Northern Serengeti – The Untamed North

The Northern Serengeti is one of the less-traveled but most ecologically rich regions of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Bordering Kenya’s Maasai Mara, it serves as a key part of the year-round migration route for wildebeests and zebras as they follow rain patterns in continual search of fresh grazing land.

During our time in the north, we witnessed two Mara River wildebeest crossings. River crossings are dramatic, unpredictable events where herds of wildebeests interspersed with zebras gather and hesitate, waiting for the zebras to assess the danger before finally making their frenzied dash across the crocodile-infested waters.

These moments are not staged for tourists; they unfold according to instinct, timing, and often, pure chaos. Seeing one wildebeest river crossing is a privilege. Seeing two, as we did, is an embarrassment of riches! We were so fortunate!

Beyond the crossings, the region offered a quieter, more intimate view of the Serengeti. Birds of prey perched in trees or lunched on their victims, kudu stepped lightly through the brush, and giraffes moved in and out of view like slow-moving shadows.

Unlike the wide-open southern plains, the Northern Serengeti feels more secluded, more observational—like the animals are watching you as much as you’re watching them.