SEEING THE GREAT MIGRATION
I want to see the Great Migration in Tanzania. Please advise on accommodation, travel and the best times to visit. — Pops Maharaj
In June, a couple of wildebeest on the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania will begin trekking in search of water. That action will trigger the annual Great Migration, which sees some two million plains game — zebra, wildebeest, eland and gazelles — begin a circular trek from Tanzania to southern Kenya, where they will eat grass for five months before trekking south again.
The big herds are most likely to be found in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, from where they will trek to the Mara River and swim across it into Kenya around August and September.
The crossing of the Grumeti River normally takes place on the return journey, around May and June.
The best way to experience the migration is to pay for a package tour that will include flights from South Africa and accommodation.
Various companies offer trips to the Maasai Mara. You might find a cheaper deal by using local operators but you will still have to fly yourself to Kenya/Tanzania.
It will be less hassle, though costly, to use a South African tour operator such as &Beyond (andbeyond.com). Their “Fly Me Around East Africa” package includes free flights between camps when you book seven nights at &Beyond’s lodges in Kenya or Tanzania. Seven nights at a combination of lodges is from $9 840 between June and September.
A cheaper option is to use online bookings outfit Safari Bookings (safaribookings.com/tours/masai-mara), which markets safaris in Africa. The site’s current Great Migration offerings include a three-day, semi-luxury safari for R8 797, as well as a three-day budget safari for R3 925. Both exclude flights.