THE MIGRATION: The Greatest Natural Show on Earth

&Beyond’s award-winning safari lodges and camps in East Africa provide guests with the perfect platform from which to witness one of the greatest wonders of the natural world — the annual Great Migration. A staggering 1.5 million wildebeest, 200 000 zebra and 500 000 Thomson’s gazelles, tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

&Beyond’s safari lodges in Kenya and Tanzania are perfectly situated on the path of the Great Migration. Depending on the exact time of year, guests visiting &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, Klein’s Camp, Serengeti Under Canvas or Kichwa Tembo can witness the largest land mammal migration on earth.

From January to March, vast herds of wildebeest gather to calve on the plains of the southern Serengeti whilst grazing on the nutritious short grass that appears after the November rains. At this time of year, guests at &Beyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge are perfectly positioned to view the birthing process on the nearby plains just 90 minutes away when the wildebeest cows synchronise their births over a period of three weeks.

In March, the migrating herds congregate for their journey towards the north-west in search of grazing prior to the long rains in the central Serengeti in April and May. The timing of the wildebeest calving is probably linked to the timing of the synchronised rut at the end of the rains in May and June.

Following the rains (typically June/July), the herds start heading north crossing the Grumeti River on their long journey toward the Mara. The long-grass plains and woodlands of the Western Corridor provide perfect grazing conditions after the rains. Guests at &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp are well placed to witness dramatic life-and-death crossings of a water-course renowned for its infestation by gigantic Nile crocodiles.

From Grumeti, the migration continues northwards passing behind and below &Beyond Klein’s Camp, a vital corridor linking the Serengeti and the Masai Mara which offers spectacular August migration sightings. In August and September, the migration crosses the Kenyan border into the rich pastures of the Mara. Guests at &Beyond Kichwa Tembo in Kenya are then afforded the opportunity of watching another dramatic and dangerous crossing of the Mara River.

The animals remain in the Mara where they graze for approximately two months until October/November. The arrival of the short rains is the signal for the vast herds to start the long journey southwards. They re-cross the Mara River, sweep back past Klein’s Camp and start moving slowly back to the calving grounds of the Serengeti’s southern plains, which are lush and green by the time they arrive. Here, in the new year, the miracle of mass birth unfolds once again and the twelve month cycle starts over.

The luxurious tented camps of &Beyond Serengeti Under Canvas move around the Park year round, bringing guests within reach of the Great Migration and exploring remote, beautiful corners of the Serengeti with excellent resident game. Using only private campsites, these migratory camps are entirely intimate and exclusive, featuring Tanzania’s most spacious safari tents.

As the migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing, which is in turn dependent on rainfall, the precise timing varies month by month and year by year. As a result, &Beyond cannot guarantee migration sightings. Expert guides will always try to place guests in the midst of the thronging wildebeest but, should they not appear when expected, their intimate knowledge of the ample resident game will ensure a rich game viewing experience.