A cheetah cub in the Serengeti - Tanzania

Calving Season During the Great Migration

26/01/2026

Private Photographic Safari in Tanzania: Ndutu & Seronera During the Great Migration

A private photographic safari in Tanzania offers something truly special: time, freedom, and the ability to stay with wildlife long enough to tell a complete story through images. On this exclusive journey, we hosted two private clients on an unforgettable 10-night photographic safari, spending 6 nights in Ndutu during the peak of the Great Migration and 4 nights in Seronera at KatiKati Camp in the heart of the Serengeti.


Private photographic safari in Tanzania

What followed was one of the most wildlife-rich safaris we’ve ever experienced — filled with cheetah hunts, lion prides, leopard encounters, newborn wildebeest, and the endless movement of the migration herds.

Safari Overview: Ndutu & Central Serengeti

  • Destination: Tanzania
  • Safari Type: Private photographic safari
  • Guests: 2 private clients
  • Ndutu: 6 nights at Ndutu Safari Lodge
  • Seronera: 4 nights at KatiKati Camp

Ndutu is legendary during the migration season, especially for big cats following the calving herds. Seronera adds classic Serengeti scenery, granite kopjes, river systems, and dense resident predator populations.


Ndutu springs during the Great Migration

Ndutu: Big Cats, Migration Drama & Long Photography Sessions

During our time in Ndutu, the Great Migration was arriving daily — thousands of wildebeest and zebra pouring into the plains every single day. This constant movement created ideal hunting conditions for predators, and we positioned ourselves to take full advantage of it.

Drive Highlights from Ndutu

Drive 1
2 female and 2 male lions
Serval sighting
Female cheetah Quince with her four cubs
Successful hunt: small Grant’s gazelle


Cheetah (Quince) with cubs in Ndutu


Quince stalking gazelle


Cheetah with cubs in Ndutu


Quince with gazelle

Drive 2
Female cheetah spotted in near darkness
Followed for 2 hours before her first kill
Two baby impala kills 30 minutes apart
Only vehicle positioned for the first chase — highlighting the value of a dedicated photographic guide
4 female lions
Another female cheetah with four cubs on a kill
1 male leopard


Cheetah spotted at first light


cheetah chase


Cheetah chase 2


Baby Wildebeest learning to run

Drive 3
Lioness
Male leopard
Quince and her four cubs playing in beautiful afternoon light
Five lions resting nearby


Cheetah cub in Ndutu


Cheetah cub in Ndutu

Drive 4
Two hyenas with fresh baby wildebeest kills
Female cheetah with large sub-adult cub
Playful chases through zebra and wildebeest herds
Lioness and adult male lion


Hyena Feeding

Drive 5
Quince and cubs photographed in the rain
Eleven lions sleeping together
Two additional lionesses resting


Cheetah cubs playing in the rain in Ndutu

Drive 6
Spent 3.5 hours with Quince and her cubs in morning light
Perfect, obstacle-free sprint ending in another Grant’s gazelle kill


Cheetah cub playing in Ndutu


Cheetah cub in Ndutu


Cheetah hunting in Ndutu

Drive 7
Three lionesses followed from camp until darkness
Searching for pride members with brief hunting attempts


Lioness in Ndutu

Drive 8
Two wildebeest births
Male leopard sleeping with his kill
Quince and cubs resting
Female cheetah with large sub-adult cub


Wildebeest Birth


Leopard

Drive 9
Twelve lions including two cubs in a tree
Lioness with three cubs on a fresh wildebeest kill


Lioness with cubs

Drive 10
Quince and her four cubs with a large gazelle kill
Additional female cheetah with sub-adult cub


Cheetah with kill

Drive 11
Masek pride (around 11 lions) sleeping
Beautiful lone elephant encounter


Lion cub in tree

Drive 12
Female cheetah and sub-adult cub with half-hearted hunting attempts
Quince and cubs resting after a large nighttime kill
A calm farewell before heading to Seronera


Wildebeest in the Ndutu springs

Seronera: Leopards, Lions & Classic Serengeti Scenery

Moving into the central Serengeti brought a shift in scenery — granite kopjes, river systems, and classic big cat territory.

Drive 13
Quiet drive as lions had moved into a neighboring camp

Drive 14
Four side-striped jackals
Male leopard moving beautifully between the Maasai Kopjes


Side-striped jackals


Leopard at Maasai Kopjes


Leopard at Maasai Kopjes


Leopard at Maasai Kopjes

Drive 15
Five lion cubs sleeping in long grass


Marshal eagle at sunrise

Drive 16
Extensive lion activity throughout the day including nine sightings (34 individuals), sub-adults, and a huge male lion resting in a tree
Giraffe following a fleeing sub-adult lioness


Giraffe at Seronera


Male lion in tree

Drive 17
Seven lions in the rain
Male lion now out of the tree and resting
Serval actively hunting
Four male lions together


Serval hunting

Drive 18
Four male lions inside camp
Two cheetahs
Massive herds of zebra and wildebeest stretching to the horizon


cheetahs playing


Cheetah on termite mound


Great Migration herds in Serengeti

Why a Private Photographic Safari Matters

This safari highlighted the true value of a private photographic safari:

  • Extended time with subjects
  • Careful vehicle positioning for clean backgrounds
  • Anticipating hunts rather than reacting to them
  • Often being the only vehicle at critical moments

From cheetah chases at first light to lions resting in rainstorms, every sighting was approached with photography and storytelling in mind.

Final Thoughts: An Unforgettable Tanzania Safari Experience

From the endless drama of Ndutu’s migration plains to the timeless beauty of Seronera’s kopjes, this safari delivered everything serious wildlife photographers dream of: big cats, behavior, light, patience, and unforgettable moments.

If you’re dreaming of a private photographic safari in Tanzania, this is what’s possible when timing, experience, and preparation come together.

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