Arusha National Park; situated in Mountain Meru’s shadows, this park offers satisfactory sightings of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, as well as dik-diks. Though a lovely destination, it cannot be compared with other parks in the northern circuit. Why? It has neither lions nor rhinos. That’s why it is treated as rather a convenient overnight stopover by travelers heading further afield for their main safari.
For many, a favourite attraction here is the black-and-white colobus monkey. The forested slopes of the stunning Ngurdoto Crater stands out as a great place to witness their acrobatic skills. Also available at Arusha National Park are the inquisitive blue monkeys which are frequently spotted here, as well as variety of forest bird species like noisy hornbills and brightly coloured turacos.
One of the most outstanding vantage points to take in the park’s beauty is the stretch from the rim to the swampy green crater floor where buffalo and warthogs gather for a mud bath.
The quiet state of the canoe safaris offers the best way to encounter water birds of the Momella Lakes. It allows you to sneak into their territories without them noticing. The star attractions here are the flamingos and huge flocks of migrating waterfowl.
This canoe adventure is a welcome change of pace after a few game drives.
From the comfort of your boat, you can take in splendid views west to Kilimanjaro, whose snow-capped peak, often emerges from its cloudy shroud in the late afternoon.
Most of the good range of accommodation here are the parks access village, around Usa River.