Arusha National Park: Trip IX

Checking out a Lesser Jacana

In our trip north we were looking forward to returning to one of the most underrated parks in Tanzania, Arusha National Park (Trip XIII). It used to be only an hour drive from our house and the variety of habitats inside the park means that the relatively small park (137 km2) has an astonishing variety of birds. It's awesome to drive from a grassland to a montane rainforest to alkaline lakes all in the same day.

Unfortunately most people are not looking to view a variety of habitat or 100 different species of birds. We often wonder how tourists end up at the park because the overall wildlife pales in comparison to the other parks of the north. You're lucky if you see a couple of giraffes and zebras although if it's your first safari in Tanzania the landscapes are stunning.

Ngurudoto Crater

We took a classic route through the park starting at Ngurudoto Crater, then passing through some lakes on the way to the northern end of the park. We checked out all the lakes before heading up Mt. Meru way and soaking in the montane rainforest towards the top. The highlight of the trip for sure was seeing our first cerval which we caught crossing a road. It was a fantastic view of an enigmatic carnivore!

Beautiful waterfall. This place is one of the most picteresque picnic spots in Tanzania