I could have sworn there was some sort of a very general schedule posted for the annual wildebeest migration (i.e. when/where/optimum times, etc.) Anyway, I can't seem to find the post I am thinking of - perhaps I am just imagining it.

Hubby and I hope to return to Africa in 2008 - preferably around my 50th birthday in April, although we'll schedule the trip to maximize our chances of seeing the migration - so any general info you helpful people can give would be a good starting point for me to start my web research.

Go to

www dot go-safari dot com

then click on Tanzania
then click on Serengeti
then scroll down

Try this,lots of information on weather,migration,best camps,etc.

http://www.africadreamsafaris.com/na...migration.html

Paco.

Remember that April is the "long" rains, when most of the seasonal/mobile camps are closed. Nomad's and CCAfrica's Tanzania Under Canvas are open and expensive, though their April rates maybe doable depending on your budget. Otherwise, in the Ndutu area, there is Ndutu Lodge.

Farther north in the Seronera area you'll find lodges - Serena, Sopa and Wildlife, plus Mbuze Mawe Camp (farther north).

The herds usually remain in the Ndutu area till sometime in May when they start moving north towards Seronera/Central Serengeti.

Thank you all for the responses. These will get me started; any other thoughts/ideas still welcome.

Sandi,

Ndutu lodge, do they cover drives inside the serengeti or just the NCA? Also, do you consider part of ndutu to be NCO or serengeti. Thanks....

Also, how far from ndutu is gol kopjes?thanks

Hari

<b>Ndutu lodge, do they cover drives inside the serengeti or just the NCA? Also, do you consider part of ndutu to be NCO or serengeti.</b>

Ndutu is in the NCA (Ngorongoro Conservation Area), very close to the border between Serengeti and the NCA. The lodge faces a lake and the other side of this lake is in Serengeti.

You pay a $30/day/person fee to NCA to be in the NCA. If you wish to go into the Serengeti you pay a separate fee to Serengeti NP (there's a ranger station close to Ndutu where you can pay the fee). A couple weeks ago it was $1.50 for the Tz driver, $6 for the jeep (varies according to size), $50 per person, so $107.50 per day for two.

So you are in the NCA but can take optional trips into Serengeti for additional fees. Some of the near-by mobile camps are actually in Serengeti so have to pay to come into the NCA from them.

There was more action in the NCA portion (and many fewer jeeps) on our recent trip and we only went into Serengeti once, just to see Gol again, and actually saw fewer animals there than around Ndutu, but of course this will vary considerably with the movement of the wildebeest and the predators that follow them.

<b>Also, how far from ndutu is gol kopjes?thanks</b>

I can check the date-stamps on my digital files but two weeks ago we were beyond the Naabi turn-off when the sun first rose and at the first kopje (and cheetah) maybe 20-25 minutes later. But the road was in great shape (Gol was drier than other areas). Ndutu is much closer to Gol than Seronera is.

Bill

Hari, this map from Eben shows the dividing line better than my explanation ... http://www.go-safari.com/images/SerengetiSouthNdutu.jpg ... the white line is the border.

The lodge (yellow) and 'special camps' are in the NCA while the mobile camps just a bit north all appear to be in Serengeti.

To reach Gol you take the road north towards Naabi and turn right just before Naabi and head for the kopjes.

Bill

Wow!!! Thanks for all the info, Bill....appreciate it. Thanks, Eben....i'm still researching this info.

Thks,
Hari

Hari -

Bill answered quite well. Thanks Bill!
Ndutu is in NCA with addtl fees if you cross-over to Serengeti and vice versa.