Luxury Serengeti Safaris: The Serengeti plains offer some of the best wildlife encounters. The luxurious lodges and resorts offer transcendent African safari experiences. The Serengeti has long been renowned as one of Africa’s most beautiful wildlife-rich safari destinations, and it certainly lives up to its reputation. The park never fails to capture one’s heart as you are confronted by all the romanticism and drama that Africa has to offer. Located in Tanzania’s northwestern region, with an invisible border with Kenya’s Masai Mara. The Serengeti ecosystem covers 30,000 square kilometers and is home to the annual wildebeest migration, which stays in Tanzania for about 8-9 months of the year.
Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s oldest national park, and it is home to over 1 million wildebeest, as well as other mammals (such as zebras and gazelles) and over 2,500 lions. The Serengeti in Tanzania is truly a remarkable place to enjoy a luxury safari and experience an adventure of a lifetime, with its incredible wildlife to observe and endless plains to explore! The Serengeti is typically the endpoint for the Northern Circuit Safari, and the areas recommended are remote, starkly beautiful, and deserted. Exploring the wilderness of Serengeti National Park and participating in a luxury Serengeti safari are highlights of any visit to Tanzania.
When to go for Serengeti Luxury Safaris
Luxury Serengeti Safaris. Visitors can enjoy luxury Serengeti safaris throughout the year. The dry season runs from June to October and offers excellent wildlife spotting opportunities. However, every season provides remarkable game-viewing experiences across the park.
Travelers who wish to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration should plan carefully. In April and May, the migration moves through the central part of the park. By June and July, the herds shift toward the western section. Furthermore, visitors seeking the famous river crossings should visit between June and August, when wildebeests cross the Grumeti and Mara rivers.
Additionally, the calving season takes place on the southern plains from December to early March. Each day, over 8,000 calves are born on the short grass plains. Consequently, predators such as lions actively hunt the wildebeests during this period, creating thrilling wildlife encounters.
Since Serengeti attracts large numbers of tourists, choosing the right time to visit matters greatly. Travelers who enjoy lively atmospheres should visit during peak season. However, those who prefer quieter surroundings should plan their trip during the low season for a more personal and unforgettable safari experience.
How to get to Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is accessible by both flying and driving. If you don’t mind the 7-hour drive from Arusha to the national park, you can choose to be driven to Serengeti National Park during your luxury Serengeti safari.
However, the best option for getting to the national park during a luxury Serengeti safari is to fly to one of the park’s various airstrips. Flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport can take you to many destinations in northern Tanzania, such as the Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, among others.
The various Serengeti National Park airstrips to which you can fly during your luxury safari in the national park include Seronera airstrip, Kogatende airstrip, Lobo airstrip, Grumeti airstrip, Fort Ikoma airstrip, and Kirawira airstrip are among them.
It is critical to select an airstrip that is close to your lodge and the area of the Serengeti National Park that you intend to visit during your luxury Serengeti safaris.
Luxury Serengeti Safaris Activities
Guided game Drives
To see wildlife at its best, tourists can go on game drives through various tracks that are excellent wildlife viewing areas. You can get closer to the animals while on the game drive. Game drives on luxury Serengeti safaris are done at different times of the day. However, the best time to go on a Serengeti game drive is between 6:00 am and 11:00 am because most fierce predators like lions hunt in the morning, and there is a lot of animal activity where you can see cheetah, zebra, wildebeest, eland, and many more. Afternoon game drives are available from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Full-day luxury game drives are available from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Serengeti Balloon Safari
You can also go on a luxury balloon safari, which allows you to explore the Serengeti and all of its breathtaking scenery, as well as its incredible wildlife from the skies. Because balloon rides require a minimum of 12 to 16 people, depending on the size of the balloon basket, you must book your safari in advance. These rides start very early in the morning, around 5:00 a.m., and end with a champagne bush breakfast.
The cost of a hot air balloon ride in the Serengeti ranges between $499 and USD 599 for each adult.
The Wildebeest Migration
The calving season, as well as river crossings during which the animals dodge hungry giant crocodiles in the Serengeti, are highlights of the Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti. The migration sees approximately 2 million wildebeests, 300,000 Thomson’s Gazelles, and over 250,000 Zebras.
Guided Nature Walks
Another option to include on your luxury Serengeti safari is a Guided nature walk safari, in which you are led by an armed park ranger on a walk through the Serengeti’s easy terrain at a slow pace. This allows you to see plants, reptiles, animals, insects, and birds that you wouldn’t be able to see as well while seated in a car on a game drive; something that nearly 60% of tourists miss. A guided nature walk in the Serengeti takes place in groups of 6 to 8 people aged 12 and up.
Birding
Serengeti National Park is a popular destination for birdwatchers. The park is home to 542 bird species, 11 of which are endemic, and some of the species found here include: The Kori bustard, Grey-breasted spurfowl, Rufous-tailed weaver, Grey-headed sparrow, Variable Sunbird, Secretary bird, Purple Grenadier, Black-headed Heron, Yellow-throated sandgrouse, White-bellied go-away bird, White-crowned shrike, Red-backed scrub, D’Arnaud’s barbet, Decken-Toko Tockus, Dark Chanting Goshawk, and many more. You must visit between November and April to see the migratory birds.
Luxury Serengeti Safari Accommodation
The Serengeti has a plethora of luxury lodges and tented camps scattered throughout the reserve and on its outskirts to cater to high-end travelers. Permanent lodges, which can be small or large, have a full range of amenities, from tennis courts and gyms to spas and swimming pools where you can cool off while watching wildlife drink from water holes. Tented camps, where you can experience sleeping under canvas without sacrificing any comforts (think king-sized beds, ensuite bathrooms, antique furniture, and butler service).
Then there are seasonal bush camps with a small footprint that are only open during the months when the migration is passing through, and exclusive, intimate mobile camps that move a few times a year with the movement of migrating herds. Mobile camps are an excellent choice for a Serengeti luxury safari because they bring you close to the action in remote, untouched areas and give you the feeling of being immersed in the bush, but this is far from rustic camping. Hot bucket showers, flush toilets, private butler service, and gourmet cuisine served in dining tents are standard features of luxury mobile camps, and some offer private and exclusive game drive vehicles and guides for each segment of guests.
Singita Sasakwa Lodge
The Edwardian-style Singita Sasakwa Lodge is located in the Grumeti area of the Serengeti. Private plunge pools are available in the bedroom cottages at Singita Sasakwa Lodge. Other amenities at the lodge include a fitness center with cutting-edge fitness equipment, a boutique and gallery store, a TV in the lodge’s main area, WIFI, and hair dryers in each room, among others. There are flights from Arusha to the lodge that go over Kilimanjaro.
Grumeti Air offers both private charter flights and scheduled flights to Singita Sasakwa Lodge. The lodge is about a 10-minute drive from the Singita Sasakwa airstrip. Another option is to drive from Arusha, which takes about 7 hours, or from Kilimanjaro, which takes about 8 hours. The lodge is open all year for guests on safari in the Serengeti National Park.
One Nature Nyaruswiga Lodge
One Nature Nyaruswiga is an ultra-luxurious safari camp located in the central Serengeti National Park with stunning views and surrounded by the Nyaruswiga Hills. The camp has 14 luxurious tents that provide a sensational connection with the nature surrounding the national park. An indoor lounge area, a wooded decked private verandah with Italian chairs and mahogany tables, in-room massage services, an electronic safe, a hair dryer, laundry services, a private bar, a walk-in closet, and WIFI are among the amenities available to guests.
Lamai camp
The camp has approximately 8 rooms with private verandahs, beautiful views, and en suite bathrooms. Lamai camp’s bathrooms include showers, a double sink, and flush toilets. During their stay at the camp, guests can also access hot water. The dining area has both communal and private tables, and guests can order bush breakfasts. Picnics and sundowners are also available for guests at Lamai Camp. The camp also has a swimming pool with a view of the plains, a natural rock deck, and sunbeds. Private guiding and bush walks are also available here.
Mwiba Lodge
Mwiba Lodge, perched high on massive stone boulders surrounded by ancient coral and acacia trees, exudes the grandeur and awe-inspiring affluence of a fabled lost city. This opulent lodge seamlessly blends top-tier contemporary design with traditional African elements, elevating your safari experience to royalty-level status.
