Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is a protected natural area in northern Tanzania, located 25 km from the city of Arusha and 35 km from Kilimanjaro airport. It belongs to a group of parks known as the "Northern Safari Circuit", which also includes the Lake Manyara National Park, the Tarangire National Park, the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Nature Reserve. The name "Arusha" derives from Warusha, the name of the local population of the region. Mount Meru, 4,562 meters and the second highest mountain in Tanzania is part of the Arusha National Park.

Despite being one of the least extensive parks in Tanzania, it is located very close to the city of Arusha, the base from which all safaris depart towards parks in the north, so deciding to include it in your itinerary could be interesting especially for those looking for a less traveled area and more quiet place to get in touch with the wildest nature that Tanzania has to offer.

With an area of ​​137 km², and an altitude of 1,930 meters, the park includes numerous distinct habitats. Three main areas can be distinguished: the Ngurdoto crater, the lakes Momela (or Momella) and Mount Meru. The slopes of the Ngurdoto are covered by rainforest, while inside the crater there are marshes and savannah areas where you can see warthogs and buffaloes; on the Meru, at high altitude, there is an alpine type vegetation; one of the attractions inside the park is a huge fig tree that grows right on the slope and is so large that it allows a jeep to pass under its roots.

The park is also known to have the largest concentration of giraffes in the world while other animals present are, for example, hippos, buffaloes, warthogs, numerous species of antelope, leopards and hyenas. In addition, 10 species of amphibians and 24 species of reptiles have been recorded in the park. There are more than 300 species of birds, most of which are concentrated in the area of ​​the Momela lakes, where there are huge colonies of flamingos. The characteristic activity that can be carried out in this park is in fact a canoe trip on the lake.

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