Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is beautifully situated between the peaks of Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru and only about forty-five minutes drive from the centre of Arusha. The Park has a wide range of habitats; several crater lakes with rich bird life, highland mountain forest and the imposing summit of Mt. Meru (4566 m). It usually has lush rich vegetation given the higher levels of rainfall at the foot of the mountain and its high altitude. Surprisingly few visitors stay in the park as they are impatient to set off to the Ngorongoro and Serengeti but this is a mistake as the park is full of wildlife and it’s low concentration of dangerous predators makes it one of the few areas where walking safaris are allowed.

The forests contain a wealth of birds, bushbuck abound as do the Colobus monkeys who are the symbol of the park. If you want to climb one of Africa’s mountains but are nervous about climbing Kilimanjaro and want to keep away from the crowds of students, we strongly recommend the climb up Mount Meru .

The other unique features of the park are the Momella Lakes and the Ngurdoto Crater. The Momella Lakes are a group of shallow alkaline lakes fed by underground streams. The minerals and Algae in the lake change the colour of the water and attract many water birds, including flamingos and Egyptian geese.

The Ngurdoto crater is known as a mini-Ngorongoro, it is three kilometres wide and although visitors cannot enter the crater there are viewing sights on the edge from where this little Garden of Eden can be enjoyed.

The Park is at its best from September to March as often in July and August the park is in the clouds.

It is very easy to visit this Park, which is not far from the town, in a day staying the night in one of the Arusha Hotels that we recommend which are more convenient for the Park. However for those who wish to profit from this undervisited and beautiful park and dive straight in to a safari from the moment they arrive, then Hatari Lodge would be the right choice.

The park can be visited comfortably in a day and we recommend that you sleep outside of the park in one of the lodges between Arusha and Kilimanjaro airport such as Moivaru , Kigongoni or River Tree .