Arusha and Kilimanjaro

Arusha lies beneath Mount Meru, Tanzania's second-highest peak, with Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, within view. That setting has made it the safari capital of the north and the departure point for most trips to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire. The city mixes a mild highland climate with the everyday bustle of a working safari hub, and it sits beside Arusha National Park. At 552 km², the park is compact and often skipped by travellers hurrying on to the big northern names.

Because big predators are mostly absent from the park, it is one of the rare Tanzanian spots where you can leave the vehicle behind and travel by canoe or walk. Black-and-white colobus monkeys live in the montane forest, giraffe and buffalo graze the grassland, and the flamingo-fringed Momella Lakes provide some of the easiest birdwatching in the region. On a clear day Kilimanjaro's snow-capped summit fills the backdrop.

Kilimanjaro rises 5,895 m, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and one of the Seven Summits. No technical climbing is required; what counts is stamina, gradual acclimatisation and choosing the right route, so reasonably fit trekkers who prepare properly can reach the top. Mount Meru, standing 4,562 m, is a tough and handsome ascent in its own right, and many climbers tackle it first as training for Kilimanjaro.

Almost every Tanzanian journey begins and ends in Arusha, so the city repays a little patience: give it a full day, spent in the national park or with a Maasai community, instead of seeing it only as a place to change planes. Its gentle climate holds year round, and because the northern circuit is organised from here, it makes a natural base for anything from one afternoon in the park to a Kilimanjaro expedition lasting weeks.