Mt Meru Ride

Arusha National Park in northern Tanzania is one of the country’s most varied and underrated safari areas. Situated at the foot of Mount Meru – Tanzania’s second-highest mountain – the landscape differs markedly from the vast open savannahs often associated with East African safari. Here, mist-covered forests, volcanic craters, open grasslands, lakes and rolling highlands meet in an unusually varied and almost dreamlike landscape. The park lies between some of Africa’s most iconic natural areas, with Serengeti and Ngorongoro to the west and Kilimanjaro to the east. At the same time, Arusha feels significantly calmer and more intimate than many of Tanzania’s larger national parks. The climate is cooler and the greenery more pronounced thanks to the altitude and proximity to Mount Meru, whose silhouette constantly dominates the horizon. Arusha National Park encompasses several different ecosystems within a relatively small area. In the west rise the Meru Crater and the volcanic slopes around Mount Meru, while the Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east is surrounded by open grasslands and dense vegetation. In the north-east lies the Momella Lakes – shallow alkaline lakes whose colours change depending on algae and mineral content. The lakes attract large numbers of wading birds and flamingos that gather along the shorelines. The wildlife is varied and differs somewhat from a classic savannah safari. There are giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, warthogs and several different antelope species, as well as colobus monkeys and other primates that live in the dense forests. Elephants move through the area along natural migration routes, and the birdlife is very rich, with hundreds of documented species.