Serengeti National Park
More needs to be done than can ever be done, and there is more to see than can ever be seen. The "Circle of Life" is what Elton John and Tim Rice were conveying when they composed the theme song for Disney's "The Lion King." But this song's portrayal of the renowned Serengeti National Park is accurate. North Tanzania in East Africa, spanning 5,700 square kilometers, is home to this superb game park. Stewart Edward White, an American hunter who later became a conservationist, wrote the following on his first trip to the Serengeti in 1913: "We traversed miles of burned-out terrain while walking. After another two miles of walking, I came over the river's verdant trees and was in bliss."
Numerous creatures can be heard inside the Serengeti's boundaries: Elephants plod across well-traveled safari routes, and hippos splash at drinking holes as hyenas snort. In addition, more than 2,000 lions are constantly ready to pounce on unwary prey and pursue their unfortunate prey across the seemingly endless waves of golden grass. The loping giraffes' quick movements rustle the landscape, and every monkey's motion sways the branches of the trees. The Great Migration, however, is the most incredible sight you'll ever see. More than a million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles travel across the Serengeti in search of greener pastures, drowning White's paradise in a sea of animals.
- #4 in Best Places to Visit in Africa
- #4 in Best Places to Visit in October
- #7 in Best National Parks in the World
- #10 in Best Places to Visit in January
- #13 in Best Places to Visit in June
Country: Africa & The Middle East
