Ndutu Area Calving Season Safaris

About This Destination

The Ndutu Area sits on the short-grass plains straddling the border between the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the southern Serengeti, and for a few crucial months each year it becomes the single best place on Earth to witness new life on the African savanna. Between roughly late January and March, the Great Migration's wildebeest herds gather here in their hundreds of thousands to give birth, with an estimated 8,000 calves born daily at the season's peak.

Wildlife & Highlights

The concentration of vulnerable newborn calves draws intense predator activity, and Ndutu is widely regarded as one of the best places in Tanzania to watch cheetah hunt on open ground, alongside lion prides that follow the herds closely during calving season. Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek, two shallow soda lakes at the area's heart, attract flamingo and other water birds and provide a scenic backdrop to the surrounding plains.

- The heart of the Great Migration's calving season, roughly late January to March

- Exceptional predator action, especially cheetah hunts

- Located outside the Serengeti's formal boundary, permitting off-road driving in season

Best Time to Visit

Ndutu is at its most spectacular from late January through March during calving season. Outside this window, the migration herds move on and the area sees comparatively quiet, resident wildlife.

Getting There

Ndutu is roughly a three-hour drive from the Ngorongoro Crater, positioned just outside the Serengeti's southern boundary, and is typically included as part of a Ngorongoro-Serengeti combined itinerary during calving season.