By Frank — Lulu African Safaris · 14 July 2025 · 6 min read
The Great Migration is not a single event. It's a year-round loop around the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem, driven by rain and grass. But there is one moment above all others that guests travel across the world to see: the river crossings in the northern Serengeti.
From late July through October, the herds mass on the southern bank of the Mara River, hesitating for hours, sometimes days, before one animal takes the leap and the rest follow in a torrent of dust, water and crocodile.
The best window
August and September are the most reliable months for crossings at the Kogatende and Lamai crossing points. We build our Great Migration itineraries to sit here for three to four nights, giving you multiple mornings on the river.
By early November the herds turn south again toward the short-grass plains of Ndutu, chasing the first rains. Calving season in February is our second favourite window — 8,000 calves born each day and predators drawn from every direction.
How we position you
We use mobile tented camps that shift with the herds, plus permanent camps near the crossing points. Your guide is on the radio at dawn tracking movement — when a crossing builds, we're the vehicle already parked in the right spot, not the one racing over from an hour away.
