About Arusha National Park
Looking for a unique safari experience off the beaten path? Arusha National Park is just what you're looking for. The park has its unique beauty adorned with the scenery of Mount Meru, Serengeti dogo (Little Serengeti grass) plains, and unique vegetation. The iconic Baobab trees adorn the park with irresistible glory. Arusha National Park is not a so-visited park, which is also a reason for you to discover the hidden gem in Tanzania. Even when Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area still show and the hearts of many visitors, Arusha National Park lies in wait for the true nature lovers who love the off-the-beaten-path stuff.
Mount Meru is the greatest attraction, offering awesome scenic views and ideal for mountain hiking. Atop Mount Meru is the stunning ash Cone, and great views of the mt Kilimanjaro, the roof of Africa. besides this, you get to explore the captivating Ngurdoto crater (Small Ngorongoro) and the Momella lakes with lots of flamingos to watch. This myriado f scenery makes Arusha National Park a destination worth visiting.
Attractions in Arusha National Park
Mount Meru: Mount Meru is shared between Tanzania and Kenya, towering up to 4,566 m, which is the second highest free-standing mountain in Tanzania, and comes 5th in Africa. Hiking to Mount Meru offers great views, and you can see Kilimanjaro in the distance, plus several animals from the mountain and the lowland.
Wildlife: The park prides of animals such as elephants, buffalo, giraffes, hyenas & leopards, even when rarely seen, zebras, warthogs, waterbucks, birds, and primates such as white and Black colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and lots more.
Serengeti Ndogo (Small Serengeti): Ndogo is a swahili word and means small or little; Serengeti Ndogo means "Small Serengeti", the phrase means the small plains/grass found in a certain part of the park where animals are easily seen because of the short grass, such animals include buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, warthogs and more.
Ngurdoto and Meru Craters: Ngurdoto means small Ngorongoro, it is called so because it looks much more like Ngorongoro crater except that Ngurdoto is a smaller crater that has the shape of a pear. when at the crater, you can see the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro peaks, the breathtaking views of Momella lakes, the slopes of Mount Meru, and the local community. There are five different vantage points: The Rock Point, Buffalo Point, Leitong, Glade Point, and Mikindu Point.
Momella Lakes and Lake Longil: With the breathtaking views, the lakes are a great attraction to various birds, particularly the lesser and greater flamingos, who adorn the lake with their beautiful pink feathers, a very interesting scene, and most visitors enjoy this display. A boat ride on the lake offers a chance for game viewing, seeing the hippos, crocodiles, and lots of animals that come to the waters to bathe and quench their thirst.
Longil Lake happens to be the only freshwater body found in this park with a floating island of the mace reeds that are dramatic, changing their positions with the wind’s direction
Tululusia Hill and Waterfall: Tululusia is a local language that means lookout point. The Tululusia hill is truly a viewpoint where you get to see Arusha National Park from on high. At this point, you will have great sights of Mount Meru covered in the fog and the whitish snowy top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Tululusi Waterfall offers spectacular sightseeing adventures, seeing water falling along a steep gorge about 28m high is quite interesting
Fig Tree Arch: This fig tree Arch (Ficus thoningii) is a symbol of Arush National Park, Fig Tree Arch is an iconic tree that visitors enjoy to see and take photography, it grew in a way that roots are divided in two part leaving a huge gap/arch so big that cars go through it.
Ngarenanyuki River (Engare Nanyokie): Ngarenanyuki river flows from the meru crater, visitors can go for sightseeing of this river.
Location of Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is just half an hour from Arusha, making it an ideal place to visit for a day trip. It is located in the Northern circuit of Tanzania safaris, the most visited region. Arusha National Park stretches for 552 square kilometers with an amazing landscape of mountain slopes, small grass, and Momella lakes that attract lots of flamingos and other birds.
The Park was gazetted in 1960 to conserve nature and wildlife. the park is home to elephants that are seen lazily wandering through the forests or grazing in the open plains, Giraffes stretch their long necks with the backdrop of Mount Meru, zebras graze peacefully, and warthogs loiter around. Arusha National Park has predators too, leopards that can be seen hiding in the trees, and hyenas are present, though you may not easily spot them. With over 40 bird species, Bird lovers will be in their element here in Arusha National Park, the best moment being in the morning and evening when visitors are treated to a bountiful number of such birds to see. Flamingos grace Momella Lakes with their pink feathers, while kingfishers and herons hunt for fish in shallow waters. During the seasonal migration, you will be treated to colorful birds filling the air as they migrate to better locations with more conducive habitats.
Arusha National Park offers chances to see animals in very different habitats. You can spot Mountain forest species as you hike around Mount Meru’s lower slopes or watch buffer zones of wetlands and savannahs for the big game. Trace where elephants like to bathe or drink water; for bird lovers, trace where birds nest for an overwhelming safari experience.
