Arusha

Arusha is superbly located. Originally a trading post for the local Arusha and Meru tribes, with a small German military garrison established in 1900, it developed into sprawling centre for tourism. To enjoy the town, however, you need to know where you want to go. Any undecided Wazungu face in the streets of Arusha is a welcome feast for the local flycatchers, and they are abundant and can be very insisting and even aggressive.

Beautifully located within a coffee farm, with a great colour concept, good food (try goad cheese rosmarin black olive pizza) the Arusha Coffee Lodge, just at the border of town direction Manjara, is a great place for a good meal or a lazy Sunday afternoon. While rooms are expensive, food is very affordable, and coffee, as it needs to be, excellent. Enjoy and wind down.

For mouth watering croissants, pastries, fresh juices and really good cappuccinos head to “The Patisserie” (0754 28 87 71 or 0754 30 21 74) at the clocktower round about. The place is Indian run, has good internet connections, and also a selection of beautiful postcards; A peaceful place to recover from the bustle outside. The Restaurant on the first floor terrace of the Jacaranda Hotel (Tel. 027 254 46 24 or 027 254 49 45; e-mail: jacaranda@tz2000.com; www.chez.com/jacaranda; double rooms are 70US$) on Vijana Road does nice dishes in a cosy candle light atmosphere. The Indian restaurant in the Impala Hotel is outstandingly good, despite plastic table and chairs! Good Italian food is served in Pepe restaurant (Tel. 0787 55 55 60), however the newly constructed setting in a suburb garden lacks a bit of atmosphere. The newly opened Fire Tree restaurant in a beautiful Arusha Suburb garden is said to be excellent, too.

For cultural events, as well as bookings with the local Cultural Tourism programme, organising great hikes in the surroundings of Arusha, including up to a waterfall on the foot of Mount Meru, head up to the Old Boma, into the Via Via café (e-mail: arusha.tanzania@viaviacafe.com;) which hosts music and film events, and does a selection of Swahili dishes. The museum next door is well worth a quick visit as well.

The Impala Hotel (Tel. 027 250 71 97 or 027 250 84 48; e-mail: impala@cybernet.co.tz or impala@habari.co.tz; www.impalahotel.com) also has a regular bus shuttle to Nairobi. Leaving at 8am in the morning and reaching Nairobi at 2pm in the afternooon.

Despite its proximity to Arusha little visited, but very beautifully located between Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro, with its own craters, tropical forests and an abundance of wildlife, is Arusha National Park. It can be reached within an hour from Arusha. Ultimate Safaris (Tel. 027 254 41 77 or 0754 28 21 81 or 0784 28 21 81, e-mail: ultimatesafaris@habari.co.tz; www.ultimatesafarisltd.com) do day excursions into the park with open roof Landcruisers for 125US$ per vehicle. There are several lodges in the Park (Momela Lodge charges about 75US$ for a double; Tel. 027 250 64 23 or 027 250 64 26; e-mail: info@lions-safari-intl.com; www.lions-safari-intl.com) and beautifully located campsites to stay overnight.