Wildlife in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro
The Arusha National Park, only a short 40 minute drive from the town of Arusha, is home to beautiful lakes, forests and extinct volcano craters, as well as a variety of wildlife. Because of its close proximity to Arusha, it can easily be visited and enjoyed for a few hours at the start or the end of a longer Northern Circuit Safari trip. An added attraction is that both the spectacular Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru (the 5th highest peak in Africa) can be seen from the Park during clear weather.
Flamingoes and other waterbirds jostle for space around the shores of the 7 uniquely different coloured Momela Lakes, while waterbuck wander casually past. Giraffe and zebra graze on the grassy hills, and leopards and spotted hyenas watch carefully from a distance. Black and white colobus monkeys play in the forest trees, while shy bushbucks and duikers dart for cover.
The Ngurdoto Crater, which stretches 3 km across, is a steep-sided bowl, surrounded by riverine forest, while the crater floor is a lush swamp. Here, buffalo and warthogs laze contentedly, safe in the knowledge that lions do not exist in the Park in any way, shape or form!
Almost 400 species of birds have been recorded in the Park.