Kilimanjaro and the Arusha National Park

After the Usambara Mountains, there are even more destinations in the north of the country: Kilimanjaro is not far away, and just beyond it lies the city of Arusha, with many national parks in the immediate vicinity!

We stop in the city of Moshi, below Kili. It is Africa's highest mountain at nearly 5900 m! During the day, it hides under a blanket of clouds, but in the evenings, it reveals itself…

From the outskirts, we enjoy the view!

Climbing Kili is technically not considered very challenging! However, we forgo the ascent… On the one hand, we lack the physical preparation to cope with the altitude. On the other hand, the tour to the peak - it takes at least 5 days with high-altitude camps, porters, etc. - easily costs over $1000 per person. It is not worth it to us… The prices in Kilimanjaro National Park are also shockingly high for day tours!

Instead, we take a hike to the beautiful Materuni Waterfall on the edge of the park!

At the foot of Kilimanjaro, many colorful flowers bloom, and a variety of food is cultivated.

We take a coffee tour to taste the famous Kilimanjaro coffee! We gradually peel and sift the coffee beans. They are roasted and ground! The coffee tastes excellent…

However, traditionally, people in Tanzania prefer tea. The coffee plant was brought to the country by German missionaries in the 19th century.

And now we move on to the big city of Arusha! The center is quite bustling and not exactly beautiful… However, there is so much to see in the surrounding area: several national parks and lakes, Maasai villages, Mount Meru, and more.

It is definitely exciting to see the decoration of the minibuses and tuk-tuks (called Bajajis in Tanzania), which are everywhere to see and hear. Whether it's a favorite musician, athlete, or religious motifs, the drivers always come up with something to give the vehicles a personal touch.😊

After a short break in the city, we organize a compact SUV and take a day trip to Arusha National Park. It is less than an hour away.

We definitely have the smallest one...😆 Compared to the large safari land cruisers, the RAV4 looks like a mini car!

The national park is not very large but is very green and varied! It's hilly, and we have beautiful views again and again. Mount Meru is also located here. It is the second highest elevation in Tanzania, after Kili, and very impressive.

In addition to zebras, buffalo, and giraffes, we see many birds in the park.

In the northern part, there are several very idyllic lakes.

After our round trip by car, we discover blue monkeys near the park headquarters. They look fascinating!

In addition to the game drive (safari ride by car), we book a walking safari with a ranger. It is truly the highlight for us!

It's reassuring that there are no large predators like lions living in this park. Nevertheless, the ranger is armed with a rifle just in case: if a large animal charges at us, he would fire warning shots…

We sneak through the savannah and quickly spot a herd of buffalo in the distance!

Some zebras and warthogs have joined them…

Shortly thereafter, we encounter a waterbuck and a young giraffe…

It is something very special to approach an animal on foot without the noise of engines.

It is late afternoon. We pass rivers and lush meadows on our hike. Of course, a waterfall cannot be missed either 😁

Afterwards, we drive back to Arusha. It has been a very beautiful, yet intense day!

Especially the return trip during the evening rush hour is not easy. The traffic in Tanzania is quite different from Germany: Here, there's no right to