Arusha National Park
A green jewel and home to the fourth highest mountain in africa – Mount Meru (4,566 m). Anyone visiting this park will be excited by the exciting landscapes starting from the Meru Crater in the west, the Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east to the grasslands and after all the alkaline Momella lakes in the north-east.
Located simply a short drive from Arusha and Moshi, the Arusha national park is Tanzania’s most accessible national park and the good place for each day trip or as the initial or last stop on an extended itinerary. At simply 552 sq. kilometres, it is a small park with tons to check.
With numerous life that has herbivores like elephants, hippos, buffalo, zebra, and even the occasional antelope, Arusha national park is additionally an ideal place to urge out and stretch your legs – with each walking safaris and canoe safaris offered inside the park.
Arusha national park is also home to the world’s largest population of giraffes, making it a good place to go to for fans of these long-necked, lovely animals.
Arusha national park boasts a broad style of landscapes, ranging from open savannah through tree scrubland to rainforest and, eventually, to alpine conditions on the upper reaches of Mt. Meru.
Arusha national park fact File
Location: some an hour to an hour and a half’s drive from Arusha. some ninety minutes from Moshi.
• To Do: Game drives, walking safaris, canoe safaris, picnicking, and climbing Mt. Meru.
• Known For: Walking and canoe safaris. tour destination.
Best Time to go to
Game viewing is at its best during the dry season from june to October.
The park is excellent year round for birding, and particularly between november and April once migratory birds from Europe and North Africa are present and therefore the local birds have their breeding plumage on display.
Park Highlights
Arusha National Park’s highlights will be seen during a single day, and therefore the park is that the solely park in Tanzania’s northern circuit during which a walking safari is feasible.
Outstanding wildlife Diversity
Due to the various landscapes that exist inside the park, there’s an unusually high level of diversity once it involves wildlife.
Not solely is that the park home to Africa’s largest giraffe population, however guests also can expect to check water greenbacks, cape buffalo, elephants, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkey monkeys, turacos, trogons, and even the occasional lion or leopard within the right conditions.
The park additionally boasts associate improbably numerous style of bird-life, creating it a popular stop for birding enthusiasts.
Mt. Meru
Africa’s fifth highest mountain cuts a placing figure at four,566m (14,990 feet). whereas kilimanjaro is usually back and hides behind clouds, Mt. Meru is mostly visible throughout the year.
An active volcano, Mt. Meru is additionally a popular mounting destination for guests to Tanzania and a good introductory mountain for those desire to climb kilimanjaro. Not solely will the climb supply a spectacular view of kilimanjaro from the summit, however the hike itself is additionally associate improbably rewarding walking safari that takes you through multiple habitats wherever you’ll be able to encounter giraffes, elephants, antelopes, and more
For those fascinated by climbing Mt. Meru, Xandro Adventure Tours will prepare climbing permits, armed ranger escorts, all camping equipment, and even stays at the Miriakamba or Saddle Huts if necessary.
Canoeing the Momella Lakes
The Momella Lakes inside Arusha national park are a series of seven shallow lakes: huge Momella, little Momella, Kusare, Lekandiro, Tulusia, Rishateni, and El Kekhotoito. alkaline lakes with appreciable algae growth, every of those lakes may be a different shade of green or blue.
While the water isn’t appropriate for drinking, it’s doable to check a range of birds (including flamingoes) and animals like water bucks, giraffes, zebras, and dik-diks within the close space.
It is on little Momella Lake that canoeing safaris ar doable.
Ngurdoto Crater
This swampy crater is populated by an outsized style of animals and may be a standard stop for game drives. visitors will expect to check the Cape buffalo, elephants, monkeys, baboons, warthogs, and variety of various bovid species here.
The crater is encircled by the Ngurdoto Forest, a shady expanse that’s home to playful black and white colobus monkey.
Nearby is Serengeti Ndogu (Little Serengeti), associate expansive parcel wherever herds of zebras will be seen throughout the year.
Ngurdoto museum
Overlooking the Ngurdoto Forest with its population of black and white colobus monkey monkeys, the Ngurdoto museum homes a formidable collection of examples of the various animals, birds, and insects that may be found inside the park.
Lake Longil
The only freshwater lake in Arusha national park, Lake Longil may be a popular watering hole for buffaloes and water bucks.
Tululusia Hill
A former lookout purpose during tribal wars from Tanzania’s post, Tululusia Hill is today a well-liked hiking and camping site that affords guests an excellent read of the lower reaches of the Arusha parkland still as Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.
This heavily wooded region of the park is home to elephants, buffalo, colobus monkey monkeys, the red duiker, suni, leopards, and even tree-dwelling pythons.
Fig Tree Arch
A distinctive natural arch formed by a tree, this intriguing feature of the landscape has fully grown into associate arch giant enough for a car or associate elephant to pass below.
Due to the low numbers of predators within the park, walking safaris are permitted. this is often a requirement for anyone wanting to get a better look at the moss covered trees and also the occasional red hot pokers furthermore as for those wanting to get up close to wildlife. most typical sightings while on a walking safari include buffaloes, warthogs, giraffes and a variety of birds like the silvery cheeked hornbill, very little bee-eater and the occasional long crested eagle. The walk takes visitors to the refreshing Tululusia waterfalls and back to the Momella gate.
On the visitors towards the Momella Lakes, visitors are sure a treat as common waterbucks and reedbucks like to hang around the lake shore. An array of water birds like cormorants, kingfishers and beautiful flamingos are usually noticed. There are seven alkaline lakes to be seen and every lake has a totally different salt concentration. Visitors even have the choice of happening a canoe trip on the small Momella Lake.
Arusha park is also home to a few handful of African elephants however due to their constant movement they’re rarely noticed. The same goes for leopards that roam the vast foggy forests of Mt Meru.