Retima Hippo Pool

Overview

About Retima Hippo Pool

Retima Hippo Pool is the Serengeti’s easiest wow: a deep bend where the Seronera and Orangi rivers meet, usually crammed with hippos—often into the hundreds. You’re allowed out of the vehicle at the signed, elevated bank, so you get that rare, close look without feeling exposed. Expect constant grunts, yawns, splashes, and a living, churning mass of grey backs.

Why stop

Close, safe viewing from an elevated riverbank
Huge resident hippo pod with frequent croc and bird sightings
Handy stop with parking, picnic area, and restrooms

Heads up

The smell can be strong
Roads and the riverbank can get slick in rainy periods

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightRetima Hippo Pool-2.29341, 34.79941

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Local know-how

Tips for visiting Retima Hippo Pool

Go early or late for softer light and livelier behavior.
Dry season offers the clearest views; expect bigger crowds then.
Bring tissue and hand sanitizer—the restrooms are basic.
Stay inside the signed viewing zone and never approach the water.
Guard lunches at the picnic area; monkeys will try to snatch food.

Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to visit

Year‑round works, but the dry season concentrates wildlife at the pool and lowers the water for clearer views (many guides cite June–October, others July–November). Light is kinder early and late; midday heat and glare make everything flatter—and smellier.

Facilities & Access

This is an easy add‑on to Central Serengeti game drives. There’s a small parking area, a designated viewing bank, a picnic spot, and basic restrooms. Plan 1–2 hours if you’re settling in for photos or lunch; it also works as a quick pit‑stop between sightings.

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Serengeti Tour Guide

Your drive to Retima Hippo Pool, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Serengeti National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

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More about Retima Hippo Pool

What You’ll SeeHippos are the headliners, but keep scanning.

Hippos are the headliners, but keep scanning. Nile crocodiles often lurk or bask on the far bank, and the skies pull in regulars like fish eagles, kingfishers, bee‑eaters, storks, herons, crowned cranes, and Egyptian geese. Elephants, giraffe, impala, topi, and baboons may wander in to drink. It’s a reliable, high‑action stop that delivers even on short visits.

Safety & EtiquetteHippos are notoriously territorial.

Hippos are notoriously territorial. Stay within the signed viewing zone, keep voices down, and never approach the water’s edge. Follow your guide’s lead, pack out all trash, and mind your footing—the bank gets dusty in the dry and slick after rain. Watch your food at the picnic area; monkeys are opportunists.

Photography TipsGolden hours are best.

Golden hours are best. A mid‑range zoom (70–200mm) frames yawns and splashes; a longer zoom (100–400mm) isolates portraits and crocs on the far bank. Use a fast shutter for action and consider a polarizer to cut surface glare.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Serengeti

All Serengeti wildlife maps

645 sightingsLionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

234 sightingsLeopardMost seen around 6 PMSighting map

273 sightingsCheetahMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

542 sightingsElephantMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

132 sightingsCape BuffaloMost seen around 7 AMSighting map

190 sightingsWildebeestMost seen around 5 PMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Serengeti. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.