The name comes from the Maasai word siringet — the place where the land runs on forever. Stand on a kopje in the southern plains during the green season and you understand immediately: grass to every horizon, broken only by the dark lines of moving herds.
The Serengeti covers almost 15,000 square kilometres, and together with the neighbouring reserves it forms one of the largest intact ecosystems on the planet. It is the stage for the Great Migration, but it is also home to resident wildlife all year round: lions in the Seronera valley, leopards draped over sausage trees, cheetahs scanning the plains from termite mounds.
A landscape of seasons
From December to March the herds gather on the short-grass plains of the south to give birth. By May they are pushing west through the Western Corridor, and from July to October they reach the north, where the Mara River crossings draw photographers from around the world.
The Serengeti doesn't reward hurry. It rewards those who wait, watch and let the day unfold.
Our advice is simple: stay longer than you think you need. Three nights in the Serengeti lets you explore two different areas, follow a story over several days, and experience the quiet hours when most vehicles have left.
Whatever the month, the Serengeti is never empty. It is simply moving — and the joy of a safari is moving with it.
