Grumeti Game Reserve
Grumeti Game Reserve is located on the northwestern border of Serengeti national park and is part of the Serengeti ecosystem. The great wildebeest migration also takes place around the Grumeti game reserve which is a remote part of Serengeti national park. This reserve covers about 138,000 hectares of a private concession.
Wildlife viewing is among the activities which are carried out around the Grumeti game reserve and wildlife species which can be seen around the destination include lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles and in the riverine forest black and white colobus monkeys can be sighted.
The lions around the Grumeti reserve are part of large lion prides with between 20 to 60 individuals. Many of these lions can be seen during safaris around the destination where a variety of activities are carried out.
River crossings also take place around the Grumeti river although they are less known compared to the river crossings during the wildebeest migration which take place around the Mara river where over 2 million wildebeests cross the river.
These river crossings during the wildebeest migration along the Grumeti river take place during the months of June and July. Crocodiles can also be spotted in the Grumeti river and they are known to feast on the wildebeests during the river crossings.
There are also a few mobile lodges where tourists stay during their safaris around the Grumeti river and they include Sabora tented camp, Faru Faru lodge, Sasakwa lodge among others which are classified into luxury lodges and midrange lodges. The reserve is made up of mostly luxury lodges which are few in number since there are fewer crowds of tourists visiting the destination.
Private safaris are common in the Grumeti area which is green is also made up of woodlands, rolling hills, and rivers. The reserve is also a migration corridor during the wildebeest migration where herds of wildlife pass.
During the months of June to October, wildlife viewing is at its best around the Grumeti area and from April and May the Grumeti reserve is closed.
History of Grumeti reserve
The Grumeti reserve was created by the government of Tanzania in 1994 as a route of the wildebeest migration. The management and conservation of the reserve was the role of the Grumeti fund also known as the Grumeti community and wildlife conservation fund.
Singita manages the reserve and has also paved way for low impact luxury tourism in the area.
Activities carried out in Grumeti reserve
Activities which tourists engage in during their safaris around the Grumeti reserve include the following;
Game drives
Game drives around the Grumeti reserve are carried out not only during the day but also at night since the reserve is not bound to park regulations of Serengeti national park. Off the road game viewing is also allowed during safaris around the reserve.
This activity involves exploring the Grumeti reserve and looking out for wildlife species such as wildebeests, zebras, lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, bushbucks, waterbucks, elands, kudu, antelopes among others.
Guided walking safaris
Guided walking safaris are carried out during safaris around the Grumeti reserve in the company of an armed ranger guide as tourists explore the reserve on foot and learn how to track wildlife species, about birds, as well as different plant species around the reserve.
Bird watching
Bird species of a variety can also be spotted around the Grumeti reserve and they include little spotted wood peckers, rec capped robin chat, black headed gonolek, yellow billed storks, African fish eagles, white backed vultures, woodland kingfisher, pied kingfisher among others.
Community visits
Another activity which is carried out during safaris around the Grumeti reserve is the community visits which involves interactions between the locals and the tourists as they get to know more about the culture and traditions of the locals.
How to get to Grumeti reserve
The Grumeti reserve can be accessed by flights from Kilimanjaro international airport to the airstrip in the reserve. Scheduled flights as well as charter flights are available to the reserve during safaris to the destination. The flights to Grumeti reserve take about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Visit the Grumeti reserve and enjoy a wildlife viewing experience at the destination.
