Most safaris begin here, though few travellers realise quite how much this small park has to offer. Mount Meru rises steeply above forest, swamp and open crater floor, and the walking trails give you a rare chance to explore on foot alongside an armed ranger.
Giraffe move through the acacia in loose, unhurried groups, colobus monkeys crash through the canopy overhead, and buffalo graze the crater floor in numbers you won’t find anywhere else nearby. It’s a gentle, atmospheric introduction to Tanzania, and the perfect first morning before the wilder parks further west.