How close can safari vehicles get to the migration herds?
How close can safari vehicles get to the migration herds? While on a wildebeest migration safari tour, you will witness wildlife just a few meters away from your safari vehicle. While on your wildebeest safari adventure, your experienced safari drive will ensure you have the best experience. While following the park guidelines, the driver guide usually positions the safari vehicle at a point where you have an advantage of capturing the scenic migration unfolding up close. Wildlife viewing during the wildebeest migration safari is truly remarkable as you will view the large mammals just a few meters away from your safari vehicle. For big cat lovers, there is an opportunity to witness these majestic cats either in action or just a few meters away from your safari vehicle. At time, big cats especially lions come and take a rest under the vehicle while you are inside.
How close can safari vehicles get to the migration herds? Unlike other big game like elephants that are aggressive in nature and usually charge at the safari vehicles, wildebeest and zebras are peaceful. Since they are peaceful it is possible to even move much closer to the migrating herds during safaris. If by now you are still wondering if the videos you have watched on YouTube about the wildebeest migration are an optical illusion or reality? When it comes to wildebeest migration safaris, there is nothing like an optical illusion as you can view wildebeest as close as 5 meters away.
What happens during the Wildebeest Migration?
The Great Wildebeest Migration is a spectacular natural phenomenon that attracts visitors from all over the world. During the wildebeest migration, over 1.5 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles move across the Serengeti Mara ecosystem in search for water and pasture. This natural migration is also known as ‘‘the greatest show on earth.’’ The migration unfolds in different phases which take place in different locations across Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve. This migration happenes year round, although when planning a wildebeest migration safari tour, it is important to understand which phase of the migration you would love to witness and the time of the year it happens.
Some of the popular wildebeest migration phases include; the Calving season ( January-March), Western corridor and central Serengeti journey (March – June), and the dramtic river crossing (June to October). Depending on what phase you are interested in witnessing on your wildebeest migration safari holiday tour, our experienced experts will help craft the best itinerary for you.
How will i see the wildebeest migration? How close can safari vehicles get to the migration herds?
Wildebeest Migration safaris are usually conducted on customized safari vehicles that allow for clear view of wildlife and enough space for photography. If you are wondering how you will see the wildebeest migration? And How close your safari vehicle will get to the migrating herds? Here is all you need to know;
Wildebeest migration safaris in Kenya and Tanzania are best done on customized 4*4 safari vehicles with a pop up roof and clear windows that will allow you to view wildlife on your tour. The migration does not happen only once but it is continuous. Your driver guide will drive you to a good spot where you can have better viewing opportunities of the large herds of the migrating mammals. Although it is unlikely of your driver guide will position the vehicle in the way of the migrating mammals, it will be positioned just a few meters away from the mammals.
For those interested in witnessing the dramatic river crossings, it is important to get good spots where you can witness these dramatic crossings.
You’ll be able to view the large herds from the car windows and the pop-up roof of your safari vehicle. It is really rewarding witnessing this natural phenomenon unfold in the Serengeti Mara system.
Timing your visit depending on what phase of the migration you want to experience: The best time to go on a wildebeest migration safari
When planning a migration safari tour, one of the most import things to consider is the time of the year. The best time of to go on a Wildebeest Migration safari is during the long dry season between July and September. Although this long dry season is the best time for going on a wildebeest migration safari, wildebeest migration is a year round event and can be experience all year round.
Different months & phases of the wildebeest migration
The journey Back to the southern Serengeti (December and January)
By November, the wildebeest herds move southwards, crossing over to the northern Serengeti. From here, the herds continue with their journey through the central Serengeti and the western corridor. The herds start arriving in southern Serengeti National Park and by January the large herds arrive in the Ndutu area and Ngorongoro plains, following the rains.
The calving Season (January to March)
From January to March is always the calving phase of the wildebeest and most of them give birth. Over 500,000 calves are born each day replenishing the lost lives during the migration.