Mount Meru gives Arusha a backdrop that most cities would envy. The volcano rises to about 4,500 metres directly behind the town, a jagged crater rim you see on clear mornings and lose in cloud by afternoon, while Kilimanjaro floats above the horizon to the east. Arusha itself sits at around 1,400 metres on fertile volcanic soil, with coffee farms, banana groves and flower plantations on the surrounding slopes. It is a busy, dusty, friendly town of more than 300,000 people, the gateway for safaris to the northern parks, and the place where the Arusha Declaration of 1967 laid out Tanzania's socialist policies under Julius Nyerere. The Maasai are a constant presence, in their red shuka cloths, selling beads and herding cattle on the edge of town.
Leaving Arusha westward, the road, the A104, runs across a plain, past the Maasai steppe, and then climbs the wall of the Rift Valley near Lake Manyara. The road is generally good tarmac, but trucks and buses are heavy, and Tanzanian drivers take risks on blind curves, so patience matters. From the escarpment, the view over the lake and the rift floor is huge, and the colour of the light changes by the hour.
A very important note concerns the national parks. Tanzania charges substantial fees to enter Ngorongoro and Serengeti, and the rules for motorbikes in those areas are strict, as riding in wildlife areas is generally not allowed for visitors. Anyone planning this route should check with park authorities and tour operators well ahead, because a trip may need to be done in a vehicle with a guide. Dangerous animals, including lions, buffalo and elephants, are real, and not something to meet on a motorcycle.
Fuel, supplies and repair shops are plentiful in Arusha, so fill the tank, check the bike and buy water before leaving. Try nyama choma, grilled meat with kachumbari salad, at a local bar, and Kilimanjaro or Safari beer. The dry seasons, June to October and January to February, are best, while April and May bring heavy rain that turns dirt roads to mud.