Arusha National Park

We had chosen beautiful Twiga Lodge as our base just outside the Arusha National Park, where we stayed with Erika and Paul, who also run a Safari company. Paul took us into the park, showing us all the spectacular areas of Arusha National Park. Besides of many animals living here, the landscape with Mt. Meru, the Ngurdoto crater and Momela Lakes was spectacular. The rain forest around the mountains was something we hadn’t seen before, with so many plants like moss and ferns living up in the trees.

There were so many butterflies in the park, small ones and very big ones, in all colours, but they would flutter by so fast, it was hard to get a good look. We were very happy when we managed to get a good picture of this butterfly, sucking nectar from a flower.

Momela lakes have a high concentration of minerals, ideal for algae and therefore for flamingos. We saw Lesser and Greater Flamingos, for sure more than hundred gathering at one of the lakes.

The seeds of the strangler fig, transferred by birds, start to grow in crevices atop other trees. These seedlings grow their roots downward and envelop the host tree while also growing upward to reach into the sunlight zone above the canopy. The original support tree often dies, so that the strangler fig becomes a tree with a hollow center.

Driving up high at the slopes of Mt. Meru, we crossed an incredible rain forest until we reached this lovely waterfall, many small antelopes, monkeys and birds inhabit this forest.

We were impressed by the diversity of Arusha National Park, with its impressive forests and their inhabitants, the lakes, the craters and the mountains. For sure a fascinating national park and we had enjoyed our tour with Paul very much, including the lovely dinner Erika had prepared for us.

We will head further west to Tarangire National Park next.