Map of Serengeti national park : Serengeti national park is a World Heritage Site and a national park teeming with wildlife over 2 million ungulates, 4000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 550 cheetahs and over 500 bird species recorded to inhabit the endless plains stretching over an area of approximately 15,000 square kilometers.
Serengeti national park is well known as a The Home to The Great migration as it is a playground for the world’s largest migration of wildlife termed as the annual wildebeest migration, this park is the only place where you can witness millions of migrating wildebeests over Acacia Plains. During the annual migration of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras, over 200,00 zebras and 300,00 Thomson’s gazelles join over 1 million wildebeests on a journey of 1,000 kilometers, the 3 week trek of the migrants is the breeding season with over 800 calves born every day.
Serengeti national park is also the cradle of human wildlife and one of the few remaining areas on earth where you can experience an untouched African wilderness.
Serengeti national park is the first and the most visited national park in Tanzania
Map of Serengeti national park
Location of Serengeti national park
Serengeti national park is located in the north – central Tanzania and is partly adjacent to the Kenya borer and northwest of the adjoining Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the park is found in the Arusha Region found in the Mara Region of Tanzania.
Serengeti national park is situated 255 kilometers from Arusha Town to Naabi Hill – the main entrance gate to the park, the first 150 kilometers are tarmac and the last 105 kilometers are dirt road. From Arusha it is a drive time of 5 to 6 hours.
History of Serengeti national park
Serengeti national park was described as the Serengeti plains and the massive numbers of animals found there by the explorers and missionaries in the late 1800s and early 1900s, before explorations of late 1920s and early 1930s little details were reported about Serengeti until the first references to the great wildebeest migrations and the first photographs of the region.
In 1930, an area of 2,286 square kilometers was established as a game reserve in what is presently known as southern and eastern Serengeti, sport hunting was still allowed in the region until 1937 when all the hunting activities were made illegal.
In 1940. Protected Area Status was conferred to the area and the National park was established in 1951 covering Southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Highlands with the park’s headquarters on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. The Original Serengeti national park was gazette in 1951 and also included the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in the same year (1951), Ngorongoro Conservation Area was split off from the Serengeti national park and the boundaries of the park were extended to the Kenya border. The split was cause by the local Maasai resident realizing that they were threatened with eviction and consequently not allowed to graze their cattle within the national park boundaries.
About Serengeti National Park
Size: 14,763 square kilometers (5,700 square miles)
Location: 2555 km from Arusha, bordered to the north with Kenya and to the west with Lake Victoria.
Famous are the Serengeti kopjes, rocky islands that dot the plain, where many animals find shelter. The most famous are Simba Kopjes, Moru Kopjes and Masai Kopjes which you can visit during the photo safari.
How to get to Serengeti national park
Though Serengeti national park is located in a remote corner of the planet, it is easily accessible. Most safari to Serengeti national park start from either Kilimanjaro International Airport and from here, both road and air means of transport can be used.
Getting to Serengeti national by Air
There are several domestic and charter airline offering domestic and chartered flights flying from Kilimanjaro International airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) to one of the seven airstrips found with in Serengeti national park, from Arusha to Serengeti it is a flight of approximately 1 to 5 hours.
Once you land at the airstrip, you will be picked by a representative of Focus East Africa Tours or the lodge staff and head to your accommodation with en-route game drive.
Getting to Serengeti national park by road
From Arusha city it is a drive of approximately 8 hours to Serengeti national park, it is advisable to use a 4×4 wheel vehicle.
