Arusha National Park

The entrance gate leads into a shadowy montane forest inhabited by inquisitive blue monkeys and colorful turacos and trogons- the only place on the northern safari circuit where the acrobatic black- and white colobus monkey is easily seen. In the midst of the forest stands the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep, rocky cliffs enclosed a wide marshy floor dated with herds of buffalo and warthog. Further north, rolling grassy hills enclosed the tranquil beauty of the Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green or blue. Their shallow sometimes tinged pink with thousands of flamingos, the lakes support a rich selection of resident and migrant waterfowl, and shaggy waterbucks display their large lyre-shaped horns on the watery fringes. Giraffes glide across the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds, while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into scrubby bush like overgrown hares on spindly legs.