Arusha National Park covers Mountain Meru, a prominent volcano with an elevation of 4,566 meters, in the Arusha Region of north eastern Tanzania.
The park is small but varied with spectacular and picturesque landscapes in three distinct areas. In the west, the Meru Crater funnels the Jekukumia River; the peak of Mountain Meru lies on its rim.
Ngurdoto Crater in the south-east is grassland. The shallow alkaline Momella Lakes in the north-east have varying algal colors and are known for their wading birds.
Mount Meru, in Arusha National Park, is the second highest mountain peak in Tanzania after Mountain Kilimanjaro, which is just 60 kilometers away and forms a backdrop to views from the park to the east.
Arusha National Park lies on a 300-kilometer axis of Africa’s most famous national parks, running from Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in the west to Kilimanjaro National Park in the east.
The park is just a few kilometers northeast of Arusha, though the main gate is 25 kilometers east of the city. It is also 58 kilometers from Moshi and 35 kilometers from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).
Attractions in the Park
Besides residing Tanzania’s second highest mountain, Arusha National Park has a diversity of wildlife, though visitors should not expect the same extraordinary game-viewing experience they find in other national parks of Tanzania’s northern circuit, like; Serengeti National Park.
Despite the small size of the park, common animals include; giraffe, Cape buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, the black-and-white Colobus monkeys, the blue monkeys, flamingoes, elephants, bushbucks and many other African animals.
Leopards are also present in the Park but can rarely be spotted. Birdlife in the forest is prolific, with many forest species more easily seen here than elsewhere on the tourist route – Narina trogon and bar-tailed trogon are both possible highlights for visiting birders, whilst the range of starling species provide somewhat less gaudy interest.
Accommodations in Arusha National Park
Green Mountain Hotel
The Green mountain Hotel is perched in the heart of Arusha City. The hotel is an ideal destination for people who are looking for a really unforgettable stay.
Scenic mountains are the main features of the Arusha Land. The hotel offers an infinite choice of leisure activities.
Green Mountain Hotel is approximately a 5 minutes’ drive from the Arusha city and 30 minutes’ drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and 14 minutes’ drive from Arusha Airport.
If you are looking for a good place, luxury and comfortable to stay, green mountain hotel will suit your needs. Book and nesting in one of the best hotel under the slope of Kijenge green mountain ‘the evergreen mountain throughout the year’.
The Simba restaurant (Simba means lion, so guests can eat, drink and be energetic and powerful than lion) which offers holiday makes different, where they can enjoy regional dish. The menu also features a wide selection of high-quality tea, juice and coffee.
Arusha Serena Hotel & Spa
Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa is unlike any other hotel in Tanzania with authentic, bespoke experiences that stir the traveler’s soul while showcasing the breathtaking tranquility of the surroundings.
Set among the woodland slopes of Mount Meru at the edge of Lake Duluti, there is no better destination for soaking in the beauty and magnificence of the Tanzanian “Northern Safari Circuit.”
The ambience of Arusha hotel is warmly reminiscent of its origins as a colonial era coffee farm, beginning with the welcoming stone-built reception area and extending to cottage-style rooms neatly arranged among landscaped lawns and the colorful banks of Bougainvillea.
Traces of its heritage present themselves in elegant, country-manor interiors featuring unique artifacts, leaded windows and French doors opening to extensive lake view gardens.
Social areas within the Arusha hotel include a library, a lounge and a restaurant offering an enchanting wood fireplace and lake and garden views.
Share in tailor-made experiences thoughtfully designed to enrich your visit. Allow your hosts to arrange an English breakfast on the Lake Duluti shoreline. Hike to the summit of Mount Meru, Africa’s fifth highest mountain or explore the crater lakes of Arusha National Park.
In the evening, relax in a safari chair and sip delicious sundowner cocktails by the lake as the sun sinks into the horizon. Discover Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa – a place you must experience at least once in your lifetime.
Extraordinary natural beauty, sweeping Lake Duluti and garden views and the ambience of a colonial era coffee farm distinguish Arusha Serena Hotel, Resort & Spa as one of Tanzania’s most timeless and tranquil getaways.
Each of its 42 meticulously crafted guest rooms has been inspired by our heritage and natural splendour, welcoming guests to experience the romance and simplicity of a 1920s lakeside retreat.
Designed in the manner of a stone cottage, all accommodations are clustered around a village square adorned with beautifully tended lawns and extensive gardens.
In warm hues of red and crisp shades of white, rooms feature classic country house design touches like tile floors, leaded windows and French doors giving way to garden and lake views.
Modern amenities like complimentary Internet and flat-screen televisions with cable and satellite channels along with personalized touches like ceiling fans and comfortable robes enhance the guest experience.
Arusha Crown Hotel
Arusha Crown Hotel is a newly constructed modern hotel fitted with the latest amenities of international standard offering accommodation and conference facilities.
Strategically located in the centre of Arusha city, the hotel gives you all the comfort and convenience of being centrally located with easy access to Arusha’s main business centers, Stadium, Central Bus Stand, Fruits Market, Bank / Bureau De Change, Pharmacies, Taxi Stand, and Internet Café’s are all within walking distance.
Arusha Crown Hotel is a six storey building, 38 rooms hotel with an attractive architecture and each room has been elegantly designed to meet the requirements of the traveling executives and leisure tourists.
All rooms in the hotel are tastefully furnished and luxuriously appointed with modern amenities designed to provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience.
The hotel offers guests a choice of 5 Deluxe double bedrooms, 1 triple bedroom, 4 twin bedrooms, 4 double bedrooms and 24 single rooms. Most of the rooms are non-smoking however few smoking rooms are available.
The hotel provides free internet access. Most rooms as well as public common areas such as lobby, restaurant and conference room have internet access points. For the convenience of guests, few laptops are also available in the lobby area for common us
Crest Safari Lodge
Crest Safari Lodge is a hotel in Arusha offering affordable accommodation and associated amenities to business and leisure travelers. The lodge is situated along Moshi Arusha road, a 10 minutes’ drive from Arusha city center on the slopes of Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro.
It offers a range of additional services such as information about tourist attractions and destinations in the area, organize for city tours, organize visits to historical sites and provide airport transfers.
The natural surrounding is populated with African banana and other indigenous trees that make the place look green throughout the year. At the lodge, you will watch birds and other small creatures blending in their natural habitat. The landscaped gardens ensure that the guests enjoy the adventure and tranquility they seek.
The lodge is designed with an authentic style and character to conform to the tradition of Kilimanjaro and Arusha people. The buildings emphasize the use of natural materials available in the area.
Crest Safari lodge looks forward to a promising future because of its experienced staff, forward planning and the potential of tourism business in the area. Enthusiasm of the management and staffs greatly stimulate the envisioned growth.
Crest Safari lodge is committed to sustainable, economic, social and environmental practices in the planning, expansion and operation of the lodge.
The lodge places high priorities on minimizing the waste, conserving the water, ensuring efficient use of energy, protecting the flora and fauna and developing the facilities with due consideration on the impact of the environment.
Accommodation at Crest Safari Lodge consists of various rooms for single, double and triple occupancy. Each room includes a bathroom with hot/cold water system, TV, Wi-Fi, etc.
Banana Farm Eco Hostel
Stay in the Banana Farm Eco Hostel, a family owned eco friendly business at the grounds of a banana farm using biogas, compost bins and water sewage for gardening. The property grows nine types of bananas, coffee, avocado, guava, papaya, mango, passion fruit and many vegetables including chayote.
All is organically grown. The farm extends all the way down to a river where one do hikes and take in the stunning views of the valley and Mount Meru.
Whether you go for a gentle stroll around the local village of Ambureni, relax in one of the hammocks in the garden area or get a cooking lesson in Tanzanian cuisine, feel free to make Banana Farm Eco Hostel a home away from your home.
Of course you can also book your safari with the property or request a hike to Mount Kilimanjaro or Mount Meru.
Banana Farm Eco Hostel offers customized single, double, triple and quadruple rooms, all designed with love. The rooms provide single, queen sized or bunk beds, hot showers and flush toilets. Breakfast is also included.
Karama Lodge
Karama Lodge & Spa is an eco-friendly lodge located in Arusha, Tanzania and is the perfect home base for a Tanzania Safari or a restful night’s sleep before climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Twenty-two stilted log cabins offer comfortable en-suite accommodation with a natural design – an excellent combination of unique comfort and style. Constructed with local materials, the cabins allow close proximity to the surrounding forest flora and fauna.
Each cabin has its own wooden balcony with comfortable chairs where you can relax and admire the spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru, the Masai steppes beyond, and the surrounding lush vegetation and birdlife.
The lodge prides itself in its attention to minor detail and its flair and creativity in the décor. The lodge places special emphasis on your comfort – hot showers is available for 24 hours and every cabin is equipped with a mosquito net.
Upon arrival, you will be welcomed with fresh fruit juice. If you are on a honeymoon, a honeymoon suite will be provided with all the pampering you deserve. Each cabin is on stilts to ensure privacy and spectacular views of the landscape below and beyond.
All cabins have a veranda with stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. Relax on your own balcony, watch Mt. Meru opening up, enjoy the sunset of the snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro and experience the unique tranquility of your surroundings.
The cabins of Karama Lodge are made with natural materials and fit perfectly into the surrounding forest. Every effort is made to protect the local flora and fauna, therefore Karama is still home to a wide variety of forest wildlife, beautiful tropical birds, medicinal plants, flowers and indigenous trees.
The bar is open all day for a cool beer, a glass of wine, spirits, or a healthy fresh fruit juice. Sit on the lodge’s spacious open deck and enjoy your drink with the breathtaking views of Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Meru and the wooded valleys below.
A refreshing breeze will keep you cool even during the hot summer months. Be sure to visit the gift shop which has a wide variety of curios, shirts, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and African masks.
The lodge also offers; Daily room service, Day trips and/Safaris to National Parks via Tropical Trails, Safe security system and 24 hour guards, Personal luggage storage, Laundry services, International and local telephone services, Internet E-mail facilities, Wi-Fi for your personal computer, and Transport service to town and airport & salt water swimming pool free of charge for in-house guests.
Arusha Backpackers Hotel
Arusha Backpackers Hotel is a clean, comfortable, budget accommodation within Arusha central business district which offers quality service to its clients.
With free Wi-Fi internet, safe deposit and luggage storage facility at no extra charge and an ample secure parking, the hotel stands as the most suitable and safe budget hotel to stay in while in Arusha.
Rooms are standard where the property offers single rooms, double rooms and dormitory which is shared with four people together. With that, the hotel also has clean shared bathrooms containing hot showers, 24 hours a day.
Free Wi-Fi internet is also provided at the hotel as an extra facility to hotel residents. The backpackers bar at the rooftop has well designed interior to give that exclusive African feeling for a tranquil journeys for those on safari in Tanzania.
It has stock of all the most East African beer and soft drinks for sure you won’t miss your favorite whisky, brandy or liquor.
Tulia Hotel & Spa
The heart of Tulia Hotel philosophy is to create unique experiences around individual guests, providing them with tranquil hide away. The 20-rooms Tulia is the perfect oasis for guests looking for a private and peaceful retreat.
From its Africanized architecture to its cozy and aesthetically pleasing interior, Tulia Hotel is a ‘highly individualized property’. Tulia Hotel has a heavenly Spa designed to rejuvenate and renew the mind and body.
Your journey to relaxation and rejuvenation begins the moment you step into Tulia’s Spa. The Spa suites designed as sanctuaries with a private changing area, shower experience, steam room and treatment area.
Tulia Hotel & SPA is located in Sakina, the most spectacular Area. Tulia sits along White Rose Road, (165 meters from the main road) Arusha, Tanzania. It is approximately a 40 minutes’ drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).
