Although its one of Tanzania’s smallest parks, Arusha National Park is one of its most beautiful and topographically varied. Arusha National Park is a multi-faceted jewel, offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of habitats. Arusha National Park covers 137sq. kilometers and lies between the peaks of Mountain Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.
The main features are Ngudoto Crater, the Momela lakes and Mt. Meru. Arusha National Park’s most publicises is Mt. Meru, the eastern slopes and 4,566m peak which lie within the par boundaries. The park has a variety of vegetation zones supporting numerous animal species.
Colourful turacos and trogons – the only place on the northern safari circuit where the acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkey is easily seen.
The flora and fauna varies with the topography, which ranges from forest to swamp. Further north, rolling grassy hills enclose the tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green or blue. Their shallows sometimes tinged pink with thousands of flamingos, the lakes support a rich selection of resident and migrant waterfowl, and shaggy waterbucks display their large lyre-shaped horns on the watery fringes.
Giraffes glide across the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into scrubby bush like overgrown hares on spindly legs.