ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
- July 28, 2024
- Posted by: chosen@202q
- Category: Prepare To Travel Tips
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
What to do?
Arusha National Park is a little national park that is full of hidden treasures in Tanzania. the abundant flora and animals, as well as the breathtaking vistas of the park’s terrain. When organizing your Tanzanian safari, make time to visit the park. You should reconsider your plans to visit Tanzania’s northern regions the moment you consider skipping Arusha National Park. If not, you can miss out on a fantastic safari experience in Africa.
Most visitors agree that Arusha National Park is limited in its offerings. It is not a dependable travel destination because of its sparse wildlife and proximity to Arusha. Let me tell you something: none of these claims are factual; they are all just accusations. I’ll explain in this post why Arusha is among Tanzania’s and Africa’s top tourist attractions in terms of quality and dependability.
Arusha National Park is still one of Tanzania’s top safari locations, even if it isn’t as big as the formidable Serengeti National Park or as well-known as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Actually, it gets overlooked a lot.
Whereabouts
Arusha town is a few kilometers away from Arusha National Park. The journey from Arusha town to Arusha National Park takes around an hour. In fact, this is among the reasons you want to include visiting Arusha National Park on your list of places to see. Its advantageous position relieves travelers of the stress of rising early. Imagine going on a safari in Africa and being able to wake up whenever you like.
Arusha National Park also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding region and the enchanted Mt. Meru. Particularly at dusk or dawn, no traveler wants to miss the breathtaking panorama created by the interplay of the sun’s rays and the surrounding terrain. These are iconic moments for nature photography and filmmaking.
None of these are necessary for you to miss. Tanzania’s second-biggest mountain is Mount Meru; Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest. The last known eruption of this inactive stratovolcano occurred in 1910. It is situated in Arusha National Park, to the north of Arusha Town.
At 4561 meters, the peak of Mount Meru is the fifth highest point in Africa. The peak caldera is 3.5 kilometers wide. Tourists have been drawn to Arusha National Park by a variety of attractions, including the trek and view of this peak. If someone is new to trekking, I suggest that they begin by hiking Mount Meru. Before they climb Africa’s highest mountains, the magnificent Kilimanjaro Mountains, this is an introduction lecture for them.
Wef can provide you with hiking permits, gear, a qualified safari guide, and the best safari lodging for the duration of your excursion.
The Park’s Past
In 1960, Arusha was designated as a national park and given official status. The park is close to Arusha city in northeastern Tanzania. It was given the name Arusha after one of Tanzania’s largest cities.
The park is only 137 km2 in size, but it is abundantly furnished with amazing scenery and attractions. Mount Meru is the main geographical feature of this national park.
Tanzania’s second-biggest mountain is Mount Meru; Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest. The last known eruption of this inactive stratovolcano occurred in 1910. It is situated in Arusha National Park, to the north of Arusha Town.
At 4561 meters, the peak of Mount Meru is the fifth highest point in Africa. The peak caldera is 3.5 kilometers wide. Tourists have been drawn to Arusha National Park by a variety of attractions, including the trek and view of this peak.
Why is Arusha National Park well-known?
The majority of giraffes in the world may be found in Arusha National Park. The park is well-known for being adjacent to Arusha, one of Tanzania’s largest cities. Because of this, it is a well-liked safari location for quick trips to Tanzania. The best option for a three-day Tanzanian safari would be to visit Arusha National Park. Even better, you can go on a one-day safari game drive before heading back to your Arusha town accommodation.
What not to expect when visiting Arusha National Park.
When tourists do not lower their expectations, it frequently results in a negative experience at a particular safari destination. Although Africa has a lot to offer, not everything is concentrated in one location. You shouldn’t expect to see the huge wildebeest migration, which occurs in Lake Natron or Serengeti National Park, when visiting Arusha National Park. Never expect the kind of Baobab trees and thousands of elephants that may be seen in Tarangire National Park.
All you have to know is that each safari destination in Africa has something fresh and distinctive to offer. One of the key explanations for why an African safari is never a dull experience is this:. Simply set your expectations lower and visit the Park to discover what it has to offer.
We are here to create the greatest custom safari packages in Africa if you’re interested in activities outside of the park. The only things stopping you are time and money. Our main goal is to minimize expenses for an even better experience, and we specialize in combining safari destinations into a single vacation. Take a look at these incredible group or combo tours to Tanzania.
Arusha National Park attractions
Arusha National Park’s wildlife
Comparatively speaking to the other national parks in Tanzania, the national park is home to a smaller variety of animals. Visitors can see a variety of species during wildlife viewing, including warthogs, cape buffaloes, zebras, elephants, and bushbucks.
Arusha National Park is consistently home to a diverse range of animal, bird, and plant species due to its varied environment. Some live in the park’s lower savannah plains, while others are visible above Mt. Meru’s slopes. While some of these species are rare, others are unique to this location.
Birds
It has been noted that Arusha National Park is a top birdwatching location. More than 120 bird species are available to view. The most frequent bird species to watch for when visiting the national park include the cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Taveta weaver, hadada ibis, scaly spurfowl, Hartlaub’s turaco, and the bar-tailed and Narina trogons, among others. During a birding tour, flamingos in the Momella lakes might provide valuable insights.
Momella Lakes
On the northeastern edge of the park are the Momella Lakes. Tulsan, Lekandiro, Kusare, El Kekhotoito, the large Momella, and the little Momella are the seven Momella lakes in the area. These lakes have an alkaline base because they were created by volcanic ash left over from the previous eruption of Mount Meru.
These lakes are excellent places to go birdwatching and are home to wading birds. From the lakes’ shores, one can also see other species, like zebras. You can witness flamingo birds on these lakes as well, as they are also present in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park.
Typically, visitors boat this lake while taking in the breathtaking views of flamingos and the wide, expansive hills of the surroundings.
The main draws of Arusha National Park are spread over three zones inside the park.
Region of West Meru Crater
This makes up Arusha National Park’s western boundary. It has the Jekukumia River and Mount Meru Peak. The river that created maio water is directed into this shape. It is definitely worthwhile to take a hike along the river’s edge to enjoy the satisfyingly cool waters of the Maio waterfall.
Southeast area
The primary features of the southeast section of the national park are the grasslands and Ngurdoto Crater. This crater spans 3.6 kilometers in width and is 100 meters deep. This region is marshy and hosts a variety of wildlife species, making it a dependable choice for safari game drives. One of Africa’s most sought-after wildlife species, the black and white Colobus monkey, can be found in the Ngurdoto forest in this area.
The northwest side is made up of the shallow lakes of Momella. It is appropriate for seeing wildlife and birds.
The Tululusia Hill
Tululusia Hill was once employed as a vantage point for approaching adversaries in battle. It is currently among Africa’s top locations for camping and hiking. Travelers can learn about Tanzania’s past in relation to tribal and colonial warfare by visiting this peak. This is a densely forested area. Elephants, buffaloes, Colobus monkeys, and other numerous inhabitants of the enchanted Park can be seen there.
Activities:
Game drives in Arusha National Park
In the Momella Lakes region of Arusha National Park, game drives are held. Many different types of fauna visit these lakes. Despite this, they avoid drinking from the waters since they are alkaline. Game drives in the plains of Arusha National Park may provide opportunities for animal observations because of the lakes’ abundance of species.
There are numerous wildlife locations, such as hyenas, zebras, giraffes, cape buffaloes, elephants, leopards, hippos, and wildebeest. The months of June through October, which are considered the dry seasons, are the ideal times to see wildlife in the park.
Climbing Mountains
Hikers have a fantastic opportunity to visit this national park because of the presence of Mount Meru. The eastern gate provides access to Mount Meru from the Momella lakes. The trek is rewarded with a breathtaking aerial view of the landscapes of Arusha Park and the summit of Mount Meru, which is located on the west Meru crater.
Birding
with more than 400 different bird species living in Arusha National Park’s woodlands. A fantastic pastime for birdwatchers to partake in while on a safari adventure in Tanzania is bird watching. Black Saw wing, Bar-tailed trogon, African fish eagle, Narina trogon, Little grebe, Great crested grebe, Egyptian goose, Hartlaub’s turaco, cinnamon chested bee-eater, Bearded vulture, African olive pigeon, Verreaux eagle, Tawny eagle, Silvery cheeked hornbill, scaly francolin, peregrine falcon, red-fronted parrot, southern pochard, Augur buzzard, flamingos, and many more species of birds are found in the park.
Although you may go birding all year round in Arusha National Park, the ideal days to go birding are those that fall within the dry season, which runs from June to October. The ideal time to see migratory birds from Europe and North Africa is from November to April.
How do I get there?
There are two ways to get to the park: by air or by car. It is situated 25 kilometers from Arusha, 35 kilometers from Kilimanjaro National Park, and it only takes a few minutes to get to the park’s main gate from Arusha city.
If you’d like to fly, you can fly to Kilimanjaro airport and drive a few kilometers to reach the park.
Which time of year is ideal for visiting Arusha National Park?
Arusha National Park welcomes visitors year-round, much like many other national parks in Tanzania. But from June to October, when it’s dry, is the best time to go on a safari. Additionally, this is the ideal time of year to see a lot of these migratory birds.
Accommodations
For guests of Arusha National Park or those staying longer, a variety of lodging options are offered. Hatari Lodge,
- Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge,
- Momella Wildlife Lodge,
- Arusha Serena Hotel,
- Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge,
- Mount Meru Game Lodge
are a few of these.
To sum up, Arusha National Park is one of the top destinations on your African safari that you shouldn’t skip.