A visit to Tanzania almost always means going on a safari trip to view the world’s most amazing wildlife animals.
Considered as the best safari venue in the country, the Serengeti National Park – Tanzania has some of the largest concentrations of Africa’s wildlife. The park welcomes almost a hundred thousand tourists every year.
Location
Serengeti National Park – Tanzania is situated within the northern section of the country.
It is bordered by the Tanzanian and Kenyan borders on its northern side, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area on its southeastern side and the Maswa Game Reserve on its southwestern side.
Getting There
Flying in is via the Kilimanjaro International Airport about sixty kilometers off the city center of Arusha.
From Arusha, you can either take a transfer flight which lands at the Seronera Airstrip right in the center of Serengeti. Your other option is via a private car hire service.
The drive from Arusha to Serengeti will take approximately eight hours, with a distance of around three hundred and twenty-five kilometers.
What to See and Do
A visit to the Serengeti National Park – Tanzania will give you the opportunity to view some of the most amazing animals in the world: lions, African leopards, African elephants, black rhinos and African buffalos.
It is said that this national park actually has the largest concentration of lions in the continent, approximately three thousand in all. The African leopards in the park on the other hand, number about a thousand.
Other animals that you might come across with are cheetahs, elands, gazelles, giraffes, African wild dogs, topi, hyenas, impalas and baboons.
Birds include ostrich, Kori bustard, crowned crane, eagles, secretary bird, storks, a scattering of vultures and lovebirds.
Exploring the park also gives you plenty of opportunities to take as many pictures as you want.
Brief History
The Serengeti National Park – Tanzania was founded in the year 1951. In 1892, a German explorer by the name of Dr. Oscar Baumann explored the area that is now covered by the park.
During his expedition here, he killed 3 rhinoceroses. In the year 1913, a Briton by the name of Stewart Edward White also explored the area. He came back some time in the 1920s and this time, he and his group shot fifty lions.
Prompted by the dwindling number of lions as a result of hunting expeditions, a Game Reserve was established in the year 1921, covering an area of about 3.2 square kilometers.
The Game Reserve and the continuous hunting expeditions initiated the establishment of the national park to protect and preserve the wildlife living here.
Cost
Entry fee to the Serengeti National Park – Tanzania is around US$ 50 for each person, per day; for vehicles, US$ 30 for each vehicle, per day; and for camping, US$ 30 for each tent, per day.
Other Information
Visitors are not allowed to come too close to any of the animals in the park, pick flowers or plants, littering and driving more than 50 kilometers per hour. Pets and firearms are also not allowed inside the premises.
