Arusha National Park

The closest national park to Arusha town, Arusha National Park is a multi-faced jewel, often overlooked by safarigoers, despite offering the opportunity to explore a beguiling diversity of habitats within a few hours.
Size: 137sq km
Location: Northern Tanzania, northeast of Arusha town
Getting there: An easy 40 minutes drive from Arusha. Approximately 60km from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The lakes, forest and Ngurudoto Crater can all be visited in the course of a half-day outing at the beginning or end of an extended northern safari.
What to do: Forest walks, numerous picnic sites, three or four day Mt Meru climb.
When to go: To climb MT Meru, June-February although it may rain in November.
Best views of Kilimanjaro December-February.
Accommodation: A lodge, rest houses, camp sites, two mountain huts inside the park, two lodges at Usa River outside the park and many hotels and hostels in Arusha town.