by Dominic Chadbon, 9 June 2010

When animals move en masse it's for a reason - and like most things in life it's usually about food and love. Powerless to ignore ancient instincts, many African animals respond to various stimuli (principally rain) and set off on remarkable journeys, both long and fraught with danger.

Some of these African migrations play out in inaccessible corners of unpronounceable reserves but several are easy to experience.

Here are our best 3.

The Classic: the Serengeti/Masai Mara Migration

Need a recipe for the perfect wildlife experience? Take a million or so wildebeest, throw in hundreds of thousands of zebra and antelope and then send them on a whirlwind tour through Out-of-Africa scenery to be harried and hunted by Africa's A to Z of large predators.

It's East Africa's wildebeest migration, a non-stop spectacle of life and death that takes place in Kenya's Masai Mara and Tanzania's Serengeti. Moving in a clockwise direction the herds drop their young, court, mate and try to avoid being eaten.

Dodging the Jurassic Park-sized crocodiles during the infamous river crossings of June and July gets most attention but there's action every step of the way - just make sure you get your timing right by checking out our month-by-month guide to the migration.

You'll need somewhere to stay of course: browse through our dedicated features on great migration accommodation in the Serengeti and the Masai Mara but East Africa safari expert Maureen Stover's favourite 2 lodges for the migration are Sayari and Serengeti Under Canvas.

The Secret: Botswana's Zebra Migration

Go to Botswana in the late dry season (September/October) and you'll wonder if the sun-baked country ever gets any rain; go again in the rainy summer months (December to April) and you won't recognise the place, so green has it become.

And there's more than just a pleasant verdant tinge to Botswana: great movements of zebra are underway as new pastures open up in the previously bone dry Kalahari - and none are more spectacular or accessible than the Savute zebra migration.

Slap-bang in the middle of the Chobe National Park, the Savute region (often spelled Savuti) is a critical refuelling stop for the zebra halfway between their wintering grounds of the Linyanti Swamps and the trackless wilds of the superbly named Mubabe Depression.

In December and January, and again in March and April, the grasslands of Savute ring with the curious whistling alarm call of the zebra as the predators move in - lion, cheetah, wild dog and spotted hyena are often seen - and the area is bursting to the seams with migrant birds and nervous-looking herbivores.

Make sure you get ringside seats for the action: we recommend staying at Savute Safari Lodge or Savuti Camp - by the way, both lodges are on the once-dry Savuti Channel which is now in full flow and providing phenomenal game viewing. It's a once-in-a-generation event and not to be missed.

The Heavyweights: South Africa's whale migration

African migrations aren't just about big land mammals. As the southern hemisphere spring sets in, even bigger ones are silently ploughing northwards from Antarctic waters in their hundreds to calve, breed and play in the relatively warm waters of the Cape's southern coast.

Enter the Southern Right Whale. This behemoth weighs up to 100 tons but doesn't let its bulk get in the way of putting on a show. Often seen waving their tails in the air or popping their heads out of the water for a good look around, the whales really get the oohs-and-aahs going when they launch themselves out of the water on the Mother of all Cannonballs.

And it's ridiculously easy to witness it all. South Africa boasts the world's best land-based whale watching just an hour from Cape Town and has dedicated an entire coastline - the Whale Coast (well, obviously) - to this phenomenon. A healthy and tightly regulated whale-watching industry has developed and you can literally watch it all from your hotel balcony, so close to shore do the whales get. Peak season is September but the whales start arriving a few months before and stay for a couple more before heading back to their frigid feeding grounds in the southern oceans.

Our favourite whale watching accommodation includes Cliff Lodge at de Kelders (a beautiful secluded bay that's perfect for whale watching) and Ocean Eleven in the region's whale watching capital, Hermanus. Ocean Eleven borders a cliff-top path with peerless ocean views.

We'd also recommend the accommodation in the fabulous Grootbos Private Nature Reserve - it has a stunning mountainous setting away from the coast but includes the option to do a boat trip to see the whales. Families will love the kid-friendly Garden Lodge whereas romantics will relish the privacy and luxury of the Forest Lodge.

Readers' Comments:

Have you ever witnessed one of these migrations? What was your most memorable experience? Let us know.

Article © Copyright 2010 Go2Africa.

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