Northern Serengeti, Mara River & Karibu River Camp II
Our time in Northern Serengeti was spent mainly focused on the Mara River and the Great Migration phenomenon. This is truly a sight to behold as millions of wildebeest, zebra, and others cross back and forth (yes they go both directions) following the scent of rains and food. We spent 2 full days here and it was well worth the extended time near the Mara.
Start Early!
Not only did this allow us to see the beautiful sunrise, but a lot of activity happens in the early morning (while it’s not as hot). That’s not to say that crossings only happen in the morning, because we certainly saw many in the mid-day. But other things we were able to view in the early morning were: a vulture feeding frenzy, much more active crocodile attacks during crossings, more frequent crossings, etc.
End Early!?
If you’re staying near the Mara River like we did (Karibu River Camp II) then I would suggest this as a great place to end your game drives a bit earlier, catch the beautiful sunset back at camp, and spend some time winding down and recouping energy. There are better places in Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire for predators, elephants, giraffes, cape buffalo, etc. For me, Northern Serengeti was all about the river crossings. If I were to go back, I would definitely bring a laptop and do some photo review/uploads in this downtime. It helps that River Camp was a very well-equipped and comfortable camp (each suite was actually on a concrete slab! rather than just flattened ground)
It’s a long drive up to the Mara river from Central Serengeti (~5 hours), and it’s the only place to view certain activities, so plan accordingly. They do have a small airport that is an option (definitely one I would consider next time!). Just don’t be like the visitors we heard about who only budgeted one morning game drive, didn’t see any river crossings, then scheduled a hot air-balloon ride on their only other day in the Northern Serengeti. I’d say 2 days minimum, maybe even three if you want a relaxed pace.
