Arusha

Arusha lies at the foot of Mount Meru, in the centre of Africa, half way between Cape Town and Cairo. An important centre for Tanzania's tourism and agriculture, it is a busy, bustling town with several good restaurants and a number of hotels and lodges of an international standard. It is the gateway to Tanzania's famous northern parks, including Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire. Additionally, it is the headquarters of the East African Community (EAC) comprising Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Built at the beginning of the 20th-century as a German colonial outpost, Arusha was little more than a hamlet, accessible only by horse and cart until the end of WWI. In the years that followed the town grew steadily, with development picking up pace following the opening of the railway from Moshi in 1929. Today Arusha is one of the largest cities in East Africa.

Arusha National Park
Arusha National Park is a popular destination for day safaris, particularly for those travellers without time or inclination to embark on a longer northern circuit safari. Though greatly overshadowed by Tanzania's more famous safari parks, Arusha NP has plenty to offer. It is small but contains within its boundaries much of interest, including Mt Meru, Ngurdoto Crater, and the Momela Lakes, as well as large areas of woodland that are a haven to Colobus monkeys and a variety of birdlife. Big game is limited but it is possible to see giraffe, elephant, leopard (albeit rarely) and a variety of antelope. Sadly no lion, though there has been talk for many years of re-introducing them. Safaris are conducted in 4x4s and generally at a very leisurely pace.

Mt. Meru is an increasingly popular climb, particularly as a precursor to Kilimanjaro. It shouldn't be underestimated. Meru is an arduous climb, and you should allow at least three days to reach the summit. But at 4,565m, it offers great acclimatisation for Kilimanjaro (we offer Kilimanjaro and Meru combination climbs - see our Kilimanjaro pages for more detail). There are also a number of easy walks around the lower slopes of Mt Meru that can serve as day treks.

In and around Arusha, Tanzania
Arusha is the usual starting point for a northern Tanzania safari. From here you can visit Arusha National Park and Mount Meru on half day and full day trips, as described above. You can also visit Tarangire & Lake Manyara National Parks on full day trips. All travellers on a North Tanzania safari will likely enter and leave the country via Arusha, and while we don't usually have cause to recommend more than a night here at the start and end of a safari, it is a pleasant city in which to stay, with lots of lovely accommodations.