Located just a short drive from Arusha and Moshi, the Arusha National Park is Tanzania’s most accessible national park and the perfect place for a day trip or as the first park visit on a longer itinerary. At just 552 square kilometres, it’s a small park with a lot to see.

It is a green jewel and home to the fourth highest mountain in Africa – Mount Meru (4,566 m). Anyone visiting this park will be thrilled by the breathtaking landscapes ranging from the Meru Crater in the west, the Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east to the grasslands and of course the alkaline Momella lakes in the north-east.

This park is often overlooked by visitors, worried they will not see that much wildlife. However Arusha National Park has such a lot to offer and dazzles with a perfect mix of flora and fauna and diversified landscapes. Passing the “small Serengeti” during a game drive, you are likely to spot peaceful herds of buffaloes, shy bushbucks on the edge of the forest as well as warthogs and giraffes. Heading towards the Ngurdoto Crater you will soon find yourself in a lush rainforest – a great place to spot the athletic black and white colobus monkey as well as the elegant mitis monkey. The Ngurdoto Crater is basically a smaller version of the Ngorongoro Crater and has a diameter of about 3 km. With a bit of luck, you might even spot buffaloes in the swamps on the crater floor. 

Lafayette Expeditions Team