Ideas for Arusha
Jan 10th, 2013, 12:27 PM
#2
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Arusha National Park is small but lots of good animals sightings! Great introduction to the rest of your trip when starting off from Arusha. Also can go canoeing on Lake Momella (in the park) and get great sightings of birds close up, hippos, snakes in the reeds. I really enjoyed our first day in Tanzania by visiting Arusha NP.
Jan 11th, 2013, 12:46 PM
#4
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I'll second the suggestion of visiting Arusha N.P. It's a great place to start your safari and is often overlooked. If the weather is clear, you get a great view of both Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru; the park is located between them. Take a picnic lunch and spend the day. Your guide can also set up a walk to a nice waterfall with an armed ranger. There are no predators in the park, so no worries there. It's a good way to see some of the plants, as well as wildlife (lots of giraffe, for instance.) You can usually see black and white colobus monkeys in the forested section of the park, as well.
For shopping, you could also visit Shanga River House, where disabled Tanzanians craft goods for sale. They also have a cafe onsite.
For shopping, you could also visit Shanga River House, where disabled Tanzanians craft goods for sale. They also have a cafe onsite.
Jan 11th, 2013, 12:53 PM
#5
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Arrange a village visit; arrange to stop at a school/orphanage; Arusha Natl Park; visiting the markets; even a leisurely walk about town.
Lots of restaurants... your hotel should have a list with various cuisines... they've got a bit of everything, Continental, Indian, local dishes, pizza/burgers/fries (but thankfully no MickyDs), Italian. We had a great Chinese dinner, but beats me the name which we noticed a sign during the day. Later we took taxi and on arriving realized it was one we had eaten at on an earlier visit, only now in new location and much larger space.
You shouldn't be at a loss for what to do and where.
Lots of restaurants... your hotel should have a list with various cuisines... they've got a bit of everything, Continental, Indian, local dishes, pizza/burgers/fries (but thankfully no MickyDs), Italian. We had a great Chinese dinner, but beats me the name which we noticed a sign during the day. Later we took taxi and on arriving realized it was one we had eaten at on an earlier visit, only now in new location and much larger space.
You shouldn't be at a loss for what to do and where.
Jan 14th, 2013, 09:27 PM
#6
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Walking and canoeing in Arusha National park, along with a traditional game drive.
Excerpt from my report:
<b>Walking in Arusha National Park</b>
The ranger station where the walk was arranged is a good place to see Blue Monkeys at eye level. It’s also where the Meru climbers assemble. There must have been 50 people getting ready to climb Mt. Meru when I arrived.
Moments before my walk, the rain stopped, but the coolness remained. Fortuitously pleasant. My guide Peter accompanied Ranger Christina, who was armed, and me, on an hour and a half leisurely stroll.
Christina pointed out the tiny pellets of a midden made by the dik dik antelope. Even more interesting was the drop of dark sticky substance clinging atop a reed. The drop had been secreted from the dik dik’s preorbital gland (black spot near its eye) for territorial purposes. I even took a photo of it.
Elephants are often seen on walks but our only ele sightings were from the road. We did spend a lot of time with a buffalo herd that had the longer hair and coloring of forest buffalo.
Our walk took us to the picturesque Tululusia Waterfall and along the Ngarenanyuki River and acquainted us with several relaxed pairs of White Fronted Bee Eaters.
One of the most interesting sightings was mineral, as opposed to animal or vegetable, discovered along a path on the side of a hill. A bao board had been chiseled into the stone ground covering. Bao is a strategic game played by placing pebbles in holes on a wooden board--or in this case--on a slab of stone. Before 1960 when the area was not a park, cattle grazed throughout. The bao board we happened upon must have been chipped and chiseled over many years to provide an entertaining pastime for the cattle keepers.
<b>Canoeing in Arusha National Park on Small Momella Lake</b>
The 2-hour 2 pm to 4 pm canoe trip operated by Green Footprint, now known as Wayo, was a highlight of my day in Arusha. We had a very steady 2-person canoe with guide Emanuel in the back and me in the front and we wore life jackets. It was peaceful, relaxing, beautiful.
We saw giraffes, warthogs, and other animals along the shore and Common Stilts, Little Grebes, and a Three Banded Plover at the water’s edge. A Squacco Heron escorted us around much of the lake. Whistling Ducks lined the shore and a photo confirmed a Ruff had joined them.
We glided up to a nest occupied by the Red Eyed Dove, that elusive bird that sings the continual African background music of “I am a Red Eyed Dove.” We saw each of the two hippo families that make Small Momella their home.
The chilly rain of morning had sent the snakes to the trees to warm up in the afternoon sun and we saw 8 of them: 4 Green Boomslangs, 3 young Pythons, and 1 Green Mamba! Prior to showing me the first snake, Emanuel asked if I liked snakes, which I thought was considerate.
After canoeing, Peter and I drove along the several lakes and admired the pink flamingos. September is a little late in the season for peak flamingo activity.
Excerpt from my report:
<b>Walking in Arusha National Park</b>
The ranger station where the walk was arranged is a good place to see Blue Monkeys at eye level. It’s also where the Meru climbers assemble. There must have been 50 people getting ready to climb Mt. Meru when I arrived.
Moments before my walk, the rain stopped, but the coolness remained. Fortuitously pleasant. My guide Peter accompanied Ranger Christina, who was armed, and me, on an hour and a half leisurely stroll.
Christina pointed out the tiny pellets of a midden made by the dik dik antelope. Even more interesting was the drop of dark sticky substance clinging atop a reed. The drop had been secreted from the dik dik’s preorbital gland (black spot near its eye) for territorial purposes. I even took a photo of it.
Elephants are often seen on walks but our only ele sightings were from the road. We did spend a lot of time with a buffalo herd that had the longer hair and coloring of forest buffalo.
Our walk took us to the picturesque Tululusia Waterfall and along the Ngarenanyuki River and acquainted us with several relaxed pairs of White Fronted Bee Eaters.
One of the most interesting sightings was mineral, as opposed to animal or vegetable, discovered along a path on the side of a hill. A bao board had been chiseled into the stone ground covering. Bao is a strategic game played by placing pebbles in holes on a wooden board--or in this case--on a slab of stone. Before 1960 when the area was not a park, cattle grazed throughout. The bao board we happened upon must have been chipped and chiseled over many years to provide an entertaining pastime for the cattle keepers.
<b>Canoeing in Arusha National Park on Small Momella Lake</b>
The 2-hour 2 pm to 4 pm canoe trip operated by Green Footprint, now known as Wayo, was a highlight of my day in Arusha. We had a very steady 2-person canoe with guide Emanuel in the back and me in the front and we wore life jackets. It was peaceful, relaxing, beautiful.
We saw giraffes, warthogs, and other animals along the shore and Common Stilts, Little Grebes, and a Three Banded Plover at the water’s edge. A Squacco Heron escorted us around much of the lake. Whistling Ducks lined the shore and a photo confirmed a Ruff had joined them.
We glided up to a nest occupied by the Red Eyed Dove, that elusive bird that sings the continual African background music of “I am a Red Eyed Dove.” We saw each of the two hippo families that make Small Momella their home.
The chilly rain of morning had sent the snakes to the trees to warm up in the afternoon sun and we saw 8 of them: 4 Green Boomslangs, 3 young Pythons, and 1 Green Mamba! Prior to showing me the first snake, Emanuel asked if I liked snakes, which I thought was considerate.
After canoeing, Peter and I drove along the several lakes and admired the pink flamingos. September is a little late in the season for peak flamingo activity.
