Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge
Serian’s Serengeti is a mobile camp which, from mid-December to May, is set up on the southernmost extreme of the Serengeti’s short grass plains: prime position to spectate the wildebeest birthing season. Dramatic savannah storms sweep in nourishment and new life, and an innate primordial urge pulls the wildebeest to the site of their origins to reproduce. The plains literally come to life for the birthing season. Millions of gnus and zebra dominate the landscape, looking for the fresh green grass that follows the first rains – and to give birth to their young.
This part of the world is remarkable for its sheer mind-boggling immensity: think unending savannah, massive vaulted skies – and 2 million wildebeest giving birth to 400,000 calves within a period of 3 to 4 weeks. It’s vastness and numbers on a scale that stretches the boundaries of the imagination.
Birthing season aside, the camp has access to a million acres of a stunning acacia-dotted conservation area – an incredible environment for exploring. Just south is Lake Eyasi: home to the camp’s Hadzabe and Ndorobo guides, who have centuries of bush craft at their fingertips. Being among these people and their ways is one of the best things about this spot: they can open your eyes to the secrets of this beautiful space.
Traditional Safari Tents
Six large ensuite tents, decorated in classic safari style with large beds and opulent rugs. Swathes of cotton soften the luxuriant bedroom furniture whilst the bathroom houses flush toilets, safari showers and vases of wild flowers conjure up idyllic East Africa.
The custom-made tents have two skins with shade cloth softening the heat of the noonday sun. All tents are positioned to take advantage of the camps immense views north over the Lamai Wedge.
The bathrooms offer organic toiletries made in Kenya by Cinnabar Green and each tent has its own dedicated 240-volt power outlets so that you can charge your batteries and devices at any time of day.
Tented Suites
A suite comprises two separate tents joined by a communal living space – and we’ve found that families especially value this balance of proximity and privacy. With parents in one half and kids in the other, each has their own ensuite bathroom – and if needs be, a third child can sleep in the living room.
By day, the living room is ideal for lounging and reading, lazy snoozing, playing board games or sorting through the day’s photos… In short, anything that entails spreading out and relaxing in a comfortable space.
While couples travelling together might find the arrangement a little too cozy, single friends on safari can enjoy the luxury of having their own space, but being close enough together not to fear those night noises that always seem louder when alone…
Game Drives
The cornerstone of a safari experience at Serian is that each group has their own open-top safari vehicle, and their own dedicated guide and spotter. The freedom this grants you is key to getting the most out of your stay: go where the day takes you, without the limitations of fixed schedules, or fitting in with other peoples’ plans. Nothing but personal desire need dictate what you do.
Our vehicles are specially customized to be a climbing frame, and a photographer’s extra tool. They are comfortable, able to handle the terrain, and cover the distance…. And were designed for sun, rain, wind, and above all, the feeling of having as little as possible separating you from what’s out there.
Our guides and spotters are intimately familiar with these special places, so they know all its secrets and the ways the animals interact with it, from the subtle changes of the seasons, to the stages of an animal’s lifecycle, to the flora that sustains it all – they are the key that can unlock it all for you.
Early Morning Walks
Although ‘Walker’ really is Alex’s surname, being born to such an identity turns out to have been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Spending his childhood days out on foot with his father’s trackers, then turning this into a full-time career as soon as he possibly could, Alex’s passion is walking, and it is without a doubt his preferred method of accessing the bush.
Walking safaris epitomisze the golden chance to get away from the trails and beaten tracks, and immerse in the environment in a way that the noise and speed of vehicles don’t permit. Once you slow down, there’s a whole world that you never noticed before. The beauty of walking is that it engenders an appreciation of an ecosystem’s sheer perfection: every tiny element has its place and plays its role.
Stripping away the layers between you and an untamed setting beckons forth your primal instincts: your hearing, sight and smell all sharpen in response – and your appreciation of what you perceive is heightened as a result.
You could hardly find a better spot than Serian’s Serengeti South for extensive exploration on foot. The wide-open landscape and spectacular scenery, combined with the incredible perspective offered by your Hadzabe and Mangati guides, makes for a beautiful experience. You will likely be in the company of Mzee Nyuki, who will show you his bee-hives and teach you all about medicinal plants as you mosey along.
Adventure Flycamping
First off, a disclaimer: flycamping has nothing to do with flying. Rather, it takes its name from sleeping in the bush under nothing more than a flysheet, as was the camping tradition before the luxury-laden era of ‘glamping’ arrived.
The premise is that you spend the days walking, and the nights sleeping out in light weight tents, in a makeshift camp that moves each day – the end of each day’s walk brings you to your new site for the night.
Flycamping can easily be incorporated into your stay with us, with some nights spent in our main camp before and after – and in fact, we can’t recommend it enough. It can add a whole new dimension to your experience, and a taste of the wilderness that few others ever encounter.
Night Game Drives
For so many, the definition of a night drive has come to be a quick scan around with spotlights en route back to camp after sundowners. For us though, it’s an exploration of the enigmatic nightlife that we are oblivious to as we sit around the dinner table and proceed to bed. Nocturnal creatures emerge, the heavens are festooned with stars, and the landscape mutates into a whole other world by the light of the moon.
Take a flask of soup and a picnic dinner and set out with a spotlight: if nothing else, the solitude and silence by starlight is reason enough in itself. Using red-filtered bulbs to avoid dazzling the animals, scan the plains for that pride of lion looking ready to hunt. Once you’ve spotted them, switch to infrared floodlights, and watch the scene unfold through our infrared cameras. This is as close as you’ll get to invisibility, watching the wildlife without the fact of your presence affecting it.
LOCATION
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• Preferred airstrip: Mwiba.
• S 3° 20' 20''
• E 35° 1' 28.341''
QUICK FACTS
• OPEN 15th DECEMBER TO 1st MAY.
• Set in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, on the southernmost tip of the short-grass plains.
• 6 spacious and comfortable tents with a view over the wildebeest calving grounds.
• Each has an en-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet and bucket shower.
• 24-hour electricity powered by generator.
• 1.8 million wildebeest giving birth to 3-400,000 calves in the space of 3-4 weeks, and all of the predators feasting on this glut of prey.
• The chance to see a resident pack of wild dog.
• Off-road driving, night drives and the opportunity to walk with Hadzabe hunter-gatherers make this a very special place.
• Close to Seketeti Escarpment, a 3,000 ft dropoff to Lake Eyasi, which we use as our flycamping spot.
• Hosted dining family style in the elegant candlelit mess tent.
• Exclusive use of 4WD Safari vehicle and dedicated guide and spotter.
For more information on Serian's Serengeti South click HERE
To see a video on Serian's Serengeti South click HERE
