Where is Arusha National Park?
Arusha National Park, located 32km east of the town of Arusha in Tanzania, covers a modest area of 552 square kilometers. It’s known for its picturesque landscape, dominated by Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second-highest peak. The park’s diverse habitats make it an exciting destination year-round, offering a range of activities.
What activities are found in Park?
The Park offers a variety of activities that provide visitors with diverse ways to explore and enjoy its natural beauty and wildlife:
- Wildlife Viewing: The park offers lower-key wildlife viewing compared to other Tanzanian parks, but you can still spot buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, dik-dik, and occasionally elephants. It’s also home to the unique Kilimanjaro colobus monkey.
- Bird Watching: Arusha National Park is excellent for birding, boasting around 400 species. The Momella Lakes area is particularly good for spotting flamingos.
- Hiking and Climbing: The park provides an opportunity to hike or climb Mount Meru. There are day hikes to the Meru Crater and a more challenging four-day climb to the summit of Mount Meru.
- Canoeing and Mountain Biking: Canoeing on the Momella Lakes and guided mountain biking are other popular activities.
- Horseback riding:Horseback riding offers a different and often more intimate way to explore the natural beauty of Arusha National Park compared to traditional vehicle safaris. On horseback, you can get closer to wildlife without disturbing them as much, offering potentially unique wildlife viewing opportunities.
What is the best time to visit Arusha National Park?
Best Time to Visit:
- Dry Season (June-October): which offers easier wildlife spotting due to thinner vegetation and congregated animals around water sources. However, the park is lush and green all year.
- Wet Season (November-May): presenting its own charm, including beautiful scenery and migratory birds. Do note that some roads might become difficult to navigate during the wet season, and April is the peak of the wet season.
How can you get to the Park?
Reaching Arusha National Park in Tanzania is relatively straightforward, and you have a few options: