Tarangire National park, famous for the huge and beautiful Baobab trees with nighttime opening flowers that await pollination by enormous nectar seeking bats, and vast herds of elephant that chew pithy bark to gain the valuable moisture content. Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu are all local specialities to this remote, region, and are obviously followed by a myriad of predators.

Delicious meals are prepared and will either be served in a large dining mess or outside as and when client’s individual schedule demands. Cold drinks are always available. The emphasis at Kikoti is on wildlife, culture, 4×4 open vehicle safaris, guided walking, night drives, and visits to game hides, rock paintings a masai boma and waterholes are all available.

The camp has 10 luxury-tented cottages all with en suite bathroom and private viewing decks. The luxury tents have been sited amongst the natural features of this landscape. The large twin/double bedded tents are discreetly sited and furnished with desk, wooden beds, coffee tables, chairs and wardrobes.

Source: Tanzania Accommodation

Certainly one of nature’s greatest spectacles, the great wildebeest migration around the Serengeti can be an awesome sight.

But visitors should beware … the migration is not a constant phenomenon and timing a visit to co-incide with the surges of activity that climax with the crossing of the Grumeti River is not so easy (usually early June and mid-November).

A more reliable and equally impressive time to visit is during the calving season in February. It’s certainly a favourite time of year for the lion of South Serengeti.

Africa’s Serengeti Migration is known as the greatest animal show on earth. Wild animals on the move blanket the African landscape as far as the eye can see.

Why The Serengeti Migration Occurs

Animals migrate because of rain or the lack of it. When a seasonal drought dries up grass and water supplies in one area, the grazing animals move on to the next area along the Serengeti migration route where seasonal rains are falling. As the Serengeti Migration map illustrates, the migration is annual and peaks in different areas at different times.

The Major Migrating Animals

Over a million wildebeests participate in the Serengeti Migration. Hundreds of thousands of zebra and Thomson’s gazelles join them. Although lions and other carnivores do not migrate with the grazing animals, they feast on them when their paths cross.

Here’s a simplified explanation of how the rains drive the migration…see the graphics below

The southern plains of the Serengeti are very fertile but they need rains to ripen the grass for a massive population of grazers.
The “short” and light rains fall in November and December (sometimes as early as October) and draw the migration rapidly south from Kenya’s Maasai Mara down the eastern side of Tanzania’s Serengeti into these sweet short-grass plains. Predators are in constant attendance.
The wildebeest and other ungulates settle in the southern plains between about January and April - usually the best time to see the migration in Tanzania.
In April and May the “long” or heavy rains set in and the depleted southern plains are less attractive than the long grass plains up in the western corridor and the migration has started moving north (westerly) again.
Large river crossings on the Grumeti and Mara Rivers occur as the migration heads back into Kenya’s Maasai Mara - the season dries out and fresh grazing and water can be found in the far north. The Mara is usually at its best in August, September and October.
Now if only the rains fell on cue!

Read Further: Toursit Information

Zimbabwe has a well maintained road system that connects all the major areas of the country. Most of our transfers are done by road, however certain lodges cannot be accessed by road, due to location, and in those cases we make use of air transfers directly to the lodges.

Location:

Southern Africa. Zimbabwe is landlocked and bordered by South Africa in the south, Mozambique in the east, Zambia in the north, Botswana and Namibia in the west.

Area: 390 759 sq kms (150 873 sq miles) Capital: Harare (central north east)

Language: English, Shona and Ndebele

Time: GMT +2

Tourist attractions:

The Victoria Falls (world heritage site)
Lake Kariba (Matusadona National Park)
Hwange National Park
Mana Pools National Park (world heritage site)
Matobo Hills National Park
Eastern Highland

Business centres: Harare & Bulawayo

Health:

Most of the tourist areas in Zimbabwe are endemic malaria areas. Please consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Visas:

All Commonwealth passport holders - except Australia and New Zealand do not require Visas. Most other passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival on payment of US$ 30. There are a few nationalities that require a visa prior to entry so please ensure that you check with the Zimbabwe consulate in your country

The different areas of Zimbabwe have different “best times” to visit. This is also dependent on what your preferences are.

Vic Falls:

The Falls are best viewed between February and June, when the Zambezi is in full flow. This is however the worst time for white water rafting, which is a major attraction in Vic Falls. The best season for rafting is when the water levels are low. This is usually August to December. The Falls are still spectacular during this period, but not in full flow.

Hwange, Mana Pools & all game lodges:

Travel to Hwange is centred on game viewing. This is best in the dry season as the inland water supply is low so it is easier to track the animals to main water sources. The bush is also thinner than it would be in the wet season, which makes it easier to spot animals. The winter (dryer) months are cold in the early morning and late afternoon, so please ensure that warm clothing is taken for game activities.

Eastern Highlands:

This area is mountainous and very lush and therefore the focus is on the outdoors. Keep this in mind when visiting this area as the summer months tend to bring rain. Winter in the mountains can be a bit cold so please ensure that the correct clothing is taken along.

Kariba / Matusadona:

This region is renowned for getting extremely hot and humid around the months of October and November. If visiting this area in that period, please try to stay out of the midday sun and be sure to take a wide brimmed hat.

Source: Tourist Information