The Northern Serengeti, centred around the Kogatende area and the Mara River, is the stage for the most famous wildlife event on the planet — the wildebeest river crossings. Every year between July and October, over 1.5 million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle, reach the Mara River on their northward migration to Kenya’s Maasai Mara. The river crossings — where the herds plunge en masse into crocodile-infested waters — are the defining spectacle of the migration. The Northern Serengeti is the least visited part of the park, making it feel wild and uncrowded even during peak crossing season. Beyond the migration, the area supports exceptionally high predator densities: lion prides are numerous, cheetah sightings are common, and leopards use the riverine forest. The Kogatende airstrip allows fly-in access from Arusha or Kilimanjaro, cutting out the 8-9 hour road journey from the south.