Arusha

Although Arusha is only a small park the scenery is extremely varied. It has an area of around 137 sq km and the altitude ranges from 1500 metres to 4566 metres at the top of Mount Meru. The name Arusha was derived from the Warusha people who originally lived there but some of the areas cover Masaai territory nad beacuse of this a lot of the names are of Masaai origin. The park includes Mount Meru, which is a dormant volcano, Momela Lakes and the extinct Ngurdoto Crater. The park was originally named Ngurdoto Crater National Park but was changed to Arusha in 1957 when Mount Meru was included in the area.

The vegetation in Arusha changes according to the altitude and because of this Arusha jas three distinct regions. These regions are the Momela Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater and Mount Meru.

The forested rim of the Ngurdorto Crater gives way to the wet marshy environment of the crater floor. Mount Meru is a mixture of rocky cliffs and lush forests where you can find a lot of bird and animal life. Mount Meru is an ancient volcanic environment where an ash cone on Mount Meru provides evidence of former volcanic activity. From the top of Mount Meru you will find breathtaking views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Rift Valley.

In Arusha, there is more than 400 species of birds (both migrats and residents) and the migratory birds can be seen from October through to April. The animals in this region tend to have adapted to certain vegetaion in the different areas. The migrant birds can be found at the lakes, bushbuck and duikers prefer the forest and the waterbuck and reedbuck like prefer the swampy areas.

The Tanzanian climate is tropical. The central plateau is dry and arid with hot days and cool nights, while the north west highlands are cool and temperate. June to September is the cooler season. The ‘long rains’ are from March to May and the ‘short rains’ are between October and December. The hottest months are between October and February. On the coast, it rains in November and December and from March to May. Coastal areas are hot and humid although sea breezes cool the area pleasantly between June and September.