Arusha National Park is the ‘odd one out’ in Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit; of the Big Five, only buffalo are regularly seen. There are plenty of photographic opportunities, though. You’ll see large groups of giraffes walking in front of Mt. Meru, troops of monkeys swinging between trees, and hippos bobbing up and down in the Momella Lakes.

Wildlife

The Momella Lakes area is best for seeing buffalo, giraffe, defassa waterbuck, and Kirk’s dik-dik. There is less general wildlife in the forest areas of the park, but keep your eyes open for bushbuck and the beautiful, but very shy, Harvey’s red duiker. If you’re lucky, you might see elephants too. The park’s flagship animal is the Kilimanjaro colobus, a type of monkey that only otherwise occurs on Mt. Kilimanjaro and in two obscure forests in Kenya.

Arusha National Park is home to many forest-dwelling animals not often encountered in northern Tanzania, including the blue monkey and Kilimanjaro colobus. You’ll see many bushbucks. Also, keep an eye out for Harvey’s red duiker and suni; these unusual antelope thrive in the park’s primary forest. The only large predators are leopards and spotted hyenas, but you might see a serval or even an African wild cat.

The Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Arusha National Park can be visited throughout the year, but the dry season (June to October) is the best time for wildlife viewing. Wildlife is easier to spot because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around predictable water sources. April tends to be very wet. At this time, some of the roads might become difficult to navigate, which can interfere with your wildlife-viewing experience.