This national park lies about 45km east of Arusha town. It is, therefore, the closest national park to the safari capital of Tanzania. This park is home to Mt Meru, Tanzania’s “other mountain” standing at 4565m, Ngurdoto Crater and the Momella Lakes. Despite its relatively small size, this park has a lot to offer such as Colobus monkeys, flamingos, elephants, giraffes, buffalos, plus a variety of bird and plant species.
How to get to Arusha National Park: From Arusha, it is roughly an hour drive.
What to do: Walking safari, climbing Mount Meru, game drives to Ngurdoto Crater and the Momella lakes. At dawn or late afternoon, one can see Mt. Kilimanjaro quite clearly.
Where to stay: There are a number of options within Arusha National park and its vicinity. Due to its closeness to Arusha, one can also opt to stay in the town and drive to the park. For those wishing to stay within the vicinity of the park, we recommend the following:-
- Meru View Lodge: www.meru-view-lodge.de
- Hatari Lodge: www.hatarilodge.com
- Ngaresero Mountain Lodge: www.ngare-sero-lodge.com
- Serena Mountain Village Lodge: www.serenahotels.com
When to go: Year-round.
Experiencing Arusha National park: A visit to this park can be a day excursion, part of a Mt Meru hike or a broader safari itinerary encompassing visits to other northern national parks. Ask us for ideas and itineraries.
