Migration
Southern Serengeti Calving Expedition
December to March, when thousands of wildebeest calves are born on the short-grass plains each day and every predator for fifty kilometres knows it. Off-road tracking is permitted in the Ndutu conservation area, which changes what you can follow.
About this journey
Five days on the Ndutu short-grass plains between December and March, when thousands of wildebeest calves are born each day and every predator in the ecosystem knows it. Off-road tracking is permitted here, which changes what you can follow.
Best months. Late December to March, peaking late January to February. Outside that window this journey does not run.
Pace. Gentle. Long seated days, some of them spent not moving.
Who this journey suits
You would rather see predation and newborn herds than a river crossing.
Photography is a serious part of why you are coming.
You can travel between late December and March.
You want fewer vehicles than the July-to-October crowd.
Highlights
- Peak calving: roughly half a million calves born in about three weeks
- The highest concentration of predator activity in the Tanzanian year
- Off-road driving, permitted in the Ndutu conservation area and not in the park
- Cheetah on the short grass, which is the one place they are reliably visible
- Far fewer vehicles than the northern crossings season
Route
| Stop | Nights | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ndutu / southern plains | 4 nights | One camp, no moving, on the calving grounds. |
How the journey flows
Every point below is a real place at its real coordinates. The coastline is simplified — this is a route diagram, not a survey map.
- Light aircraft
- Private 4×4
Boundaries and protected areas are OpenStreetMap data, stored with this site. The dashed line is the order of the route, not the road taken.
In order
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Arrive
- NdutuPrivate 4×4
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Light aircraft
Flights and bush aviation
If you have not flown in a twelve-seat aircraft off a grass strip before, this is the part worth reading twice.
| Sector | In the air | Aircraft | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ndutu → Kilimanjaro (JRO) | about 90 min | Light aircraft | Optional — the inbound leg is normally driven. |
What to expect either end
| Luggage | One soft bag of about 15 kg (33 lb) plus a small day bag on bush sectors. Soft is a requirement, not a preference — the baggage compartments are shaped, not boxes, and a hard case will not go in. The allowance is set by the operating carrier and we verify it for your sectors before you pack. Subject to confirmation. |
|---|---|
| Where a hard case goes | Into store in Arusha, Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar, and back to you at the end. Routine and included. |
| Boarding | A short ladder or a step onto the wing. Assistance is routine and manual: no aisle chair, no ambulift, no jet bridge. A powered wheelchair needs a separate conversation about weight, battery type and cargo-door size. |
| Delays and weather | Normal, especially in the rains. We never connect a bush strip to a same-day international departure, and nor should anybody else. |
| Weights | Operators ask for each passenger's weight before the flight. It is a load sheet calculation, not an indignity, and it is not optional. |
| The operator | Flights are flown by carriers licensed by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority. We have no contracted carrier yet, so no operator is named on this site. The operator for your sectors is named in your written proposal, before you pay. |
No airline is named on this site. Several carriers fly these routes under Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority licences, and we have no contracted relationship with any of them yet. Naming one here would imply a partnership that does not exist. The operator for your sectors is named in your written proposal, before you pay anything. (subject to confirmation)
Day by day
A starting point. Every day here can be moved, shortened or removed — open one to read what it holds.
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Day1 Arrive and drive down WhereNdutu OvernightSeasonal tented camp Meals LD
Met at Kilimanjaro and south-west, about five hours with stops, or an hour by air. The short-grass plains open out in the last half hour and the scale of the herds is usually the first surprise.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
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Day2 The plains, all day WhereNdutu OvernightSeasonal tented camp Meals BLD
Out at first light with a packed breakfast. In February you will see births, and you will see what follows them. Nothing is scheduled; your guide follows what is happening.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
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Day3 Predators WhereNdutu OvernightSeasonal tented camp Meals BLD
Cheetah hunt in the morning on the short grass; lion work the woodland edges. Off-road tracking means you can follow a cat rather than watch it leave.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
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Day4 Lake Ndutu and the woodlands WhereNdutu OvernightSeasonal tented camp Meals BLD
A change of country: acacia woodland and the alkaline lake, with leopard, giraffe and large numbers of birds. Afternoon back on the plains.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
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Day5 Home WhereNdutu → Kilimanjaro Overnight— Meals B
A morning drive, then fly out from the Ndutu strip, or drive if you would rather.
The places this journey goes
One photograph for each place on the route, in the order you reach them.
These are licensed photographs of the places themselves, credited on our photography credits page. They are not photographs of a Montero departure, vehicle or camp — we have not run this journey yet, and a gallery that implied otherwise would be worth nothing to you.
Where you would stay
Open any of these for rooms, power hours, hot water, Wi-Fi and the honest access position.
What it costs
Price on request — quoted on your dates and camp standard. No price on this site has been approved, and nothing here is a quotation.
No price is published for this journey. It is quoted on your dates, the size of your party, how much of it you fly, and the standard of camp — and those four move the figure by a very large margin. Rather than print a range nobody has stood behind, we will build you a written, itemised quotation. It is free, and it is not a booking.
All quotations are per person sharing, in US dollars, and exclude international flights. A single traveller pays more and a larger group pays less per head. See what it costs for where the money actually goes.
What moves the price: season, how many of you there are, whether you fly or drive the long sectors, and the standard of camp. A single traveller pays more; we will say how much before you ask twice.
Access and comfort
Each line is either confirmed by our own measurement or it is not. “On request” means we will plan and cost it and nobody has measured it yet.
| Provision | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal camps | Partial | Canvas on bare ground with guy ropes and uneven approaches. Harder than a permanent camp and we will say so. |
| Hoist-fitted vehicle | On request | On request and quoted separately. |
| Long seated days | Partial | This journey involves very little getting out of the vehicle, which suits some travellers well. |
| Accessible toilets on the plains | Not offered | There are none. The day is planned around that. |
| Off-road driving | Partial | Rougher than track driving. Tell us if your back or neck makes that a problem; we can slow it down. |
We do not ask for a diagnosis — only for what you need. How we plan accessible journeys.
The detail
What is covered, what it involves on the ground, and the changes people most often ask for. Open whichever you need.
What is included, and what is not
Included
Private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional English-speaking driver-guide, for your party alone
Accommodation as described, on a full-board basis
All park, conservation and concession fees
Airport and airstrip transfers, met at the aircraft rather than at the kerb
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
24-hour local support while you are in the country
Off-road driving permits for the conservation area
Packed breakfasts and lunches on full plains days
Four nights in one camp — no moving
Not included
Light-aircraft sectors, if you choose to fly rather than drive
Balloon flight, which operates from this area in season
International flights, visas and travel insurance
Tips, premium drinks and personal expenses
Optional activities such as a balloon flight, unless listed above
Emergency medical evacuation cover — strongly recommended, and not something we currently provide
Practical detail
| Season | Late December to March. The herds follow rain and the peak moves by weeks between years. We will tell you what your dates are likely to give you. |
|---|---|
| What you will see | Births, and predation. It is not a gentle spectacle and some guests find the second half harder than they expected. |
| Off-road rules | Permitted in the Ndutu conservation area, not inside Serengeti National Park. Guides who ignore that boundary are risking your trip as well as the ecosystem. |
| Rain | Short, heavy afternoon storms are normal in this season. Tracks become difficult and the light afterwards is superb. |
| Price | Not set. Quoted on your dates and camp standard. |
Ways to personalise this journey
The changes people actually ask for, with what each one does to the shape of the trip. Prices for these are quoted in your proposal, not here.
This itinerary is a draft. It is written to real logistics but has not yet been checked by a guide who works this circuit, and no price here has been approved. Treat every figure as indicative until we confirm it in writing.
Questions about this journey
Is the calving season better than the crossings?
For predator activity and for photography, in our view yes, and it is quieter and cheaper. The crossings are the more famous spectacle. They are different trips.
Will we actually see a birth?
In February, on the plains, in a good week — very probably, and more than one. It is as close to a reliable wildlife event as Tanzania offers. We still will not promise it.
Is it suitable for children?
Depends on the child. There is a great deal of predation, at close range. Tell us their ages and we will be honest about it.
If this one is not quite it
Journeys that share a region or a style with this one, and the background reading for the places on the route.
Tell us what you have in mind.
One conversation with the person who would plan it, and an honest answer about whether we are the right company for the trip.
Free, and with no obligation. A real planner replies within 24 business hours, East Africa Time. No payment is taken to enquire.