Arusha National Park 64
Exploring Tanzania’s wide-open plains is a breath-taking experience in itself. So imagine being free to leave your vehicle and let some vertical adventure add to the drama. In Arusha National Park, the majestic Mount Meru awaits, ready to be tamed on foot! The exhilaration of reaching the top only increases with Mount Kilimanjaro revealing its snowy peak to the East. The ultimate view over one of Africa’s most picture perfect landscapes. Arusha National Park gives you the opportunity to explore nature at its closest. There are good trekking facilities along the climbing route. The route passes through diverse habitats: swamps, open plains, montane forests and volcanoes, all packed within a distance of 35 km. The most striking landmarks are Mount Meru and the Ngurdoto caldera, formed after volcanic eruptions between 1 and 3 million years ago. Mount Meru hasn’t put on a show in over a century, but 6,000 years ago a huge explosion blew away the eastern edge, causing a massive landslide. It is also how the mesmerizing north-eastern Momela Lakes were born. Due to different levels of alkalinity, each of these seven lakes boasts its own spectacular greenish-blue tone. The water is dotted pink with lesser and greater flamingos, while every now and then you might meet the eyes of a hippopotamus. The extinct Ngurdoto volcano in the east is home to a mini Ngorongoro. Looking down from the crater rim you see montane forests – keep an eye open for the majestic Fig Tree Arch – while an open, swampy bottom spreads out below it, at an altitude of around 1,470 metres.
The extinct Ngurdoto volcano is home to a mini Ngorongoro The entire park is full of life. You will encounter herds of buffalos (the park’s most abundand species), zebra and giraffe often, but warthog, waterbuck, pairs of dik-dik and reedbuck are also frequent sights. Other mammals roaming the area are the elusive aardvark, the bush pig and the crested porcupine. The low braying call of the silvery-cheeked hornbill regularly penetrates the silence, just as the harsh rhythmic cry of the endangered black and white colobus monkey. And this is not the only acrobat in the dense forest; there are also plenty of vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and olive baboons to be seen. The well-trained spotter’s
Dar Life I AUGUST 2022
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