Arusha National Park is a park with a dynamic topography and can be accessed quite easily. The park is only 30 minutes away from Arusha, and you will be surprised by the way the lush green regions of the park suddenly pop up amid urban locales. The park has three main topographical features:
Mount Meru, the second-highest peak in Tanzania, Momella Lake, and Ngurdoto Crater. So the park is a great spot for those who wish to hike, trek, or canoe. Mount Meru especially is climbed by a lot of tourists who wish to have an adventurous tour. Plus, it acts as a practice for climbing Kilimanjaro later.
When it comes to wildlife, however, it can be disappointing for many tourists as the concentration of predators here is very low. On the other hand, though, it does have a lot of herbivores and mammals, including the rare Colobus monkey.
The Park is nested on the foothills of Mount Meru, Africa’s most beautiful volcano and fifth-highest peak. Only 45 minutes drive from Arusha City center, one finds this beautiful Park. Mount Meru makes an ideal high-altitude acclimatization warm-up before conquering Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Park offers way too many attractions compared to its area. The unforgiving landscapes of Mount Meru and Ash Cone, scenic views of Momella Lakes, tropical forest glades, and Ngurdoto Crater are just a few. Visitors to this Park will have opportunities to do game viewing, ride a horse, climb Mount Meru as well as do organized walks with a ranger!
With diverse wildlife that includes herbivores such as elephants, hippos, buffalo, zebra, and even the occasional wildebeest, Arusha National Park is also a perfect place to get out and stretch your legs – with both walking safaris and canoe safaris available within the park.
The National Park is also home to the world’s largest population of giraffes, making it a great place to visit for fans of these long-necked, beautiful animals.
