Spend a day exploring the world-famous Serengeti

The Serengeti is world-famous for its Great Migration and large numbers of carnivores, making game drives in this UNESCO World Heritage Site a bucket-list experience. There are around 4,000 lions here, as well as cheetahs and leopards. On a full-day game drive you have a good chance of seeing the Big Five since we have a rhino project in the park. We’ll also spot everything from hyenas to various antelopes, giraffes and crocodiles in the Grumeti River. That’s not to mention the many species of birds, including the migratory flamingos and pelicans that can gather on Lake Meru.

You never know what you might see on a game drive in the Serengeti. One day, I was guiding a group and we were lucky enough to spot three lionesses take down a zebra on the riverbank. To our surprise, a Nile crocodile grabbed the zebra’s foot and tried to pull him into the water. That was when a lioness gave out a loud roar, like an alarm, and two males from the pride arrived, attacking the crocodile as he swiped his tail at them. Eventually, the crocodile dived into the water and the lions roared with triumph. To finish off this amazing wildlife sighting, the lioness went into the bush and collected some tiny cubs, we were all completely awe-struck.

If you visit during December to March, you’ll get to see the wildebeest calving in the southern Serengeti. They give birth here because the short grass makes it easy for the babies and mothers to see each other. The herds can stay here for two months before moving into the woodland area – it’s a very special experience seeing the baby wildebeest and this crucial stage in their migration cycle. If you visit later in the year, you can follow the wildebeest and zebra as they migrate north towards the Maasai Mara. By June you can see huge herds crossing at the Grumeti River, it’s unbelievable.

On a full-day game drive, we’ll head out after breakfast and take a picnic hamper to enjoy at lunch time. The Serengeti has a lot of scenic picnic sites where we can take a break before continuing our game drive, ending the afternoon with a sundowner in the bush. I think the Serengeti is a must-visit in Tanzania – it has such diverse, beautiful eco-systems to explore, from vast plains with kopjes where carnivores live to woodlands where leopards hunt and riverine areas home to baboons and hippos. You never get tired of visiting the Serengeti, it’s one of the world’s most incredible natural gifts.