Best months to see the Great Migration in Serengeti Grumeti.
Best months to see the Great Migration in Serengeti Grumeti: The Great Migration, often referred to as the “Greatest Show on Earth,” features more than two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles moving in a giant circle through the Serengeti ecosystem.
Although a lot of people are linking the migration solely to the famous Mara River crossings, one of the most thrilling and secret places to see this spectacle is the Grumeti region.
Positioned in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti, the Grumeti River gives the scene helms a pretty stage for the herds as they move northward. Getting the timing right is key because the migration is always on the move, and your being in the right place at the right time compounds the safari experience.
Migration Season in Grumeti: May and Early June
The migration is generally expected to start its way to the Grumeti region in May. Simultaneously, the southern Serengeti plains start drying up after the long rains; therefore, massive herds start moving to the northwest looking for permanent water and greener pastures. This is a time packed with a lot of movements, and the time is also known as a “transitional period.”
During these months the Western Corridor landscape is lush and green; thus, it makes a perfect background for photography safaris. With your own eyes, you will witness columns of wildebeest that go for miles as they move with one mind towards the Grumeti River.
Even though May can still allow for some light showers, it is a wonderful period for people keen on escaping the massive crowds in the peak season of July. Air is fresh and dust is very low. “Rut,” or mating season, is that time when the ground is vibrating with the bellow of wildebeest.
This season lasts for late May and early June. It is a noisy and high-energy period when male wildebeest fight for territories and females.
One thing that I am sure you will never forget is the sound of several thousands of grunting wildebeest, and this is just one of the ways nature will reward you with its wild side, something the majority of tourists don’t even get to witness at close range.
The Main Event: June and July
In June, Grumeti is at its most romantic and picturesque, thus giving a lot of reasons why June is the best month. The arrival of the migration’s first contingent to the banks of the Grumeti River is the event that marks the beginning of the climax period of the migration season.
The Grumeti River is unlike the Mara River, which is located in the north; this one is a series of deep pools and narrow channels capable of hosting some of the largest Nile crocodiles in Africa.
These ancient predators aren’t just crocodiles; they have been waiting all year for this moment to feast. When the thirsty herds arrive, the tension is palpable. Watching a wildebeest nervously approach the water while a giant crocodile glides silently toward it is a heart-pounding experience.
By July, most of the herd will be crossing the Grumeti River and moving even further north towards the Kogatende area. But because the migration is not an object but a living creature that can be affected by the changes in rainfall, large groups of animals can stay in the Western Corridor up to the middle of July. The period is also very favorable for world-class predator sightings. Lions, leopards, and hyenas are the top predators that benefit prey availability during this time.
Because of the private concessions in the Grumeti area, the guests sometimes have the privilege of “off-road” driving, allowing you to basically get right on top of a lion hunt or a leopard sitting in a tree, which is very rarely allowed in the main national park.
The Grumeti Advantage: What Makes This Area Special
Going for the Grumeti region instead of the other parts of the Serengeti will be a more personal experience. Since several parts of the Western Corridor are operated as private reserves (like the Singita Grumeti reserve), the numbers of vehicles permitted at a sighting are very limited.
This means that you won’t be just one among thirty other jeeps when watching a river crossing.
Besides that, the Grumeti River crossings are considered by some people as “hidden gems.” They may not necessarily have the massive 30-foot drops of the Mara River, but they are equally thrilling and the crowd is much smaller, giving the feeling of being alone in the wild.
In conclusion, the peak months for witnessing the Great Migration safari in the Serengeti’s Grumeti region are May, June, and July, with June topping the list for river action. You may also wander about the fresh green environment and the lively breeding season without the crowds during May and early June.
On reaching mid-June and early July, the story unfolds as the herds confront the huge crocodiles of the Grumeti River. Regardless of whether you want to see the massive scale of the moving herds or the life-and-death struggle at the water’s edge, if you plan your trip to the Western Corridor for these three months, you will be witnessing one of nature’s most amazing chapters with Nyumbu Beyond Journeys.
