Arusha is the major
town of north-eastern Tanzania. It is 485km northwest of Dar es Salaam
and only about 300km south of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. As the halfway point between Cape Town
and Cairo, it’s
also the heart of Africa. The precise spot is a field some 25km out of
town. Located at the foot of Mount Meru, Arusha is also in sight
of Kilimanjaro, though both mountains are frequently hidden by cloud,
especially late in the day.
Arusha town was established in 1900
by the Germans as a garrison. Its prominence has very much increased
in recent years by becoming the headquarters of the East African
Community and being the host town for the Rwandan war crimes tribunals.
The International Conference Centre here has witnessed the signing
of some of the most important peace treaties and international agreements
in modern African history. But Arusha is best known as the safari
capital of East Africa. There are a number of national parks and game
reserves within striking distance, including the Serengeti, the
Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara and Mount Kilimanjaro. Most organized
safaris in Tanzania start in Arusha. It’s conveniently
linked to Nairobi by regular shuttle buses and is well served by
the Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Arusha is a bustling, vibrant town. The dusty streets are filled
with 4x4 game viewing vehicles negotiating the potholed roads and
Masai warriors in full regalia mingling with tourists clad in crisp
khaki. It’s an easy place to stroll around for a few hours,
and the curio markets crammed between the clock tower and India
Road are brimming with carvings, masks, beads and some unusual
antique Masai crafts. The fruit and vegetable market just off Sokoine
Road, Arusha’s main drag, is also worth a visit for its startling
display of fresh produce. It is an area where shoemakers and tailors
run their treadle machines outdoors, and women in brightly coloured
kangas cart off bag loads of shopping on their heads.
Bureaux de change are scattered throughout town and it’s the
best place to change money before heading out on safari. Cyber
cafes have sprouted up as the internet increasingly becomes part
and parcel of Tanzanian life. Twenty kilometres outside Arusha,
on the road to the Crater and the Serengeti, is the Meserani Snake Park -
a mandatory stop for all safaris and overland trips on the way to
the national parks. It has an excellent collection of snakes and other
reptiles, and there is the opportunity to go on a guided walk or a camel
ride to a local Masai village.
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