Hotels in Arusha

Arusha calls itself the safari capital of Tanzania, and for once the label is accurate: it's the springboard for Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Kilimanjaro, with every tour operator in the country running an office here. The city itself has real substance too, as headquarters of the East African Community and site of the international tribunal that tried the Rwandan genocide cases, so it's not purely a tourist waypoint.

Arusha proper is congested, dusty and short on sights of its own — most visitors pass through for a night before or after the parks rather than lingering. The climate is a genuine plus, cooler than the coast thanks to the altitude, with Kilimanjaro and Meru visible on clear days. Stay just outside the centre toward the Ngorongoro road, where the better lodges offer gardens, mountain views and quicker exits toward the parks than anything in the city core.