Arusha National Park

The first day of my safari and I see lions, elephants giraffes and zebras

Wonderful walking safari in Arusha NP

On my most recent trip to Tanzania (September 2015), the first park we visited was Arusha National Park. In the morning, we took a "regular" game drive through the park, on which we were introduced to Tanzania's wildlife slowly but surely--we saw monkeys, birds and giraffes, among others. What makes Arusha NP special for me, though, is the walking safari we took in the late afternoon the same day. For obvious reasons, you can't get very close to most animals on foot (which is a good thing, of course--I would not have wanted to be any closer to the herd of buffalos we saw from afar), but we still managed to see a pair of giraffes less than 50 m away. Walking through a national park certainly puts things into perspective, especially the size of both the park and the animals. It feels very different walking paths similar to the ones you've already driven across, and gives you a new appreciation for safaris as a whole. It also adds to the "bush vibe" of the entire country, because it feels like it's just you and the animals.

Small but plenty - but no big cats

We visited as a day trip between Moshi and Arusha while on a business trip, and for this purpose - to get a short glimpse into the Wildlife - this park is perfect. It takes less than an hour to drive there, and you do not necessarily need a 4WD. Entrance fees are lower than in Serengeti and there is plenty of accommodation within half an hours drive.

It is also refreshingly uncroweded. We were there quite lat,e but there were one, maybe two other vehicles, and other than by Momella Lake, we were on our own. Roads tend to be dirt, and ther eis a lot of grass and bush on the side, which makes animal spotting a little harder. After a while (when you come from the main entrance off the main Moshi Highway) the scenery will change alot - first you'll be rewarded with magnificient views of Mount Meru, then you get pictures like in an Africa storybook - complete with giraffes and zebras.

This may not be the park where you get close to a lot of animals, but it feels like you can view them in their natural habitat withour driving right through it, and this makes it somehow more authentic.

Last not least it has Momella Lakes, breeding place of thousands of flamingoes - this is quite unique in Tanzania, maybe even Africa, and although you can take the long drive to Lake Natron, there is nothing that makes the experience superior there.

We saw flamingos, giraffes zebras, buffalo, gazelles, monkeys and lots of unnamed birds aplenty. Sometimes you may spot an elephant, but there are definitely no big cats here.

In summary, this is a small but fine NAtional Park with good infrastructure, easily visited as a daytrip.

It was a good way to start the trip but not the best park. Many giraffes which gives the landscape a very prehistoric look.

Diverse habitats but not the fantastic spectacle of some of the other Tanzanian parks

Arusha is a great place if you already have experience at the major parts. On the positive side, it isn't crowded with tourists. It has diverse habitats from forests to lakes to savannah to mountains. There are quite a few large mammals, but no predators or elephants. The flamingos around Momella lakes will blow your mind (and are so much closer and easier to enjoy than at Lake Natron, the other famous flamingo destination). It has a lot to offer for serious birders, but doesn't have too many of the spectacular birds that interest casual birders. We only went there self-guided, so I can't comment on going with a guide. There are a couple of great lodges just outside the park, Hatari by the north entrance, and another I can't remember by the south entrance. The park is small enough that you can see most of it in two days (excluding hiking in the forest, which I can't comment about; supposedly climbing Meru is fantastic, and a much different experience than the crowded slog up Kili). The small size makes it manageable, but is probably also the biggest negative and why I said it is good to visit after a major park- Arusha just doesn't have the vast open spaces and throngs of animals of Tarangire, Ngorongoro, or Serengeti.

We went through the park on our journey up to the summit of Mount Meru, soeven though we went through the park we didn't go on safari

A chance to encounter the locals close up.

It was difficult to stop and get out of the car in some parts. At times it felt a little rushed. But the day was perfect. There were some great viewpoints and the views were amazing. We saw lots of wildlife so I felt satisfied on that front.

More dense with vegetation and so harder to see the animals.

The Safari was an amazing African experience

My visit to Arusha National Park was an amazing experience and a great way to start off my trip to Tanzania! My full day safari in Arusha National Park was one of amazing landscapes and views, as well as incredible wildlife! We witnessed many different species of animals from Blue Monkeys and Baboons to giraffes and numerous birds. One of the highlights of the safari was visiting the Momela Lakes where we viewed thousands of pink flamingos. Even though Arusha National Park doesn't have the large cats such as lions and cheetahs, there are many other amazing species to witness while you are there. An amazing national park to visit for sure!

The pouching is a big problem in Arusha National Park and that is the reason why the wildlife is quite shy there
TANAPA need to invest more in the conservation of that beautifull jungle landscape