Best hotels in Serengeti

Nyikani Camp is a seasonally mobile camp that makes its way around the Serengeti in hot pursuit of the annual Great Migration – arguably the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth. Join the camp on its Ndutu leg in the southern Serengeti, which becomes blanketed with short grasses after the November/December rains. For 4–5 months, wildebeest, zebra and antelope (trailed by predators) congregate in their thousands to graze and calve. Ndutu lies in the rich Ngorongoro Conservation Area, so there's plenty to see year round, and new Nyikani Camp's hillside setting is a lovely place to take in the sights.

One of nature's most awe-inspiring spectacles is the Great Migration, when herd upon herd of wildebeest cross the East African plains in search of fresh pastures. Following ancient routes, they linger in the southern Serengeti to give birth to newborns that are miraculously able to run as fast as their mums within 48 hours!. That's where Ang'ata Migration Ndutu Camp comes in, a well-priced migration camp that straddles the short and long grasses the animals feed on. With its excellent staff and simple, temporary structures, the camp is just the place to view the action of the migration in the south first-hand.

Kichakani Serengeti Camp is a new addition to the Tanzanian luxury safari circuit. The elegant camp operates on a mobile basis, following the wildebeest migration across three locations in the Serengeti as the herds thunder from north to south. Each location has been carefully selected to coincide with the million-strong herds of beasties, offering front-row viewing of the incredible spectacle. The camp itself is a blend of vintage, explorer-style nostalgia and contemporary flair, and even better, the whole construction is totally eco-friendly, leaving not a trace on the landscape when the tents are picked up and rebuilt in the next spot.

Previously known as Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge offers relatively exclusive access to a park well known for its swarming game and its popularity with wildlife lovers. The sustainably-designed lodge, tucked into tall evergreen woodland on the banks of a Grumeti River tributary in the Serengeti's remote western corridor, combines an earth-bound design with a sophisticated edge. The location is excellent for game and bird viewing, and its guides have an impressive knowledge of their surroundings. Add to those attractions, faultless service levels and great accommodation, and you're looking at one of the best camps in the vast Serengeti.

Kati Kati North is a camp lost deep in the wilds of the northern Serengeti in Tanzania, not far from the famous Grumeti River. With its traditional but comfortable tents, one feels truly immersed in the ecosystem, and it's the ideal springboard from which to watch the wildebeest of the Great Migration. Resembling the camps of early African explorers, Kati Kati is designed to be completely movable, leaving no trace behind, but that's not to say you'll miss out on the comforts of a permanent camp. Kati Kati Mara might not be frilly and fluffy, but you'll have everything you need, from soft pillows and crisp sheets, to hot showers and flushing loos.

The Central Serengeti, home to a dizzying array of wildlife, big cats galore, those quintessential rippling grass plains and the rather lovely Nyikani Camp. A relative newcomer to the Serengeti safari scene, the camp is perched atop a small hill, the bush views stretch endlessly from your tent door and the high season crowds seem a distant memory. Nothing is too much trouble here and the experienced team will spoil you from the moment you leap off the Jeep. It may be fresh-faced, but Nyikani is all about old-school hospitality and game viewing that you will never forget.

You could not be further from the madding crowd than in a tented camp in the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. During the Great Migration, expect breathtaking wildlife sightings as the grazing animals move as one in search of new pastures, their every move monitored by their tireless followers – lion, hyaena, leopard, cheetah and lesser predators. Your accommodation is simple but comfortably stylish, as tents have en-suite bathrooms, spacious bedrooms and great food. Nasikia Mobile's sister camp, Nasikia Central, is in the central Rongai area.

The annual cyclical migration of two million wildebeest, zebra and antelope is one of the most dramatic spectacles on the planet. Compelled by their ever-constant search for food, these herbivores trace a migratory path through northern Tanzania's Serengeti, while braving crocodile-infested rivers and the constant threat of skulking predators. Nyasi Migrational Camp positions itself to witness the best of this great migration from mid-July to November. To keep things quaint and personal, there are just eight tents, ensuring quality hospitality and loads of peace and quiet. You'll be shown the ways of the wilderness by a private guide so every safari is at your own pace!

Superbly positioned in amongst the rocks of the Kogakuria Kopjies (little hills) in the northern Serengeti, Lamai Serengeti is a beautifully-simple camp that has undemanding elegance down to a T. The interiors are serene and tasteful, yet never detract from the spectacular view across the grasslands that teem with wildlife for much of the year, especially when the Great Migration moves through the area from July to October. Add to that the quality guides who will take you on a journey of exploration and discovery, this is just the camp for the discerning traveller looking to enjoy the best of the Serengeti.

Olakira is a classic mobile tented camp that moves between two locations - Ndutu in the South (December - March) and Mara in the North (June - November) of the Serengeti. It’s a simple and welcoming camp with comfortable sofas and puffy pillow furniture. Set on sprawling mixed vegetation plains in the North and in the cooling shade of a small forest overlooking a seasonal stream in the South, the camp is always in touch with the migration’s mystical movements.