{"id":372,"date":"2026-07-02T14:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T14:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/karatu-2\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T14:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T14:07:36","slug":"karatu-2","status":"publish","type":"guide","link":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/tanzania\/travel-notes\/karatu\/","title":{"rendered":"Karatu"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Karatu<\/h2>\n

Karatu sits on the edge of the Ngorongoro Highlands, surrounded by rolling hills and coffee farms. It has a laid-back atmosphere and is the perfect base for trips to Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. The town itself is lively, with colourful markets, small shops, and plenty of lodges and guesthouses to choose from.<\/h4><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Covered on this page:<\/h2> \t
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  1. Things to do in Karatu<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Restaurant tips<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. To: Ngorongoro & Serengeti (Seronera section)<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. To: Lake Eyasi<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. To: Tarangire<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. To: Arusha \/ Kilimanjaro International Airport<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. To: West Kilimanjaro<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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    Things to do in Karatu<\/h2> \t
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      Gibbs Coffee Farm<\/strong> \u2013 Tour a working Tanzanian coffee farm and taste fresh-brewed coffee.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Elephant Caves<\/strong> \u2013 Hike to waterfalls and see the incredible “elephant caves” carved by elephants digging for mineral-rich soil.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Karatu Market<\/strong> \u2013 On the 7th and 25th of each month, the Iraqw market bursts into life. Browse stalls packed with spices, fruit, shukas, Maasai beadwork, and bright Tinga-Tinga paintings.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Visit Iraqw villages<\/strong> \u2013 Walk through local villages, visit homesteads, share a home-brew meal, and taste traditional banana beer.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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      Restaurant tips<\/h2> \t
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        Local eateries in town<\/strong> \u2013 Perfect for a taste of Tanzanian street food. Try nyama choma<\/em> (roast meat), chipsi mayai<\/em> (fries with eggs), grilled corn, samosas or mandazi<\/em> (fried dough).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Bougainvillea Safari Lodge Restaurant<\/strong> \u2013 Welcomes non-guests and serves a mix of local and international dishes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Ngorongoro Farm House Restaurant<\/strong> \u2013 For an upmarket option, dine on a large coffee plantation with a cosy, country-style feel.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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        To: Ngorongoro & Serengeti (Seronera section)<\/h2> \t

        Driving times<\/strong><\/p>\n

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        • Karatu \u2192 Loduare Gate (Ngorongoro entrance): 15 km | 30 min<\/li>\n
        • Loduare Gate \u2192 Ngorongoro Crater entrance: 15 km | 1 hr<\/li>\n
        • Ngorongoro Crater entrance \u2192 Naabi Hill Gate (Serengeti entrance): 85 km | 2\u20133 hrs<\/li>\n
        • Naabi Hill Gate \u2192 Seronera (central Serengeti): 60 km | 1 hr<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Route<\/strong><\/p>\n

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          • Leave Karatu and drive west on the B144. The road climbs 500 m into the Ngorongoro Highlands. It is steep and twisty \u2014 take it slow.<\/li>\n
          • Enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Loduare Gate. After the permit check, stop at the viewpoint. If you\u2019re lucky, you may already spot zebras or wildebeest.<\/li>\n
          • Continue straight to the junction:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                Left \u2192 Naabi Hill Gate (Serengeti entrance)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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                Right \u2192 descend into the Crater<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n

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                The road from Naabi Hill to Seronera and beyond is rocky and badly corrugated. Drive slowly (<25 km\/h) to protect your vehicle.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Practical notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                • Peak season (Jul\u2013Sep & Dec\u2013Jan): queues at gates can take 30 minutes each.<\/li>\n
                • The last fuel station before the Serengeti is in Karatu. There is an emergency station at Seronera (higher prices).<\/li>\n
                • Watch out for baboons at parking lots near gates:)  Always keep your vehicle locked.<\/li>\n
                • For driving times from Seronera to your lodge, check the Serengeti section.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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                  To: Lake Eyasi<\/h2> \t

                  Distance & time<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                    50 km | 2 hrs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Route<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                    • Just after Karatu town, turn left at the junction towards Lake Eyasi.<\/li>\n
                    • The dirt road is narrow, bumpy, and rough in places.<\/li>\n
                    • Along the way, you\u2019ll pass farmland (sunflower and teff fields) and Maasai herders with cattle.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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                      To: Tarangire<\/h2> \t

                      Distance & time<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                        100 km | 2 hrs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        Route<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                        • From Karatu, follow the B144 east to Mto wa Mbu.<\/li>\n
                        • Continue to Makuyuni (junction with petrol station) and turn right.<\/li>\n
                        • From Makuyuni, it\u2019s another 40 km to Tarangire Main Gate (well signposted).<\/li>\n
                        • If you\u2019re staying outside the park near Sangaiwe Gate:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                              Pass the main gate and continue on the paved road parallel to the park boundary for 30 km.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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                              After Mbuyu wa Mjeruman<\/em> village, turn left onto a dirt road leading to Sangaiwe Gate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                There are no fuel stations inside Tarangire NP, so top up before entering.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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                                To: Arusha \/ Kilimanjaro International Airport<\/h2> \t

                                Distances<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                • Karatu \u2192 Arusha: 140 km | 3\u20133.5 hrs<\/li>\n
                                • Karatu \u2192 JRO: 200 km | 4\u20135 hrs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                  Route<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                  • From Karatu, follow the B144 east to Mto wa Mbu.<\/li>\n
                                  • Continue to Makuyuni (junction with petrol station) and turn left onto the A104 towards Arusha.<\/li>\n
                                  • To continue to JRO: from Arusha, take the A23 east.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    Practical notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                    • The roads are paved and in good condition.<\/li>\n
                                    • Traffic around Arusha can be heavy, especially at rush hour. If you have a flight to catch or need to hand over your car, make sure to allow extra time.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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                                      To: West Kilimanjaro<\/h2> \t

                                      Distance & time<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                        220 km | 5 hrs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        Route 1 (mostly paved)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                        • From Karatu, follow the B144 east to Mto wa Mbu.<\/li>\n
                                        • Continue to Makuyuni (junction with petrol station) and turn left onto the A104 to Arusha (80 km).<\/li>\n
                                        • From Arusha, head east on the A23 towards Moshi.<\/li>\n
                                        • At Boma La Ngombe, turn left at Panone Petrol Station towards West Kilimanjaro.<\/li>\n
                                        • After approximately 28 km, reach a junction:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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                                              Straight \u2192 Simba Farm<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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                                              Left \u2192 Original Maasai Lodge<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                              Route 2 (scenic)<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                              • From Karatu, take the B144 and A104 to Arusha.<\/li>\n
                                              • From Arusha, follow the A104 towards Nairobi.<\/li>\n
                                              • Turn right at Oldonyosambu Sokoni Baptist Church (look for lodge signs).<\/li>\n
                                              • The road changes from paved to gravel. Follow until you meet a paved road again.<\/li>\n
                                              • Follow signs for Original Maasai Lodge or Simba Farm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                                On the way<\/strong><\/p>\n

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                                                  Enjoy beautiful views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":1095,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-372","guide","type-guide","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"feed_page_to_atlas":true},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/guide"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/170"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3098,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide\/372\/revisions\/3098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1095"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rta.travelblox.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}