About Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park lies within Tanzania. Serengeti National Park budget travel offers a way to experience the wonders of Africa's most famous game park situated in Tanzania.

Serengeti National Park Budget Travel

Serengeti National Park budget travel is very easy with great value for money backpacking tours and fantastic highlights. Below is useful information on Serengeti National Park to help you plan your budget holiday in Serengeti National Park. We offer a variety of budget tours and backpacking advice in Serengeti National Park.

Airports

Serengeti National Park airports include:
• Kilimanjaro International Airport
• Private camp airstrips

Birdlife

Serengeti birdlife is rich and diverse, with a large number of birds to be seen across various habitats. The park is home to over 500 bird species, ranging from the huge ostrich and secretary birds of the open grassland, to the eagles that soar above the Lobo Hills. Habitats range from open grasslands to acacia woodlands with small numbers of wetlands.

Conservation

Started in the 1900’s, Serengeti National Park conservation is one of the oldest parks in Africa. The park is home to a large abundance of game, including a number of threatened or endangered species, and with Tanzania’s strict laws against poaching and illegal hunting, game populations are healthy and well preserved.

Culture

Serengeti National Park cultures include:
• Maasai clothing and jewellery are very distinctive
• Maasai herding has been an ancient tradition since the tribes beginnings
• Crafts are a key cultural pastime of all tribes
• Music and dance plays a key role in many cultures

Customs

Tanzania customs includes free import of:
• 250g of tobacco, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars
• 1 bottle of alcoholic beverages
• 1 pint of perfume

Health

Serengeti National Park health risks are fairly low; however as Tanzania is a third world country precautions should be taken to ensure a healthy and safe trip. The most common ailments are upset tummies, so to be on the safe side, stick to bottled water. Malaria is rife in many areas, and other insect carried illnesses include tick bite fever and sleeping sickness, so take care to protect yourself against insects.

AIDS

Serengeti National Park HIV/AIDS precautions include the following:
• Don’t ever share needles or syringes
• Practice safe sex at all times
• Equipment should be sterilized
• If you require self-administered injections, take an adequate supply of your own needles

Vaccinations

The following Serengeti National Park inoculations are required:
• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Polio
• Rabies

Languages

Serengeti National Park languages include the following:
• Swahili
• Datoga
• Iraqw
• Omotik
• English

Malaria

Serengeti National Park malaria medication includes the following:
• Mefloquine (Lariam)
• Doxycycline
• Atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone)

Money

Serengeti National Park money and banking info includes:
• ATMs and banks can be found in Kilimanjaro and towns within this region
• Travellers cheques can be exchanged at large hotels
• Some shops and restaurants accept US Dollars
• Be prepared and get cash when you are in the nearest city before leaving for the park

People

Serengeti National Park people include:
• Masai
• Iraqw
• Kuria
• Hadzebe

Phrase

Serengeti National Park local phrases in Swahili include:
• Hello/welcome! - Jambo!
• No problem - Hakuna matata!
• Thank you very much - Asante Sana
• What is the price? - Bei gani?
• I don't understand - Sielewi

Vaccinations

The following Serengeti National Park inoculations are required:
• Yellow Fever
• Hepatitis A & B
• Typhoid
• Polio
• Rabies

Plants

Serengeti National Park plants range from dry scrub and grasslands to huge towering baobabs, with a range of thorny trees dotted across the plains. In hot dry months the plains are golden; however after the rain the plains are refreshed and green grass dotted with meadow flowers can be seen across the plains.

Religion

Serengeti National Park religion groups include the following:
• Indigenous beliefs
• Christian

Safety Tips

• Serengeti is home to a number of potentially dangerous wild animals
• Stay in your car during game drives and listen to your guide’s instructions at all times
• Never try and feed or touch any game ' you may risk an attack, and human interference is not permitted
• There are no camps within the park as human habitation is not permitted ' make sure you leave the park before gates close!
• Do not leave valuables lying around in plain sight, as this could be tempting for locals who are battling poverty

Transport

Serengeti National Park local transport options include:
• 4x4 safari vehicle
• Plane

Travel Books

Serengeti National Park recommended travel books:
• The Tourist Map of the Serengeti National Park by Veronica Roodt
• Serengeti National Park by Lisa Westberg Peters
• The Birds Of Serengeti National Park by D. Schmidl
• Woody Vegetation of the Serengeti National Park by Dennis Herlocker
• Imagining Serengeti: A History of Landscape Memory in Tanzania from Earliest Time to the Present by Jan Bender Shetler

Visa Requirements

Get more information on visas in Tanzania

What To Buy

• Plug adapter for US and UK travelers
• Serengeti bird and wildlife guide and a current map of the park
• Sturdy backpack plus a good moneybag to keep valuables safe
• First aid kit stocked with basic supplies and medicines
• Sleeping bag and camping mattress if you are on an overland tour

What To Pack

• Neutral safari clothing in lightweight fabrics
• Comfortable walking or hiking shoes plus sandals for indoor use
• Warm jacket for cooler nights or colder days
• Camera plus spare batteries, film or memory and binoculars
• Sunglasses, sunhat and high factor sunscreen

When To Go

• The best months for game viewing in the south are from December to March
• The Annual Wildebeest Migration starts around the time of the short November rains
• June to October are best for the west and north parts near the Masai Mara/Serengeti border

Wildlife

Serengeti National Park wildlife offers some of the best game viewing in the world, and one of the most famous safari experiences includes the incredible Annual Wildebeest Migration where a million or so wildebeest and thousands of zebra make their way across the Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara. Other game to be seen includes lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, cheetah, giraffe and many other species.