Morning Walk in Arusha

I had one day in Arusha, mainly to be sure of meeting my safari, but found the city quite charming. There are some very nice avenues with lots of tropical or near tropical trees. Downtown is more finished and less gritty than Nairobi, for example, but still with that African vibe. The street leading to the main market becomes the usual wild market feel.

The clock tower is said to be the halfway point between Cape Town and Cairo. A number of upscale hotels and resorts are here, too.

The city is quite large at over a half million and is both a hub for the rich agricultural region (they grow everything from bananas to vegetables to grain, staple crop is maize), but especially a tourism hub from which most Serengeti and Kilimanjaro expeditions depart.Read more