Safari to Serengeti Southcentral

ancient palaeontology and Maasai culture

Serengeti Southcentral is one of the most overlooked parts of the greater Serengeti region. Although it is bisected by the main road north from the Ngorongoro Crater up to Serengeti, almost everyone simply tears past without appreciating what this wonderful locale has to offer.

The area contains substantial tracts of the short-grass plains that are so critical to the migration movement. It is also bisected by the Olduvai Gorge, with its world famous palaeontological sites. Perhaps most excitingly, this is the best place for experiencing genuine Maasai interaction and hospitality.

The main season for wildlife viewing is Dec-Apr, when the migration herds wander this way and that across these plains, chasing the showers and mowing up the nutritious short grasses, whilst giving birth to their calves en masse.

The adjacent Serengeti Southwest area may offer more consistent and predictable migration viewing, but it does host literally dozens of camps. In this area you may need to travel further to find the herds, but with there being only two small permanent camps, you have a much higher chance of being out there on your own.

During the converse May-Nov dry season months Serengeti Southcentral can be very dry and most of the wildlife moves off towards the forests of the Ndutu area or up into the Ngorongoro Highlands, but there’s always some giraffes, vervet monkeys and gazelles around, as well as the occasional cheetah.

At all times of year we almost always like to use the two camps here as staging posts on guided overland safaris between Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Even just a single night here can disproportionately enrich a trip.

Wildebeest migration

Of course the Serengeti is best known for its enormous wildebeest and zebra migration, in which close on 2.5 million herbivores munch their way along an 800 km route around the greater area, driven by the continuous search for drinking water and the quality of grazing.

The main body of the migration is formed by around 1.7 million wildebeest, who are rather dull-headed creatures. It’s the 500,000 zebras who appear to be the main decision makers in terms of routes and timings.

The migration is accessible for most of the year, although you do have to plan your safari to be in the right places at the right times.

The Serengeti Southcentral area usually hosts the migration during the Dec-Apr, when almost half a million female wildebeest choose to calve. This is generally considered to be one of the greatest of all wildlife spectacles. The tender wonders of new life are contrasted by the harsh realities of predator versus prey. The whole epic battle really is something to behold.

The Olduvai area and the surrounding plains tend to be slightly peripheral to the main migration action areas. Usually the herds base themselves further north, on the border between the short-grass and long-grass plains. But whenever there are sufficient rain showers this far south, the herds head down here to take advantage, making for the ultimate migration spectacle.

It’s virtually impossible to time your visit to hit the herds in this area, there’s always an element of luck, but it’s great when it comes off. For this reason we almost always combine a stay in Serengeti Southcentral during the migration season with nights in either or both of Serengeti Southwest and Serengeti Central.

Resident wildlife

The Serengeti Southcentral area is generally not very favourable for wildlife during the very long May-Nov dry season, so most of the wildlife is migratory to some extent.

Those animals which do not form part of the main migration tend to move either northwest towards the permanent lakes in the Ndutu area or south up into the Ngorongoro Highlands during this period.

Most of the animals which do remain tend to hang out in the shallow defile of the Olduvai Gorge, where they can be tracked on foot. We have spent many happy hours in the company of Maasai guides, creeping up to giraffes and playing the fool with vervet monkeys.

Out on the very arid plains, a few Thompson gazelles (Tommies) usually remain and, if you get lucky, you may encounter one of the area’s resident cheetahs.

We should also mention that when staying at one of the two camps here, you are almost certain to encounter rock hyraxes. Families of genets also occasionally raid into the kitchen and dining areas.

Traffic avoidance

Anyone who tells you that the Serengeti is “too busy” or “overdone” is simply admitting that they don’t know how to go about arranging a proper safari.

In truth almost all of the vehicle clustering takes place in predictable core areas and is very easily avoided. It’s estimated that at any time 95% of visitors to the Serengeti area are in only 10% of the land.

In Serengeti Southcentral the visitor traffic is only ever an issue on the main transit road and around the small museum at Olduvai Gorge. This is very easily avoided.

During the main migration season, if there are herds within sight of the main road, then vehicles may well peel off to go take a look. If there is predator action around, then this can lead to vehicle clustering, since it is so easy to see and follow other vehicles in these open landscapes. But head away from the main road in either direction and, chances are, you will have the place to yourselves, you and maybe 100,000 wildebeest.

As always, it’s very much up to you to make it clear to your guide quite how important avoiding other vehicles is to you.

Serengeti Southcentral tends to feature in just about every overland safari through this region. It only tends to be bypassed by returning guests who fly directly into the Serengeti and skip the Ngorongoro Crater.

The usual stay duration is 1-3 nights.

Seasonality

The Serengeti Southcentral area can be visited year round, since the landscape, palaeontological and cultural elements are constant.

During Dec-Mar this is one of the most important areas for the migration calving event.

Getting around

Virtually everyone visiting Serengeti Southcentral does so as part of a guided overland safari, so they travel to their camp and around the area in their private vehicle.

Where to stay

Deciding where to stay in Serengeti Southcentral is pretty simple, since there are only two options, Olduvai Camp and Olduvai Ndogo Camp, which offer all the same experiences.

migration calving during the Dec-Mar green season