Arusha National Park

Arusha National Park is one of Tanzania's most accessible parks and an easy outing if you are staying in Arusha. It is small, yet the scenery changes quickly: forest on the slopes of Mount Meru, open grassland where giraffes and zebras graze, the steep bowl of Ngurdoto Crater and the quiet Momela Lakes.

Game drives here bring giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, hippo, waterbuck and colobus monkeys, and the mix of habitats draws a wide variety of birds. Depending on the itinerary and park rules, you can also go on a guided walk for a closer look at the plants, birds and landscape.

Mount Meru dominates the park and makes a dramatic backdrop for drives, walks and photographs. Climbing it is a multi-day trek of its own, and on clear days you can see Kilimanjaro from viewpoints inside the park.

The park works well as a half-day or full-day trip from Arusha, or before or after a longer northern safari, and it is an easy drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport.