Arusha

Arusha was founded as a German garrison in 1900. It grew to become an important town mainly due to the services it provided the surrounding farmlands, and even today, most of the buildings in the town centre are still the same low-rise buildings that date back to the colonial era. Arusha is situated in lush countryside near the foot of Mt Meru, the fifth highest mountain in Africa, and enjoys a temperate climate all year round. The area is one of the most fertile in East Africa and so many coffee, wheat and maize plantations can be found surrounding the city, providing employment for a large number of the area's citizens.

The city's proximity to both Kilimanjaro and the Northern Safari Circuit parks has made it without a doubt the safari capital of Tanzania and this is felt quite tangibly in the everyday hustle and bustle. Safari vehicles buzz from one end of the city to the next, while a great deal of the local minibuses are in fact old safari vehicles themselves. 'Flycatchers' or local touts looking to sell budget safaris to backpackers abound, and thrive around the local bus station. If you didn't come to Arusha to go on a safari you will certainly be tempted to try after a few days.

Arusha is divided into two sections by the small Naura River Valley. To the east of the valley are the upmarket hotels, government buildings, safari companies, airline offices, craft shops and the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC). On the other side of the valley are the commercial and industrial areas, market, budget hotels and the main bus station. The AICC is currently hosting the UN tribunal on Rwanda war crimes and as a result Arusha has been dubbed 'The Geneva of Africa'.

Just outside the city are several places of interest including the Arusha National Park which is dominated by Mt Meru (4,566m). There have been some cultural tourism projects introduced on the lower slopes of Mt Meru itself which allows visitors the opportunity to visit local villages. There is also Lake Duluti which is an interesting forest fringed crater lake that lies within easy walking distance of the Moshi road.