Located between Mts. Kilimanjaro and Meru, Arusha National Park is an outstandingly beautiful game and wildlife preserve located near Arusha in Tanzania. The preserve contains a string of crater lakes where numerous varieties of birds and fowls converge. Due to the proximity of two mountains, highland mountain forests are also situated within the reserve all the way to the imposing summit of Mount Meru, 4,500 meters above sea level. The forest contains a wealth of birds and other animals like the bushbuck that are easily glimpsed between ancient cedar trees or the striking black and white colobus monkeys climbing along their branches.

The interesting geology of the area is reflected in the impressive view of the ash cone and cliff face leading to the summit of Mount Meru. Those who ascend the summit of the mountain are rewarded with unparalleled views of the majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro and Rift Valleys.

Canoeing isn’t your normal, everyday method of getting around in a nature or game preserve. Arusha National Park managed to break away from traditional transport methods and tried out the idea of using touring canoes for making your way around the preserve. The result of this innovation is apparent from a previous 7,000 visitors for a period of 1 year, to a very large and dramatic increase the following year to 50,000 visitors.

The government of Tanzania awarded the operations for safari canoeing to Green Footprints Adventure based in Arusha. You may book for this adventure in advance, or, if you happen to be there already and just found out about it, you can ask your tour or travel guide to add this activity to your itinerary.

When on safari, most people prefer to be as free of confines as they possibly could. The interior of a jeep is still somewhat confining compared to the experience of canoe riding. Also, there is no noisy motor to disturb the animals in their activities. Chances of getting better nature shots for your cameras are greatly increased. Last of all, if a rhino starts his mad charge, he won’t be able to get to you. There are crocs of course, but one can’t have everything. Isn’t the rhino the same problem with a jeep?