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: 137 sq km (53 sq miles).
Location: Northern Tanzania, northeast of Arusha town.
How To Get 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.
Activities
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
A lodge, two rest houses, camp sites, two mountain huts
inside the park; two lodges at Usa River outside the park
and many hotels and hostels in Arusha town. |
