With an area of 137 sq. km, Arusha National Park is one of the smaller and most beautiful national parks in Tanzania. Situated only 37 km from Arusha town, the park is very popular for day trips. The Ngurdoto Crater, Momela Lakes, the highland montane forest, and the rugged Mount Meru (4575 m above sea level) are the four distinctive features of the park. Mt. Kilimanjaro, towering at 5895 m to the east, can be seen on clear days from many locations in the park. One of the unique attractions of the park is the opportunity to combine game drives and a nature walk in the many places where visitors can leave their safari vehicles and walk in the fresh air.
The most common animals found in this park are the Abyssinian black and white colobus monkeys, the Vervet monkeys, the red forest duikers, hippos, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, bushbucks, and sometimes the leopard. More than 400 species of birds have been recorded in the park, including Eurasian migrants, which can be seen between October and April. Mount Meru, 4575 m can be scaled in three to four days, with overnight accommodation in alpine huts on your way up and down.
