In many ways, the world famous crossings of the Mara River in the Northern Serengeti have become the iconic safari event. For sheer drama and scale it’s hard to beat the experience of watching thousands of wildebeest doggedly braving the swollen river – not to mention the monster crocodiles that live there.

However, in the rush to get to the heart of the action it’s worth understanding how the migration works from month to month and – as importantly in our view – which areas of the Serengeti are worth considering precisely because the migration has left town. Understanding which areas of this vast park have outstanding resident game year-round can reveal one or two real hidden gems that will keep you a step ahead of the crowds. 

The Mara River runs more or less along the border of Tanzania and Kenya, separating The Serengeti National Park from the Maasai Mara. This is where the main crossings happen in Tanzania and the majority of visitors to the Serengeti aim for the Kogatende area. This is partly because there are a number of well-used (wildebeest) crossing points here and partly because this is the only place where you can cross the Mara River by vehicle to the north bank (and the stunning Lamai Wedge). It’s also where the airstrip is.

On the other side of the river in Kenya’s Maasai Mara there are crossings not only of the Mara River but also the Talek and other tributaries of the main channel. While numbers of visitors to Northern Serengeti have increased significantly in recent years, in our experience the greatest chance to experience a crossing without being surrounded by hordes of other vehicles is still on the Serengeti side of the border.

When do crossings happen?

Exact timing of the migration is driven by the weather (an unusually wet or dry year can cause a variation in timing of weeks), however the wildebeest normally reach the Northern Serengeti by early July and by late July it’s safe to assume that crossings will be under way.

Unlike the Israelites crossing of The Red Sea, the Mara River crossings are not a single event, rather crossings happen throughout the dry season. Groups varying in size from a few hundred to tens of thousand cross the river in both directions between July and October in response to localized weather patterns (following the rain showers and therefore the fresh grazing). The last crossings happen in late October before the herds move south again.

What’s amazing is that the vast majority of animals make it across unscathed, but their troubles rarely end there; lion frequently wait in ambush to greet the swimmers.  If you’re after an action packed safari, this is it.

In recent years a small number of small very stylish lodges have sprung up in and around the Kogatende area of the Northern Serengeti. Lodges such as Nomad’s Lamai Serengeti offer an outstanding mixture of safari authenticity with real creative flair and all the trappings you’d expect of the best luxury hotels. These lodges are generally small, catering for around 30 guests at a time and there are a few of them well placed to get you to the heart of the action.

If you’re after the maximum safari flavour, our advice would be take the chance to spend at least a couple of days under canvas while in the Serengeti. Tented camps offer a wonderfully pure experience of one of the world’s foremost wildlife areas and ensure that you feel properly removed from your daily reality – something’s that increasingly hard to find these days. If you like the idea of camp fires, canvas and a real feeling of emersion in the wild, then this is the type of camp for you.

Choose between large walk in tents, great food and unrivalled personal service in luxury tented camps like Nomad’s Serengeti Safari Camp or – if you’re looking for something a little more simple, then a light tented camp is an excellent alternative.

Seasonal Camps - the migration moves... so do the camps

Seasonal camps relocate every few months so as to remain within striking range of the herds. It's important to realise that the camp wont move while you're staying. Between December and March expect to be in the Southern Serengeti close to the short grass plains of Ndutu. Between April and May many camps are located out to the west close to Moru Kopjes or the edge of the western corridor. Between July and late October expect to be in the far north of the Serengeti.

The herds return to the south any time from December, timing their arrival with the return of the rains. The plains cover many thousands of square miles, so the sense of space is overwhelming.  Off road driving is permitted in this area and you can drive for hours and never be out of sight – or sound - of wildebeest.

But the wildebeest are only one part of the experience. Aside from the newborn wildebeest calves, the plains are alive with young animals of all kinds from plains game, to the numerous predators that follow the migrating herds; lion, leopard, cheetah and in particular hyenas that thrive at this time of year.

For many people, safaris are synonymous with the dry season, but the scale of this event puts most wildlife spectacles in the shade. And compared to the harshness of the dry, this is a time of vivid green, and plenty.

After a period of plenty, spent happily grazing on the mineral-rich grasses of the southern Serengeti the wildebeest are feeling a little bit frisky and are ready for action. Expect cavorting, showmanship, standoffs, the odd head to head tussle and long, long lines of wildebeest, looking purposeful, but heading in totally different directions.  Also, at this time of year, you can expect not to see too many other tourists…which we really like.

The action tends to be focused on the south west of the Serengeti, with the herds moving in the direction of the Western Corridor and the central Serengeti. Moru Kopjes is particularly worth visiting at this time of year also.