It is described as an appointment with a date. It isn’t. It is a continuous movement within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, following the rain and the fresh grass. The right question is not when to go, but where the herds will be when you travel.
December to March: the southern plains
The herds move down to the short-grass plains around Ndutu, within the Ngorongoro area. The grass is rich in calcium, which the lactating females need.
Around February most of the year’s young are born, over a period of about three weeks. The plains are open and offer little cover: it is the time of year with the highest concentration of predators.
April and May: heading west
With the long rains the herds move towards the centre and the west. These are the least visited months: difficult tracks, camps closing, unpredictable movements. On the other hand, the parks are empty and prices fall.
June to July: the Grumeti
The herds move north-west and face their first water obstacle, home to crocodiles of considerable size. The crossings are less spectacular than those of the Mara, but far less crowded with vehicles.
July to September: the Mara River
This is the moment for photographs. The herds reach the northern Serengeti and cross the Mara, back and forth, sometimes several times. In September some move into Kenya’s Masai Mara, while many remain on the Tanzanian side.
A difference worth knowing: the Kenyan side has capacity for more than five thousand visitors, while the Tanzanian side has only a few tented camps. The same spectacle, very different tourist pressure.
One thing no one can promise
No one can guarantee a river crossing. The wildebeest decide when to cross, sometimes after hours of waiting on the bank, sometimes never at that spot. Anyone who puts it in a contract is selling something they don’t control.
