The Seronera Valley – Central Serengeti
The landscape is simple stunning with endless plains, studded with umbrella acacia. These plains are ideal for witnessing cheetah hunting, particularly when prey is abundant as the migration passes through.
At Off the Beaten Path Safaris, we love taking clients to the central Serengeti. From April to June, the central Serengeti shines as the migration turns northwards. Here in the Seronera Valley, you can view resident wildlife year round. But at this time of year, the central Serengeti is really at its peak for wildlife viewing.
While we can game drive enroute from either Ngorongoro or Lake Manyara the prior day, it is also possible for you to take a short flight into the Seronera Airstrip to cut down on transit time. It is not uncommon to witness herds of zebra, wildebeest and antelopes from the air, before even landing in the Serengeti. There is a wide range of lodging options, allowing us to book you to stay at any type of accommodation that you desire.
Highlights of the Seronera Valley
The landscape is simple stunning with endless plains, studded with umbrella acacia. These plains are ideal for witnessing cheetah hunting, particularly when prey is abundant as the migration passes through.
The Seronera Valley of Central Serengeti is considered the “Big Cat Capital of Africa” – this region is really known for the large numbers of resident lion, leopard and cheetah living here. Along the Seronera River one can often spot lion hunting and leopards resting in the branches of the sausage trees.
Mokoma Hill is another spot in the area where there is a great opportunity to witness prey-predator action. Here cheetah, lion and hyena may be found fighting over their catch of the day.
Moru, Maasai and Simba Kopjes are beautiful huge granite rock structures where you can often see prides of lions and get some spectacular photographs.
Approximately 10 km from the airstrip, Turner’s Springs is considered an excellent location to witness lions, particularly during the dry season. There are 3 prides of lions being studied by the Serengeti Lion Project in this area.
This region is home to the Retina pool, which in our opinion is the best hippo pool in all of the Serengeti. Not only will you see vast numbers of hippos all huddled together floating in the water in their typical fashion, you are likely to see other wildlife including crocodiles basking in the sun on the shore.
