Although the town is not usually a destination in itself, it is the most popular and convenient springboard from which to explore the legendary northern game-viewing circuit. In Arusha practically, everything centers on the safari industry. From 1978 to today, it has risen from ninth largest town to second-largest town, with a population of 270,000.
There are two airports near Arusha: Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is 40km east of town, off the main highway between Arusha and the mountain. KIA is used for larger international flights from Kenya, Nairobi and Europe, as well as regional safari connections in Tanzania. The much smaller Arusha Airport, on the town’s western fringes, is a minor hub for Tanzanian regional flights.
Apart from shopping for curios, there are not many things in Arusha to occupy a visitors time. That said, only 45 minutes from Arusha town is the most accessible and arguably underrated of northern Tanzania’s national parks – Arusha National Park