Arusha National Park

Nestled in the shadow of Mount Meru, Arusha National Park is a hidden gem that offers a unique blend of breathtaking landscapes, diverse wildlife, and stunning vegetation. Despite being one of the smaller national parks in Tanzania, covering just 137 square kilometers, it packs an incredible variety of ecosystems into its compact size. Located just outside of the city of Arusha, this park is a perfect destination for those seeking a tranquil yet adventurous escape into nature.

Arusha National Park’s landscape is a beautiful collage of contrasts. The park is dominated by the towering presence of Mount Meru, an active stratovolcano that rises to 4,566 meters and offers challenging treks with rewarding panoramic views. At its base lies the pear-shaped Ngurdoto Crater, often referred to as the “Little Ngorongoro,” a lush, forested caldera surrounded by steep cliffs and home to a variety of wildlife.

The park also features the serene Momella Lakes, a series of seven shallow alkaline lakes that shimmer in shades of green and blue, depending on the algae present. These lakes are a haven for waterbirds and provide a picturesque background for game drives and walking safaris. The park’s terrain further includes montane forests, open grasslands, and acacia woodlands, creating a diverse and visually pleasing environment.

Arusha National Park is a paradise for plant enthusiasts. The park’s montane forests are rich with towering fig trees, wild olives, and African pencil cedars, while the lower slopes are covered in acacia woodlands and grasslands. The Momella Lakes are fringed with reeds and aquatic plants, adding to the park’s lush greenery.

One of the park’s most unique features is its alpine vegetation on the upper slopes of Mount Meru, where hardy plants like giant lobelias and groundsels thrive in the harsh, high-altitude conditions.

While Arusha National Park is not known for large predators, it boasts a rich array of wildlife. The park is home to giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, elephants, warthogs, and bushbucks, which can often be seen grazing in the open grasslands or drinking from the Momella Lakes. The Ngurdoto Crater is particularly rich in wildlife, with troops of acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkeys, olive baboons and blue monkeys frequently spotted in the forested areas.

The park is also a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 400 bird species recorded. The Momella Lakes attract flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and storks, while the forests are alive with the calls of turacoes, hornbills, and sunbirds. Rare species like the Narina trogon and the bar-tailed trogon can also be found here.

A visit to the park can also provide magnificent views of nearby Mount Kilimanjaro that can be easily seen from the viewing points of Ngurdoto Crater.