Table of Contents
READ ALSO: Local Guide Program
Things to See in Arusha Tz
Arusha is my favorite city in Tanzania (perhaps because my parents met there 😉 ), and there are quite a few things to do in and around Arusha.
For some ideas about what to do when you are next visiting Arusha, click here.
Local Guide Program
The Local Guide program is a Google crowdsourcing program which allows Google users to share information with others about the world around them.
Local Guides is a global community of explorers who write reviews, share photos, answer questions, add or edit places, and check facts on Google Maps.
Millions of people rely on contributions from the Local Guide Program to decide where to go and what to do.
These guides are then given certified levels to reflect how much they have contributed to the Local Guide program.
I, myself, am currently a Level 6 local guide.
Our road trip began on a cold morning in Mugumu Serengeti, at Giraffe Garden Hotel, where I’d spent the night, having arrived the day before from Mwanza, via Bunda and Butiama (also in Tanzania).
Travelling from Mugumu Serengeti to Ikoma Gate
After a quick breakfast, my travel mates and I jumped into our cars for the short 40 km ride to the Ikoma gate of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s oldest and most popular national park.
Our destination was Arusha, where most of my travel companions lived, but the road to Arusha would take us through both the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
As it would be my first time visiting the world-famous Serengeti, I was EXCITED!
To put things in perspective, as one of my travel companions reminded me, we weren’t going for a game drive through the Serengeti; rather, we would simply be driving through, staying on the main road.
Nonetheless, just getting a chance to see the Serengeti seemed to me like reason enough for excitement!
Entering the Serengeti National Park
Within an hour of leaving Mugumu Serengeti, having made a quick detour to the Serengeti Cultural Centre, we entered the Serengeti National Park.
Having caught a glimpse of the park the previous day as we approached Bunda (the Serengeti National Park’s Ndabaka Gate is a few minutes outside Bunda and a 2-hour drive from Mwanza), I was not surprised to see woodland savanna as we entered the park.
Within no time, we came upon giraffes munching on treetops.
While crossing a small bridge, a few minutes later, we saw a herd of hippos mucking about in thick muddy water.
Since I was in the mind frame that we weren’t on a game drive, I felt lucky that I’d already seen two large animals within 15 minutes of entering the park.
We continued driving through the Serengeti and yet again came upon more animals—this time one of the Big Five: a herd of elephants.
Game drive or not, we slowed down to take a closer look.
In all honesty, I am not an animal lover by any stretch.
Although I have visited a number of Tanzania’s national parks, it’s almost always been because of someone else.
Still, there’s nothing quite like watching animals in the wild.
As our vehicle slowed down, the excitement in our car grew.
We quieted down not to startle the elephants, grabbed our cameras and peered keenly through our windows.
Anyone who has ever gone game watching knows what the feeling is like: your heart begins to race a little and the silence is enveloping, as you gaze in fascination at the magic of nature.
We watched the elephants for a while until they walked away behind some bushes.
The spell broken, we too continued on our way.
Photo Credits: Quora, SafariNow, Kupakanusi Mkisi
