Rainforests, Savannahs, Mountains, and Giraffes
Starting from/returning to your Arusha area hotel, private residence, or the airport. We’ll pick you up at 7:00 am for a full-day safari in the comfort of a private 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep.
The closest park at just an hour and a half away from the city, Arusha National Park is a wonderland of alpine tracts, savannahs, mountains, and lakes.
This small reserve is sometimes overlooked, but for the adventurers who take a chance on this less famous spot, the rewards will be worth it. Arusha may just be Tanzania’s most varied park where visitors can explore rich plains, a colorful series of lakes, and even an active volcano, all within a busy day. And that variety extends to the park’s wildlife – especially its great multitudes of giraffes.
A Canoe Safari?
Where else but Arusha? Not just one but seven Momella lakes grace the park, each a different shade of algae blue/green. From your canoe, view cormorants, kingfishers, flamingoes, and on the nearby shore – giraffe, zebra, and dik-dik.
Because there are few predators in the park, this is one spot you can enjoy walking safaris. Don’t be surprised to pass grazing waterbucks, buffalo, warthog, and still more giraffes. Did we mention the park is home to the world’s largest population of giraffes?
Mt. Meru
Though not quite as grand as Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru is rarely obscured by cloud cover like its big brother, and this still-active volcano hosts giraffes, elephants, and antelope as you ascend through its many habitats.
Arusha even offers its crater, the Ngurdoto, a favorite with visitors and you’ll be tracking buffalo, elephants, baboons, warthogs, and antelope within its 3 km range. Ringing the crater is a lush rainforest, home to black and white colobus monkeys as well as blue monkeys.
More Things to See
Near the Ngurdoto Forest, we can pause at the Ngurdoto Museum with its rich collection of the park’s animals, birds, and insects.
A popular lookout point, Tululusia Hill will provide perfect views of the park along with Mt. Meru and even Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance.
Tour Highlights:
- Great populations of giraffes
- Kingfishers, cormorants, and flamingoes
- Canoe safari across the Momella Lakes
- Mt. Meru, an active volcano
- Ngurdoto Crater – rich rainforest with birds and monkeys