Arusha National Park

 

Arusha National Park

Day 4 of Safari

1/11/13

 

The original travel plan called for a day of rest after our three days of safari before setting out on our climb up Mount Kilimanjaro.  However, our group had such a fantastic experience at the first two parks, we could not resist the opportunity to visit a third that was only one hour away.  Arusha National Park provided a unique safari experience distinct from Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. 

 

We started at the Ngorongare Gate, and paid the required entry fee.  We were fortunate enough to have been able to secure our guide, Joe, for a fourth consecutive day and he had been equally fortunate to be able to borrow Eric's truck as Joe's vehicle was still being tended to after receiving a flat tire the day before.

 

 

From the park entrance, there is a beautiful vista of nearby Mount Meru which is a frequent stop for hikers wanting to do some preparatory climbing before ascending Mount Kilimanjaro.  Mount Meru is over 16,000 feet and is known for being a fairly rugged climb.

 

After taking in the scenery at the park gate, we got into the vehicle and traveled up the side of the crater rim to a fantastic view down into the Arusha Crater floor.   

 





 

We spent approximately twenty minutes atop the crater rim before hiking back down to the vehicle.  We then moved on through a wooded area and made our way to the grassland below.  Along the way, we kept our eyes open looking for signs of wildlife.  According to Joe, Arusha is home to a variety of species of monkeys and that meant keeping our eyes on the branches above us.  The task proved to be a bit of a challenge, but eventually we began to have some success in picking out a variety of monkeys sitting in the trees.

 

When we made it down to the grassland, we had a chance to catch sight of a field full of baboons.  The volume and proximity of the baboons made Greg more than a bit nervous despite Joe's assurances that they would not try to enter the vehicle. 

 

 

 

From the field of baboons, we made our way around the rest of the park.  We saw a few cape buffalo, and we saw a saltwater lake that was home to a number of flamingos.  The park did not have the widest variety or the largest quantity of animals, but it served as a great place to unwind.  It also beat the alternative, which was to spend the day in Moshi attempting to fend off street vendors while shopping in the city. 

 

 

 

As our visit to the park drew to a close, we were fortunate to catch a glimpse of the, to date, elusive Colobus Monkey.  The monkey features a long white tail contrasting with its jet black body.  They almost look like skunks sitting in trees.  We have no idea how they compare in terms of scent as unfortunately we did not get very close to them.

 

With that, our safari experience came to its conclusion.  We made our way back to Moshi where we took a brief break before heading out for a wonderful dinner.  Aside from the delicious food, the other exciting component to the dinner was that we shared the table with all of the guides who would be leading our journey up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.