Arusha National Park

The closest national park to
Arusha town – northern Tanzania’s safari capital – Arusha
National Park is a multi-faceted jewel, often overlooked by
safarigoers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a
beguiling diversity of habitats within a few hours.

The entrance gate leads into shadowy montane

forest inhabited by inquisitive blue monkeys and colourful
turacos and trogons – the only place on the northern safari
circuit where the acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkey
is easily seen. In the midst of the forest stands the
spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep, rocky cliffs
enclose a wide marshy floor dotted with herds of buffalo and
warthog.

Further north, rolling grassy hills enclose the
tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes, each one a different
hue of green or blue. Their shallows sometimes tinged pink
with thousands of flamingos, the lakes support a rich
selection of resident and migrant waterfowl, and shaggy
waterbucks display their large lyre-shaped horns on the
watery fringes. Giraffes glide across the grassy hills,
between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed
dik-dik dart into scrubby bush like overgrown hares on
spindly legs.

Although elephants are uncommon in Arusha
National Park, and lions absent altogether, leopards and
spotted hyenas may be seen slinking around in the early
morning and late afternoon. It is also at dusk and dawn that
the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon is most likely to
clear, revealing the majestic snow-capped peaks of
Kilimanjaro, only 50km (30 miles) distant. 
But it is Kilimanjaro’s unassuming cousin, Mount Meru – the
fifth highest in Africa at 4,566 metres (14,990 feet) – that
dominates the park’s horizon. Its peaks and eastern
footslopes protected within the national park, Meru offers
unparalleled views of its famous neighbour, while also
forming a rewarding hiking destination in its own right.

Passing first through wooded savannah where
buffalos and giraffes are frequently encountered, the ascent
of Meru leads into forests aflame with red-hot pokers and
dripping with Spanish moss, before reaching high open heath
spiked with giant lobelias. Everlasting flowers cling to the
alpine desert, as delicately-hoofed klipspringers mark the
hike’s progress. Astride the craggy summit, Kilimanjaro
stands unveiled, blushing in the sunrise.

About Arusha
National Park 
Size: 552 sq km 212 sq miles).
Location: Northern Tanzania, northeast of Arusha town..

Getting there
An easy 40-minute drive from Arusha. Approximately 60 km (35
miles) from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The lakes,
forest and Ngurdoto Crater can all be visited in the course
of a half-day outing at the beginning or end of an extended
northern safari.

NOTE: Mountain Climbing Permits duration time is 12 HOURS.

What to do
Forest walks, numerous picnic sites;
three- or four-day Mt Meru climb – good acclimatisation for
Kilimanjaro.

When to go
To climb Mt Meru, June-February although it may rain in
November. 
Best views of Kilimanjaro December-February.

Accommodation
Two lodges, two rest houses, camp sites, two mountain
huts inside the park; more lodges at Usa River outside the
park and many hotels and hostels in Arusha town.