Seronera and South Central Serengeti Plains is one of the different safari areas of Serengeti national park, Seronera also referred to as Seronera Valley is the Central Serengeti lies at the heart of the park and is the most popular region in the park for its abundant wildlife, large numbers of cats and scenic landscapes dominated by acacia savannah.
Seronera and its resident wildlife is fantastic year-round destination and in the months of April to June and October to December – the herds of the Great Migration pass through the area and this is when it is at its peak.
Seronera is located in the South – central region of Serengeti national park and is one of the most popular areas in the park known as the Big Cat Capital of Africa. Seronera is rich in lion, leopard and cheetah which are often spotted during Serengeti game drives.
Seronera is a home to one of the densest populations of the big Cats in Africa with lions often spotted on the Kopjes (rocky outcrops) and the Serengeti plains – the open savannah south of the Seronera River are the prime cheetah territory.
Other animals that can be spotted in Seronera include elephants, hippos, crocodiles, jackals, bat-eared foxes, impalas, topis among others inhabiting in the area’s varied habitats of rivers, swamps, Kopjes and grasslands.
Seronera valley is the site of the oldest tourist lodge in Serengeti national park and is also the site for the visitor information Center which includes a small museum, coffee shop, and picnic area and staff village. Seronera Valley / area is also a site for a cluster of campsites and safari lodges near the Visitors’ Center, the area is well known for the fascinating and thrilling Balloon safaris and is truly Serengeti Central.
WILDLIFE VIEWING IN SERONERA & SOUTHCENTRAL SERENGETI PLAINS
Most of the safari in Seronera and South Central Serengeti plains are concentrated along the Seronera River and with excellent sightings of lions, the riverbank is a home to one of the world’s densest population of leopards. The sausage trees and umbrella thorns around the river rank among the best places in Africa to search for leopards, there are few tall trees for the leopards – elusive creatures to hide very well.
Several lion prides in the area have also taken refuge to the tree regularly in the recent years most especially during the rains, seeing them is a very special sight. There are Kopjes near Seronera which also offer excellent sightings of lions regularly, most especially The Moru Kopjes which provides very good sightings of lions and cheetahs. This area also hosts around 25 black rhinos.
The vast plains South of the Seronera Valley often known as the Serengeti plains offer excellent cheetah sightings, ecologically these plains run immediately southeast from Seronera forming a continuum with the Ndutu and Ngorongoro Crater Area which comprises of open grassland dotted with several clusters of koppies. The plains raise towards the Kamuyo Hills west of the Seronera River and are good for spotted hyenas, cheetah and elephants.
Seronera is fed by the Mbalageti River situated immediately northeast of Moru Koppies, the small, saline Lake Magadi meaning soda or salt locally often supports large numbers of aquatic birds including thousands of flamingoes. There is also the Retima Hippo Pool which is a home to up to 100 hippos which can be seen basking near the confluence of the Seronera and Grumeti river about 15 kilometers north of the park’s headquarters.
Accommodation Seronera & southcentral Serengeti
Seronera & Southcentral plains of safari area of Serengeti national park offers numerous safari camps and lodges, although a lot of the accommodation options are larger and more commercial, there are also some lovely and relatively remote tented camps notably on the main plains to the Southeast.
These accommodations include
- Namiri plains
- Four Seasons
- Dunia Camp
- Siringit Serengeti Camp
- Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp
- Roving Bushtops
- Nasikia Ehlane Plains Camp
- &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas
- One Nature Nyaruswiga
