Wildebeest Calving Safari

Between December and March each year, the short grass plains of the Ndutu region — straddling southern Serengeti and northern Ngorongoro — transform into one of the most extraordinary wildlife spectacles on Earth. Over 400,000 wildebeest calves are born in a synchronized explosion of life lasting just three weeks.

The Ndutu plains are a superb area for game drives during this period. The short grass makes visibility excellent — you can spot predators from kilometres away. Lions, cheetahs and leopards converge on the plains, drawn by the sheer abundance of vulnerable calves. The density of action is breathtaking: you might witness a cheetah hunt, a lion pride on a kill and a mother wildebeest defending her newborn — all before lunch.

Hemingway called Lake Manyara “the loveliest I had seen in Africa” — and the surrounding ecosystem during calving season justifies that reputation entirely. After the drama of Ndutu, we visit the ancient Ngorongoro Crater for a full day game drive in the “Eden of Africa”, home to the rare black rhinoceros and enormous herds of buffalo, elephant and zebra.