The closest national park to Arusha Town, northern Tanzania’s safari capitol- Arusha National park is a mulit faceted jewel, often overlooked by safari goers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a diversity of habitats within a few hours.

The entrance gate leads into shadowy montane forest inhabited by blue monkeys and colorful turacos and trogons, the only place on the northern safari circuit where the 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 beauty of the Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green or blue.  Their shallows sometimes tinged pink with flamingos, the lake supports 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 hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide eyed dik dik’s dart in to 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 around in the early morning and evenings.  You can see the beautiful Mt. Kilimanjaro if the weather permits and she wants to be seen.

Arusha National park is 552 square kilometer which translates to 212 square miles in size, It’s an easy drive from Arusha, about 35 miles from Kilimanjaro International Airport.  The lakes, forest and the crater can all be visited in the course of a half day outing at the beginning or end of an extended northern safari.

What to do on your visit, forest walks, numerous picnic sites, there are 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.

You can schedule three or four day Mt. Meru Climb, good acclimatization’s for Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mountain climbing permits duration time is 12 hours.