Serengeti takes its name from the Maasai word “siringet,” which literally means “the place where the land runs on forever.” Early human ancestors are believed to have lived in the Serengeti area for over 4 million years. For centuries, the Maasai people grazed their livestock in the vast plains of the eastern Mara area, which was known as the “endless plains.” This continued for about 200 years until the first European, Austrian Oscar Baumann, visited the area around 1892.
In 1913, Stewart Edward White became the first American to visit the Serengeti, documenting his explorations in the northern part of the park. He returned to Serengeti seven years later and camped near Seronera for 90 days, during which he and his colleagues shot 50 lions.
Due to hunting, the lion population in the Serengeti ecosystem declined, leading to the establishment of a partial game reserve covering about 3.2 square kilometers in 1921. It was later upgraded to a full reserve in 1929, marking the beginning of Serengeti National Park, which was officially established in 1951.
In 1959, the British relocated the Maasai residents to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to allow for the conservation and protection of wildlife in Serengeti. The park gained international fame in the 1950s through the works of Bernhard Grzimek and his son, Michael. Their book and film, Serengeti Shall Not Die, brought significant attention to the importance of nature conservation.
Access to Serengeti National Park
By road, Serengeti National Park is best accessed using a well-serviced 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for excellent game viewing. The drive from Arusha to Serengeti takes about 7–8 hours, during which travelers can enjoy breathtaking scenery, including farmlands, parts of the stunning Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Ngorongoro Crater, and the impressive Rift Valley escarpment.
By air, visitors on a Serengeti safari can fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport and connect to one of the nearby airstrips within Serengeti National Park.
