Karatu is within the Arusha District. It is best reached by car or bus from Arusha. The 150 km on a decent road will take just over two hours. The international airport for Arusha is Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO), about 45 minutes away from the city. 

A cheaper option is to take a bus or dala dala. This can take up to three hours and should be between 5000-7000 Tsh. These can often get crowded and for the cheap price you often miss out on comfort. It is generally advisable to take a bus that arrives before night falls for safety reasons. 

If you are willing to splurge a bit more money, a small plane to the Lake Manyara airstrip is also recommendable. Coastal Aviation and Air Excel both fly from Arusha to Manyara for around 100 US$ as a stopover on their way to the Serengeti. Watch out because this flight is most likely leaving from Arusha Airport, a small local airport, rather than Kilimanjaro Airport, which you might have arrived from via an international flight. From the Manyara airstrip, it is about a 30 minute drive to Karatu, either by taxi or through a transfer arranged by us.

Karatu can be visited all year around, but as you will normally be visiting Karatu in combination or as as a base for safaris in the adjacent National Parks, it is best to stick to the dry season from June to October. Due to the Ngorongoro Crater’s special geography, animal sighting is good all year around but from June to October the grass is shorter, making it easier to spot animals. This is also true for Lake Manyara, although both parks become beautifully luscious and green in the wet season. Especially Ngorongoro Crater can get very crowded in the dry season, so you might find it a bit nicer in the wet season. Some roads can get too muddy and thus unpassable in the wet season but this should not overall take away from your safari experience. 

The dominant tribe in Karatu are the Iraqw, a predominantly Christian people. Their language is linguistically specific as it has its origins in Ethiopia. They are agricultural people and benefit from selling cultural products such as pottery to tourists in the Ngorongoro area. 

The Hadzabe Bushmen live around Lake Eyasi and are one of the last remaining hunting and gathering people in East Africa. Only around 1000 still live around the Lake, as the Tanzanian government is slowly encroaching on their terrain. A visit to the Hadzabe feels like a jump back in time. Their language is called Hadzane and relies on click sounds.

The Datoga also live close to Lake Eyasi and are agriculturalists and craftsmen. They have a warrior reputation and are most known for the circular tattoos on their faces. They are extremely isolated and only 5% speak Swahili, Tanzania’s national language. Literacy and education rates are extremely low. Their language has Ethiopian and South Sudanese roots and they are believed to have migrated south thousands of years ago.

All of our drivers speak very good English. And, being local, they can provide you with very useful tourist information about the city, depending on what you want to do.

Please feel free to ask them any question, as if you they were a personal tour guide. Most drivers will also be able to organize extra services like city tours, visits to local attractions or restaurant bookings.

The drivers are selected and trained in order for you to receive an excellent personalized experience, and they are continuously reviewed for their quality of service. Each of them has a unique personality, speaks good English, and they will be more than happy to welcome you to their city.

Yes, all bookings may be cancelled or changed up to 6 hours before the transfer time. In the case of cancellations, payment is fully refunded.

If you request a cancellation when the assigned driver is already on his or her way to the pickup location or has already arrived at the Meeting Point, your booking is non-refundable.

For all cancellations and changes, please contact the WelcomePickups support team at +255 759 694 668