Zebra crossing in Serengeti National Park

The word Serengeti comes from the Maasai term for endless plains which is certainly the most appropriate way of describing these rippling oceans of russet and green grasses.

The scale is so big that it's easy to lose all the other safari traffic (in contrast to the Maasai Mara, the park's extension in Southern Kenya) to really feel insignificant within the vast expanse.

Nature will feel wonderfully serene and intact as you watch herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra contentedly munching under pearly dawn skies. Until, that is, you're reminded of its brutal finality in the form of the cheetah or lion stalking their prey among the dry grasses.

Watching a kill is one of the most riveting experiences, but even if you miss the drama, you're sure to be able to track down the remnants.

Listen for the riotous hyena calls or look for the circling of vultures to find a big cat gorging itself.

As great a highlight, if you can catch it, are the great migrations of the park's 1.6 million wildebeest in June and July.