The Serengeti Holidays

After watching the crew inflate their craft at the launch site, take flight and drift upwards as the sun rises for an entirely different perspective of the Serengeti.

The bright pink-orange haze visible for miles across the vast savannah; a group of grazing zebra becoming distinguishable from their silhouette forms below; a family of elephants wandering just below you. The photo opportunities are incredible. And, wherever you land, a Champagne breakfast will be laid out for you to enjoy. It’s one of the most highly recommended safari experiences.

Spend a full day exploring the wonders of the Serengeti, from Big Five sightings to tracking the Great Migration. Head out in the morning with one of the guides, who have expert knowledge of the Serengeti’s wildlife and terrain. The 4×4 Landcruisers have open roofs and large windows for supreme animal sightings and photography.

As you journey across the Serengeti’s endless plains and woodlands, you’ll see various African animals including giraffes, hyenas and hippos. Rhinos are hard to spot, but you’ll likely see the other members of the Big Five, as well as cheetahs and grazing game. You never know what you’ll encounter. There'll be a packed lunch and a shady place in the bush will be picked to enjoy the picnic accompanied by incredible views.

If you visit the Serengeti during the Great Migration, you’ll also see massive herds of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle. You’ll park up to watch the animals run a gauntlet through the crocodile-infested waters of the Grumeti River. The animals are followed overland by predators searching for a meal, so you might even witness a big cat kill. Outside of the main migration, the Serengeti is still full of wildlife and hosts other natural events, including the wildebeest calving in the grasslands, so it’s a great place to explore all year round.

Watch the sun go down with a chilled cocktail at the tented camp in the middle of the Serengeti. Located in the path of the Great Migration and surrounded by kopjes, the camp has panoramic views of the endless plains and nearby Grumeti River, where dramatic river crossings take place. After a long game drive, relax on the sunset deck and watch the sun sink down over the Serengeti, before you dine under the stars.

The view is just breath-taking, with the Ndasiata hills in the distance and the mighty Grumeti flowing. You can hear hippos honking as they get ready to go foraging after dusk. Choose from a range of cocktails, wines, beers and soft drinks accompanied by finger food while you watch the evening show. The firepits will be lit as dusk falls and the stars come out, filling the sky with constellations. It's the perfect end to the day.

The Serengeti is a grand stage for the world’s top wildlife show: The Great Migration. This epic event sees millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle make their yearly journey from the Serengeti into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, following life-giving rains and lush grasslands. Track their quest from the comfort of your 4×4 and witness this timeless wildlife spectacle in its various stages – from mass calving on the southern plains to early summer’s scramble north, complete with dangerous crossings over the crocodile-infested Grumeti River.

What’s special about watching the migration in the Serengeti, rather than the Maasai Mara, is that you don’t just get one chance to follow the action. Visit between December and March and you’ll see millions of baby wildebeest nursing on the short-grass plains, or watch the drama of the herds on the move between June and October when they funnel north like a parade of ants. Your guide will know the best places to catch a glimpse of the show – some safari camps have even adopted a mobile set-up, meaning they can migrate right alongside the herds.

Nothing can quite prepare you for this world-famous wildlife display. Known as the largest mass movement of land animals on the planet, the herds move as one snorting, thundering sea of hooves across the parched savannah. It’s a wonder best appreciated from above on a hot air balloon ride or while swooping in to land at your safari camp in a private Cessna. More exciting still are the famed river crossings which bring heart-in-the-mouth moments as the herds stream across the Grumeti, chased from behind by big cats while Nile crocodiles lie ahead, jaws ready to snap. It’s the ultimate safari experience.