This beautiful park has often been called a little gem, and rightly so. It’s the closest park to Arusha town, the starting point of most safaris to the famous northern circuit. It’s only 30 minutes’ drive by tarmac road from Arusha and 1hour and 20 minutes from Kilimanjaro airport. With Mountains, valleys, lakes, forests, and small plains clothed in green, it has a wonderful feeling of peace and solitude. It is dominated by Mount Meru, which at 4,566m (14,980 Ft) is the third highest free standing Mountain in the world.

Getting around

A well-maintained network of game viewing roads and tracks winding through the park, offering frequent views ofthe spectacular beauty of both Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro on clear days. Viewing points where guests can get out of the vehicle and stretch their legs.

Wildlife

It is a habitat for a wide variety of mammals, including giraffe, elephants, buffalo, zebra, bushbuck, waterbuck, baboons, hippopotamus, monkeys, leopard (rarely seen), duikers and hyena (rarely seen). The birdlife is spectacular, with over 450 species recorded. The game viewing track that winds around the Momella lakes is a great way of getting close to watch the lesser and greater flamingoes. Arusha National Park is the best national park in Tanzania to watch black and white colobus monkeys.

Park Highlights

• Keep your eyes peeled for the prolific birdlife of the park
• Excellent views of both Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro
• Photograph big animals with either Kilimanjaro or Meru at the background
• Excellent sighting of Black and colobus monkeys
• Admire both Lesser and Greater flamingoes in Momella Lake
• Introduction to walking and canoeing safari.

Activities

• Game viewing is possible on a well-maintained network of roads throughout the year
• The park is a great place for a walking safari and a place where one can enjoy the natural forest in comfort because of the cool climate. Big animals like giraffe, waterbucks and buffalo can be seen during these walks.
• It’s possible by prior arrangement on small momella lakes, with hippos, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks and water birds often seen.