Day Trip · 1 days · Private
Momella Lakes Canoe Safari in Arusha National Park
One of the few places in Tanzania where you can get out of the vehicle. Canoe the Momella lakes with giraffe on the shore, then walk in the park with an armed ranger.
- Duration
- 1 days, 0 nights
- Group
- Private
- Activity
- Canoe safari, guided walking safari
- Starts
- Arusha
- Ends
- Arusha
- Best months
- All year. The lakes hold flamingo most reliably from November to May.
Arusha National Park is the only park within an hour of Arusha where the rules let you leave the vehicle. Two activities come out of that, and this day does both: canoeing on the Momella lakes, and a walking safari with an armed ranger.
Why the canoe is worth it. The Momella lakes are shallow, alkaline and separate from one another, each a slightly different colour. Giraffe and buffalo come down to the shore and pay a canoe no attention at all, so you end up closer, and quieter, than a vehicle would ever get you. Flamingo work the shallows in the wetter months. There are no crocodile or hippo in these lakes, which is why paddling is permitted here and not in most Tanzanian parks.
The walk. An armed park ranger takes you out on foot, usually in the Ngurdoto area or along the lakes. Walking changes what you notice: tracks, dung, termite mounds, the smell of the place. You will see less than you would from a vehicle and understand more of it.
How it differs from our other Arusha park day. The Arusha National Park day safari is a driving day that covers Ngurdoto Crater, the lakes and the fig arch. This one trades some of that ground for two hours on the water and an hour or two on foot. Take the game drive if you want to cover the park; take this if you want to be in it.
Mount Meru stands over the whole park, and on a clear morning Kilimanjaro shows behind it. See our other day trips or tell us your dates.
Trip highlights
- Canoeing on the Momella lakes, one of very few places in Tanzania where it is allowed
- Giraffe and buffalo on the shore, seen from water level and at close range
- A walking safari with an armed park ranger
- Flamingo on the alkaline shallows in the wetter months
- Black-and-white colobus in the forest, and Mount Meru over everything
- Forty-five minutes from Arusha, so no long drive at either end
Day by day
Day 1 Morning: to the park and onto the water
Pickup around 07:30 and about forty-five minutes to Ngongongare gate. Formalities, then to the Momella lakes. Buoyancy aids on and roughly two hours paddling with a guide, close to the shore where the animals come down.
Meals: Lunch
Day 2 Midday: the walking safari
An armed ranger joins you for a walk of an hour and a half to two hours. Pace is slow and the ranger sets the route according to where the buffalo are. Picnic lunch afterwards at a site in the park.
Meals: Lunch
Day 3 Afternoon: a short drive and home
A game drive out through the forest and past the Ngurdoto Crater rim viewpoints on the way to the gate, then back to Arusha in the mid to late afternoon.
Meals: Lunch
What is included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha
- Private 4x4 with fuel and a licensed English-speaking driver-guide
- Arusha National Park entrance fees and government levies
- Canoe hire, paddles, buoyancy aids and a canoe guide
- Armed park ranger fee for the walking safari
- Picnic lunch and drinking water
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Visa and travel insurance
- Drinks other than the water provided
- Tips for your guide and hosts
- Anything personal
Before you travel
Pickup and meeting point
We collect you from your hotel, guesthouse or Airbnb anywhere in Arusha town, and from Usa River, Tengeru and the Kilimanjaro Airport road on request. Give us the property name when you book and we confirm the pickup time the evening before. Drop-off is at the same address unless you tell us otherwise.
What to bring
Closed walking shoes for the ranger walk. Long trousers and long sleeves in neutral colours. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Binoculars. A dry bag or a camera you are happy to have in a canoe. A light waterproof.
Safety
The walking safari is led by an armed park ranger and you follow his instructions without exception: single file, no loud noise, no walking ahead. Swimming and paddling are at your own risk and there is no lifeguard. Buoyancy aids are provided on the water and we ask that you wear one. Tell your guide before you set off if anyone in the group is not a confident swimmer. Children stay with an adult at all times. You travel in a maintained 4x4 with a licensed Tanzanian driver-guide. Seat belts are fitted in every seat. We carry a first aid kit and drinking water, and the guide stays contactable through the day. Travel insurance is not included and we recommend you arrange it before you come.
Questions about this trip
Are there hippos or crocodiles in the Momella lakes?
No, and that is precisely why canoeing is allowed here. The lakes are alkaline and neither species lives in them.
Do we need canoeing experience?
No. A guide paddles with you, the water is calm and you stay near the shore.
How is this different from the Arusha National Park day safari?
That one is a driving day covering more of the park. This one swaps some of the driving for two hours in a canoe and a walk on foot with a ranger. Different day, same park.
Is the walking safari dangerous?
You walk with an armed ranger whose job is exactly this. There are buffalo in the park and they are treated with respect. Follow the ranger and it is a calm activity.
Can we see Kilimanjaro?
Sometimes. Meru is right above you and always visible; Kilimanjaro shows behind it on a clear morning, most often between June and October. Nobody can promise cloud will co-operate.
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Where this trip goes
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