ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK

Location:

This park is located A few kilometers from the main town of Arusha, North east Tanzania. It contains within its boundaries Mount Meru and the Ngurdoto crater. It's actually near the boarder of Kenya and in a position from which you can view Mount Kilimanjaro unless the cloud is down.

Attractions:

The compact Arusha National Park is remarkable for its range of habitats. It encompasses tree varied zones: the highland montane forest of Mount Meru (3'820 m) to the west, where black and white colobus and blue monkeys can be spotted; Ngurdoto Crater, a small volcanic crater inhabited by a variety of mammals in the southeast of the park; and, to the northeast, Momela Lakes, a series of seven alkaline crater lakes, home to a large number of water birds. On a clear day it is possible to see the summits of both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru from Ngurdoto Crater rim. There are numerous hides and picnic sites throughout the park, giving travellers an opportunity to leave their vehicles.

The park has actually changed its name a number of times form Ngurdoto Crater National Park to Mount Meru National Park.

Arusha National Park contains many animals including giraffes, elephants, hippos, buffalos, rhinos (if you are lucky), colobus monkeys, bush bucks, red forest duikers, reedbucks, waterbucks and wart - hogs. In fact Arusha is supposed to contain the highest density of giraffes in the world. There are no lions in the park although you may see leopard. Birds found in the National Park include cormorants, pelicans, ibises, flamingos and grebes.

How to get there:

Arusha National Park is situated about 25 km east of Arusha and 58 km from Moshi. The road is a good one and the turning off the main road, about 35 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport, is at Usa River and is clearly signposted. There are two lodges at Usa River. From the airport, the landscape changes from the flat dry and dusty Sanya plain, which gradually becomes greener, more fertile and more cultivated. Take the turning (on the right if you are heading towards Arusha) and follow the gravel road for about 10 km until you reach the Ngurdoto Gate. This is country and you will see the farms on each side of the road. On reaching the park entrance, this changes to dense forest.

A second gate, Momela Gate, from which Mt. Meru is accessed, is located to the north of the park. There are two routes leading to Momela Gate, starting near the Village of Usa River, close by the Arusha/Moshi Road. From here, it is 8 km to Ngurdoto Gate. A single road enters the park dividing near Serengeti Ndogo. The road to the northwest is known as the Outer Road (25 km) and National Park fees are not payable if in transit.