives in Serengeti national park
Game drives in Serengeti national park : Serengeti national park is among the national parks located in the northern part of Tanzania that is also famous for wildlife viewing.
Many tourists visit Serengeti national park during the year to enjoy activities such as game drives which are carried out in the national park during safaris as they look out for the numerous wildlife species at the destination.
To be able to engage in the various activities while on a safari around Serengeti national park, park entrance fee is a requirement to enter into the national park. This fee is 71 USD for foreign nonresidents and 23.6 USD for children between the ages of 5 to 15 years.
Tourists staying inside the lodges in Serengeti national park, concession fees are also required to be paid. From the 1st of July in 2021, the entrance fees to Serengeti national park will change to about 82.6 USD per person for nonresidents visiting the national park.
Game drives are carried out at different times of day such as in the morning and in the afternoon or evening. Tourists on safari can also engage in full day game drives while visiting Serengeti national park.
Driving off the tracks or off the road driving is not permitted during game drives in Serengeti national park and night game drives are also not permitted around the national park.
Full day game drive which are carried out for a whole day also involve engaging in a game drive in the morning and then having a lunch break before continuing for another game drive around Serengeti national park.
Morning game drives in Serengeti national park involve driving around the national park in search of the different wildlife species like the big 5 while enjoying the sunset and the beautiful views around the national park.
The wildebeest migration is one of the natural wonders which attract many tourists to visit Serengeti national park. Game drives during this migration are particularly an amazing experience of watching over 1.5 wildebeests grazing around the savannah plains of the national park.
Predators such as lions and leopards are a common sight during the wildebeest migration and while on a game drive they can be spotted as they hunt the unknowing wildebeests grazing around the savannah in Serengeti national park.
River crossings during the wildebeest migration in Serengeti national park take place around the western part of the national park along the Grumeti river and also Mara river around the month of July. Game drives during these crossings are also memorable.
Game drives during the wildebeest migration take place in different parts of Serengeti national park depending on the time of the year where the migration is taking place. The parts or regions of Serengeti national park include western Serengeti, northern Serengeti and the Serengeti plains.
Serengeti national park is made up of acacia woodlands and vast savannah plains and also rock outcrops referred to as kopjes which are known for sightings of predators like lions that can be seen at the top of these rocks.
A number of wildlife species are spotted during game drives around Serengeti national park and they include the big 5 such as lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos and elephants and other wildlife species in the national park like wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, antelopes, impalas, waterbucks, hippos, giraffes, cheetahs, kudu, hartebeests and many others.
The big 5 which can be seen during game drives around Serengeti national park are considered the most difficult wildlife species to hunt on foot. While on a game drive, it is not a given to see all of the big 5 but some tourists get lucky and spot all of them during safaris.
Wildlife viewing around Serengeti national park is best done during the months of June to October although the activity can be done at different times of the year.
There are many other activities which are carried out during safaris to Serengeti national park apart from game drives and they include the following;
Hot air balloon safaris
Hot air balloon experiences are also carried out while on safari around Serengeti national park. The activity is carried out in different parts of the national park such as northern Serengeti, western Serengeti and also in the central part of the national park which is also referred to as Seronera area.
The price for the hot air balloon safari is about 599 USD per person in the central part of Serengeti national park. This activity is carried out in the morning and it starts with briefing before getting on the hot air balloon.
Champagne and breakfast is shared by the passengers of the hot air balloon after landing and after this, the tourists are taken back to their lodges.
Guided nature walks
During safaris in Serengeti national park, guided nature walks are also carried out and the activity involves moving on foot while getting a close encounter with the natural surroundings in the national park.
Walking on foot around the grassy plains of Serengeti national park is an exciting experience and is done by armed guides as tourists enjoy exploring the remote areas in the national park and also walking off the tracks followed during wildlife viewing in the national park.
Bird watching
Bird watching is another safari experience which is carried out during safaris in Serengeti national park. There are over 400 different bird species which can be seen in the national park and is best done in November to April when migratory bird species are present in the national park.
Community tours
Another exciting activity which is carried out in Serengeti national park is community tours to the local communities such as the Maasai people. During the activity, tourists interact with the locals and get to know more about their culture and way of life, enjoy watching traditional dances, see local art and crafts, and visit the traditional homes of the locals among other activities.
Visit Serengeti national park and enjoy game drives around the oldest national park of Tanzania.
