Arusha National Park
“Colobus monkey, in black and white gown, tell me the secrets of this Country where it seems time has never gone by!”
The park is located at about 30 km from Arusha, despite its small size , it has a very diversified topography, with promontories which vary from 1500 up to 4.500 meters high.
The park has three distinct zones. In the western area Mount Meru crater, rising to 4.566 metres, is, after Mount Kilimanjaro, the second highest mount of Tanzania.
At North East the Momela Lakes, and at South East Ngurdoto volcano together with other small volcanic cones and a small plain called pretentiously Serengeti Ndogo (small Serengeti).
Although it is generally omitted in the northern circuit itineraries, we believe it is a perfect propaedeutical stop over before the visit to the bigger parks, a pleasant appetizer before the main course.
In safari people often search just for lions. This obsessive search can effect the safari, preventing from enjoying the full and rich heritage of fauna and flora generously displayed by the country.
Well, here there are no lions, so you can concentrate on the rest, and it is not little. Giraffes, zebras, coloured birds, families of baboons, warthogs, antelopes and...rare and special: the black and white colobus monkeys.
Their long and soft coat make them look like old wise men in a gown rather than monkeys.
You could believe they are age old guardians of ancient secrets.
They jump from a branch to another with soft elegance, and when you miss them, hidden by the leaves, you would believe that they have magically disappeared.