Serengeti Migration Area

The Serengeti is vast and beautiful; it's one of Africa's most captivating safari areas. The sheer amount of game here is amazing: estimates suggest up to about two million wildebeest, plus perhaps half a million zebra, hundreds of thousands of Thompson's gazelle, and tens of thousands of impala, Grant's gazelle, topi (tsessebe), hartebeest, eland and other antelope – all hunted by the predators for which these plains are famous.

Some of this game resides permanently in 'home' areas, which are great for safaris all year round. But many of the wildebeest and zebra take part in the migration – an amazing spectacle that's one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth. If you plan carefully, it's still possible to witness this in wild and remote areas.Some of the migration then head due north of Seronera, but most are usually further west. Around June the wildebeest migration is often halted on the south side of the Grumeti River, which has some channels which block or slow their migration north. The wildebeest then congregate there, in the Western Corridor, often building up to a high density before crossing the river. The river here is normally a series of pools and channels, but it's not continuous – and so whilst they always represent an annual feast for the Grumeti River's large crocodiles, these aren't usually quite as spectacular as the crossings of the Mara River, further north.
A million wildebeest... each one driven by the same ancient rhythm, fulfilling its instinctive role in the inescapable cycle of life: a frenzied three-week bout of territorial conquests and mating; survival of the fittest as 40km (25 mile) long columns plunge through crocodile-infested waters on the annual exodus north; replenishing the species in a brief population explosion that produces more than 8,000 calves daily before the 1,000 km (600 mile) pilgrimage begins again.
Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park, also a world heritage site and recently proclaimed a 7th world wide wonder, the Serengeti is famed for its annual migration, when some six million hooves pound the open plains, as more than 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson's gazelle join the wildebeest’s trek for fresh grazing. Yet even when the migration is quiet, the Serengeti offers arguably the most scintillating game-viewing in Africa: great herds of buffalo, smaller groups of elephant and giraffe, and thousands upon thousands of eland, topi, kongoni, impala and Grant’s gazelle.
The spectacle of predator versus prey dominates Tanzania’s greatest park. Golden-maned lion prides feast on the abundance of plain grazers. Solitary leopards haunt the acacia trees lining the Seronera River, while a high density of cheetahs prowls the southeastern plains. Almost uniquely, all three African jackal species occur here, alongside the spotted hyena and a host of more elusive small predators, ranging from the insectivorous aardwolf to the beautiful serval cat.
But there is more to Serengeti than large mammals. Gaudy agama lizards and rock hyraxes scuffle around the surfaces of the park’s isolated granite koppies. A full 100 varieties of dung beetle have been recorded, as have 500-plus bird species, ranging from the outsized ostrich and bizarre secretary bird of the open grassland, to the black eagles that soar effortlessly above the Lobo Hills.
As enduring as the game-viewing is the liberating sense of space that characterises the Serengeti Plains, stretching across sunburnt savannah to a shimmering golden horizon at the end of the earth. Yet, after the rains, this golden expanse of grass is transformed into an endless green carpet flecked with wildflowers. And there are also wooded hills and towering termite mounds, rivers lined with fig trees and acacia woodland stained orange by dust.
Popular the Serengeti might be, but it remains so vast that you may be the only human audience when a pride of lions masterminds a siege, focussed unswervingly on its next meal.

The Serengeti National Park is one of world’s greatest game parks. Meaning "endless plains" in the Maasai language, the Serengeti continues to be an ongoing source of inspiration to writers, filmmakers and photographers alike.
It is Tanzania’s oldest game reserve and is world-famous for the role it plays in the annual Great Migration, when an estimated two million herbivores - mostly wildebeest - migrate from the Serengeti to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve. Hundreds of thousands of animals die along the way and the drama of this epic seasonal journey is a gripping, deeply moving experience and a wonderful photographic subject.

Highlights

• Unforgettable hot air balloon safaris over the vast Serengeti plains
• Olduvai Gorge, where groundbreaking archaeological discoveries were made
• The magnificent Ngorongoro Crater lies within the Serengeti region
• Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves
• One of the world’s oldest ecosystems
• Fantastic birdwatching
• Known for its vast grassy plains, dotted with beautiful acacia trees

As far as holiday destinations go, Tuscany has one of the most impressive resumes in Europe. Its skill set includes city breaks, country escapes and beach getaways. And it’s qualified in the subjects of history, cookery, art and architecture, to name just a few.

Tuscany’s three big cities sit in a triangle near Italy’s west coast. The regional capital, Florence, is one of Italy’s prettiest cities. The façade of its Duomo is made from mint and rose-coloured marble and its Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the world’s most spectacular art.

From Florence it’s a 45-minute car journey to Pisa. The leading lady here is the iconic Leaning Tower, but the university town is also home to a supporting cast of trattorias, cafés and an impressive cathedral.

Roughly 30 miles down the coast, Siena is a pint-sized city of tangled alleyways and nook-and-cranny cafes. Surprisingly, the town’s main square is the biggest piazza in Italy, opening up like a crater in the centre of the city.

Finally, Tuscany’s countryside has been immortalised on countless canvasses throughout the centuries. Cypress trees spear into the sky, green fields spread out like soft blankets and legions of red poppies colonise hillsides.
The tourist brochure view of Tuscany as an idyll of olive groves, vineyards, hill-towns and frescoed churches may be one-dimensional, but Tuscany is indeed the essence of Italy in many ways. The national language evolved from the Tuscan dialect, a supremacy ensured by Dante – who wrote the Divine Comedy in the vernacular of his birthplace, Florence – and Tuscan writers such as Petrarch and Boccaccio. And the era we know as the Renaissance, which played so large a role in forming the culture, not just of Italy but of Europe as a whole, is associated more strongly with this part of the country than with anywhere else. Florence was the most active centre of the Renaissance, flourishing principally through the all-powerful patronage of the Medici dynasty. Every eminent artistic figure from Giotto onwards – Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Alberti, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo – is represented here, in an unrivalled gathering of churches, galleries and museums.
The problem is, of course, that the whole world knows about the attractions of Florence, with the result that the city can be offputtingly busy in high season. Siena tends to provoke a less ambivalent response. One of the great medieval cities of Europe, it remains almost perfectly preserved, and holds superb works of art in its religious and secular buildings. In addition, its beautiful Campo – the central, scallop-shaped market square – is the scene of the Palio, when bareback horseriders career around the cobbles amid an extravagant display of pageantry. The cities of Pisa and Lucca have their own fair share of attractions and provide convenient entry points to the region, either by air (via Pisa’s airport) or along the coastal rail route from Genoa. Arezzo and Cortona serve as fine introductions to Tuscany if you’re approaching from the south (Rome) or east (Perugia).

Our staff at TuscanyItaly have personally selected all the villas shown on this website.

Making sure that each vacation home meets high standards of comfort, luxury, elegance and location, so as to guarantee our clients a unique and unforgettable experience... just what you've always dreamed of!

Every client receives our special attention as we seek to understand the special desires or needs you have, so that we can in turn recommend the perfect property for you.

Whether they are large ancient castles or charming farmhouses, our vacation rental properties are always chosen for their style, charm and personality. Guests are able to appreciate the pleasures of the past while enjoying the comforts of modern amenities, and can always be sure to find a <swimming pool and a well-equipped modern kitchen.

The owners of each villa are always ready to welcome you, acting like old friends, respectful of your privacy, but also assisting you if, and when, necessary.