Mt. Kilimanjaro (extinct volcano) is in Kilimanjaro National Park highest point on the African continent 5,895 m (19,336ft) above sea level. Hollywood movie “Snows of Kilimanjaro” with Gregory Peck was filmed here.
Nearby is another volcano Mt. Meru in Arusha National Park, 5th highest in Africa 4,566m (14,990ft), 32km from Arusha town is famous for its black-white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, formidable buffaloes, warthogs & leopards. Here, on the foothills near Momela Lakes the famous 1960’s Hollywood movie “Hatari” meaning “Danger” in Swahili was filmed starring John Wayne and Hardy Kruger where the pair raced across the African plains catching wildlife for zoos abroad. The Park has the famous Ngurudoto crater and “little Serengeti.”
To the south an hour’s easy drive from Arusha Town is Tarangire National Park, famous for its large majestic baobab trees in valleys, herds of elephants up to 300, large tree snakes, lions, leopards and numerous bird lives.
Lake Manyara National parkeast of Tarangire is a rift valley soda lake with hippos, flamingoes and has scenic Rift valley escarpment views with basalt hanging cliffs which support vulture nests and various birds of preys can be seen scanning the rift valley floor from clear skies above.
Pioneering elephant research project in Lake Manyara was carried out in the 1950’s by the world famous zoologist Ian Douglas Hamilton.
To the east a scenic drive through lush green farms and hills of Karatu we come to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is an International Biosphere Reserve for tourists, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of the 8th Wonders of the World. The Ngorongoro Crater (Garden of Eden of Wildlife) is a collapsed volcano on the side of the rift valley where the crater floor is 304 square km area supporting high concentration of wildlife especially famous for its endangered black rhino and black mane lions. The Crater Lake supports flamingoes and hippos. Great Tusker Elephants can be seen near the Lerai forest in the crater.
The peaks of the crater highlands range from 3,216m above sea level at Oldeani and at Empakai Crater Lake where rim is 3,262 m above sea level. Further north, the famous active carbonatite volcano “Oldonyo Lengai”, Mountain of God to the Maasai stand at 2,878m above sea level. The Maasai have been grazing here for the past 100 years.
There are Great Walking Safaris around Ngorongoro Highlands to Oldonyo Lengai up to Lake Natron, a famous breeding ground for millions of flamingoes.
A few hours drive towards world famous Serengeti National Park we have the 50 km long ravine of Olduvai Gorge famous for the archeological research by Professor Leakey yielding the famous 1.8 million years old ape-like skull Australopithecus Bosei or commonly known as Zinjanthropus, the “Nutcracker Man” due to its large molars thought to be our human ancestor.
Serengeti National Park is one of the most studied and famous national parks in the world. It’s a World Heritage Site with its ecosystem 14,713 square km, famous for its wildebeest migration seen in the central Serengeti plains during July and August.
The migration crosses the famous documented crocodile invested waters of the Grumeti River and Maasai Mara River spending the dry season of August to December in Maasai Mara, Kenya before returning during February for calving in southern central Serengeti plains.
Serengeti National Park has been researched by world famous zoologists, film makers and scientists like Dr Craig Packer, Alan Root, the late Hugo Van Ludwick, The popular pioneering movie “Serengeti shall not die” by Bernard Grizmek was filmed in the 1950’s.
Seronera is the base for Serengeti National Park famous for resident lions, leopards and large herds of buffaloes. Cheetah is commonly found near the open plans of the Brarafu Kopjes. “Kopjes” are rocky outcrops on plains where lions and leopards generally hide.
