To get the most out of a wildebeest migration safari you need to know where the best places along the migration route are, the times you need to be in certain areas and who the top migration safari companies are.
The Best Spots On the Migration Route
Have you ever seen those wildlife documentaries that show masses of wildebeest swimming across a river being shadowed and sometimes dragged under by huge crocodiles or drowning because of the crush and fatigue?
And those wildebeest that do make it across safely sometimes fail at the last hurdle because the bank is too steep and slippery with mud for them to reach the top even though they make a huge effort to do so.
This all forms part of the incredible wildebeest migration that takes part every year in the Serengeti and Masai Mara game reserves in East Africa.
The best spots to see spectacles like the ones described above are at the Grumeti river in the western corridor of the Serengeti because this is the first major river the hordes of wildebeest need to cross in their quest for sweeter grazing in the north.
And the massive crocodiles are waiting...
The second and last major river they need to cross before they get to the Masai Mara reserve is the Mara and this is also an excellent vantage point from which to watch the drama play out.
But something that few people know is that there is another part of the wildebeest migration that is just as incredible as the actual trek north.
And this is the annual foaling of about 400 000 wildebeest calves all in about a three week period early in the year.
This is also an awesome spectacle and the best spot to experience this is the southern Serengeti in February. You are also bound to see a lot of the predators like lion, hyena, leopard and cheetah take advantage of this food bonanza.
Timing Is Everything With the Wildebeest Migration
So how is it possible for a million wildebeest to just disappear?
This is a question that gets asked reasonably often by people who go to the Serengeti to see the migration but get the timing wrong and then they fail to find the huge herds.
The answer is that the million wildebeest are still there but they are spread out across a wide area on the Serengeti plains so it just seems like there are fewer of them because they aren't ready to mass for the trip up north yet.
So how can you make sure you get the timing right?
It's extremely difficult to predict when the migration will occur because it's all dependant on the rain. And the rain comes at different times each year but it is possible to make a rough estimate based on past occurrences so if you are in the Central Serengeti in April-May you should start to see them move northwest towards the Grumeti controlled area.
In June you will find them doing their death defying swim across the Grumeti river and soon after in August they attempt to ford the Mara river in the north to reach the life sustaining grassland of the Masia Mara in Kenya.
In November-December the migration starts to move southwards towards the Serengeti plains again to capitalise on the fresh grasses that have grown there in the interim.
Top Wildebeest Migration Safari Companies
A very important decision you need to make if you want to experience the wildebeest migration successfully concerns the safari company that you choose to guide you.
It's very easy to become confused because there are so many operators in the market.
Make sure they are a reputable company by getting recommendations from previous travellers that have been on safari with them in Serengeti wildebeest migration trip reports.
You can also check their membership in various safari associations - KATO - Kenya Association of Tour Operators, TATO - Tanzania Association of Tour Operators and ATTA - African Travel and Tourism Association.
And lastly make sure that they can satisfactorily answer all your questions about their payment, refund and cancellation policies and what the exact itenirary will be.
Choosing the wrong company for your wildebeest migration safari can be disastrous.
Make the right choice of wildebeest migration companies by using the Top Three Serengeti migration operators list which ranks the best companies according to their past performance.
The Top Three Honeymoon Safari Companies List ranks the best of the best honeymoon safari operators by using trip reports from previous travellers.
Any vacations in Africa will not be complete without going... Read More
Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but... Read More
Summer is for picnics, hikes, outdoor concerts, barbeques ... and... Read More
In The city of Arcadia California, right next door to... Read More
The thing with enjoying the great outdoors is seeing aspects... Read More
Inflatable boats are made from flexible material, usually rubber, canvas,... Read More
Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More
If you've been dreaming of traveling the highways in your... Read More
Why should you use hiking poles is perhaps the first... Read More
Backpacking is a great way to escape the rat race... Read More
An African honeymoon safari is the perfect way to celebrate... Read More
For most people, outdoor cooking is synonymous with barbeque, but... Read More
Have you taken up hiking as a new form of... Read More
If you love the thrill and adventure of kayak travel,... Read More
One afternoon during a trip across the country in our... Read More
Okay, it wasn't quite a sleeping bag. However, it was... Read More
SAFE WALKING TREKKING OUTDOORSIf you are contemplating a long distance... Read More
Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures.com is pleased... Read More
The most famous Egyptian pyramids to be built are the... Read More
With so many different designs, packing a backpack will vary... Read More
Are you sick and tired of not knowing what to... Read More
Picture this. You are stuck at home knee deep in... Read More
We've all heard about whalewatching from boats or shore, and... Read More
A saddle is a static object, but your horse is... Read More
So unknown is this treasure of Lake Jipe not many... Read More
Sharklife.co.za has been fighting an ongoing for the protection of... Read More
Directly south of Louisville, just off Interstate 65 and not... Read More
Spain offers the visitor over 4,000 kms of coastline where... Read More
There are two types of used inflatable boats for sale... Read More
The beautiful Salmon River stretches through over 400 miles of... Read More
One morning in mid summer, I headed out for some... Read More
HOW ARE MINERALS FORMED?MINERALS are naturally occuring, inorganic solids, with... Read More
Rafting through the Grand Canyon is the experience of a... Read More
Last week in Australia, one man's day at beach could... Read More
Recently I attended a Boy Scout Leader Roundtable meeting where... Read More
Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but... Read More
If your aim is not good, or is not quite... Read More
Eulogised as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Cochin, Kerala's... Read More
Holidays in India, awesome in her size and diversity. This... Read More
Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk... Read More
Packing in general can be a hassle. But when going... Read More
The Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok, conducted on very rare... Read More
HOW ARE MINERALS FORMED?MINERALS are naturally occuring, inorganic solids, with... Read More
If you you find yourself saying "Hey, that's a good... Read More
Costa Rica is a small country - just 75 mi/120... Read More
Eaton Canyon Natural Area Nature Center, entrance, 1750 N. Altadena... Read More
The Cairns Fishing Adventure A Great Australia Road TripYou love... Read More
WHAT TO FISH AND WHERE: Alaska offers some of the... Read More
Costa Rica's mountainous topography and copious rainfall are both responsible... Read More
Spain: sun, sea, sand and Spanish... discover us! Spain, a... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
If you love the thrill and adventure of kayak travel,... Read More
Today Bookpleasures and Sketchandtravel are pleased to have as our... Read More
For most people, outdoor cooking is synonymous with barbeque, but... Read More
Sun, Sand and Surf ? an apt description for Goa?... Read More
Once described in a 1950 article as "The Town That... Read More
Simply sitting and watching birds is a popular hobby around... Read More
Up to now the preponderant view held by many historians... Read More
Directly south of Louisville, just off Interstate 65 and not... Read More
A Botswana safari is an excellent trip to undertake because... Read More
If you're a birder, you want to keep a list... Read More
Inflatable boats are made from flexible material, usually rubber, canvas,... Read More
Six different islands in Hawaii are open to tourism. Most... Read More
Paul Scott Mower once said, "There is nothing like walking... Read More
Before you take off on that great outdoor adventure, be... Read More
We love spending time outdoors and if you are expecting... Read More
Outdoors |