Rated one of the world's top 25 biodiversity hotspots, the Eastern Arc Mountains is the collective name used to describe a chain of 12 separate ranges that arc along the eastern coastal belt of Tanzania. Blanketed in ancient forests, these mountains support literally thousands of taxa found nowhere else in the world, most notably a couple dozen endemic bird species, three unique monkey species (one of which was first made known to Western science in 2005), the well-known African violets of the genus Saintpaulia, and the astonishing checkered elephant-shrew. The mountains also offer some superb walking possibilities. The Amani Nature Reserve in the Eastern Usambara near Tanga should be the first choice for serious birders, the Western Usambara and Pare Mountains are better for casual rambling and cultural interaction, and the Udzungwa Mountains National Park east of Iringa is the best spot to see rare monkeys and endemic birds.
