At a height of 4,566 m, Mount Meru is the second highest mountain in Tanzania and the fifth highest on the African Continent. Its distinct appearance was formed around 250 000 years ago by a tremendous volcanic eruption that destroyed the entire eastern flank, leaving horseshoe-shaped crater. Not only does Mt Meru boast impressive views and diverse vegetation, it also gives you the chance to see some wildlife in the form of a walking safari. On your trek you might come across large game such as giraffes, buffaloes, baboons, elephants, antelopes and colobus monkeys. As the vegetation changes from dense mountain rain forest into heather and moorland and finally alpine desert, the frequency of animals you will see becomes scarcer, shifting your focus from animals to landscape. You will be accompanied by an armed park ranger on your tour. The next day after trekking you will take a dip in the refreshing water (Surpriiiise! The water’s not hot as you might have expected, as it comes directly from Kilimanjaro), walk around the surrounding area, watch local boys jump from a rope into the water, showing some seriously impressive moves, or eat some chips mayai or chips kuku (an omelet with chips inside or chicken and chips) as you enjoy the shadow of the beautiful palm and fig trees. The drive from and back to Arusha/Moshi is beautiful in itself, as we already mentioned above. Part of it leads over a paved road, but the rest of the time you’ll be driving over dirt roads through the country side. Dry riverbeds, baobab and acacia trees, tiny villages, Maasai with their cattle, and old broken railways determine the scenery.