I have one extra day in Arusha before the rest of my group arrive and we all leave for our safari. Any recommendations on how to spend that day? My travel agent suggested using that time to do some xtra animals viewing. She said that there is not much to see in Arusha and that it's not a place for touring. I thought of going to visit a village on the slopes of Mount Neru but it is already scheduled for the firts day of our trip with the rest of the group. Any suggestions?
Christine

Several people on this board as well as the Rough Guide are very fond of Arusha National Park - I am considering it, depending on how are group pulls together. I believe someone recommended Green Footprints? not sure if i got the name right, but they do day trips to this little park, which I believe has a rain forest and canoeing.

Have a great time.

We are going to do the canoeing in
Arusha National Park with Green Footprint Adventures on a day trip in Arusha National Park. If time permits, you can also do walks with ANP rangers, and/or also so some driving or hiking on Mt. Meru. It sounds like good way to spend some extra time in the Arusha area.

Thank you for your help. I got 2 responses and both suggest the same thing. That's reassuring. What do you think of the comment from my travel agent that Arusha (the town) is not a place for touring?
Christine

Not much to see in Arusha. You can have your driver take you around the town on a tour, but that won't take long. You could do some souvenir shopping. There's also the war crimes tribunals.

Basically, half a day's worth of stuff to do, if that. Arusha N.P. is the best bet.