A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Arusha/Zanzibar, Tanzania by TravelPod blogger Hyndman titled "Safari and Spice" Hyndman’s travel blog entry: "Trampled by a stampeding elephant, gored by a herd of buffalos ... almost. Our trip took us next to the town of Arusha in Northern Tanzania, the safari capital and the gateway to the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Tanrangire and Arusha National Parks, and to the Ngorongoro Conservation area. With the high concentration of safari companies operating in this town, we easily organized a four day, three night camping safari that would take us through three of the above game parks. Early in the morning, we were met by our guide, camp cook and a 4x4 Landcruiser loaded up with all manner of supplies to keep us comfortable and well fed for the next few days. The first stop was Lake Manyara National Park, situated approximately 1500m above sea level and bordered by the western escarpment of the Rift Valley. A large proportion of the park is covered by the lake, however, the main type of vegetation here is woodlands which is ideal for certain animal species. In this park we had up close encounters with large populations of giraffe, elephants, baboons and antelopes. We also saw a pair of tree-climbing lions, which apparently is quite rare. It was here that we had an exciting encounter with a large 5 ton bull elephant, who was proceeding casually on the road towards us. Our guide put the truck in reverse in the hopes that the ...