Things To Do In Arusha Before and After Your Safari In Tanzania

The vibrant town of Arusha is more than just a gateway to Tanzania’s ‘Northern Circuit’. It actually has a lot to offer travelers who are willing to spare the time. Many international travelers often opt to stay in Arusha just long enough to overcome the initial jetlag before heading to the likes of the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire or Lake Manyara. But for those who choose to linger a little longer before or after their safaris, Arusha does offer a surprising number of things to do, such as:

TAKE A TOUR OF SHANGA WORKSHOP

This bustling, interactive workshop is one of a kind and dedicated to empowering the local community by employing people with disabilities to create unique, high-quality items like handmade jewelry, glassware, woodwork, and decorative homeware. For these people, Shanga offers more than a new lease on life, but also a community of passionate and ambitious individuals. Spend time with them, hear their stories, watch them do their work with incredible skill and maybe even try to craft something yourself. A visit to Shanga can comprise your choice of free workshop tours, activities, information sessions and shopping. It’s all part of the Shanga experience. This free visitor destination is open every day from 9 AM - 4.30 PM so you are welcome to stop by anytime or make an advanced booking if you are arriving as a large group.

VISIT THE SCHOOL OF ST. JUDE

The mission of The School of St Jude is to educate disadvantaged, bright students from the Arusha District to become moral and intellectual leaders in their country. The School of St. Jude is a bubbling place teeming with bright smiles and an array of fun school-based activities. A visit here gives you the opportunity to participate in a school-based itinerary offering a variety of activities - whilst not impacting the day-to-day education of the students: Sample traditional lunch with the students, visit interactive art, music, PE or library classes or attend a weekly assembly (on specific days only) and watch dance and music performances. You get to see first hand the impact that people from all over the world have achieved together and how that has resulted in a school of three highly resourced campuses changing the lives of 1,800 students, over 250 staff and their families. Should you choose, make a donation to make a small difference in the lives of the students.

LEARN ABOUT TRADITIONAL AFRICAN CUISINES

You can attend a cooking class here in Arusha and gain a deeper appreciation of how local ingredients and spices are skillfully combined to make delightful dishes. You’re in Tanzania for an adventure of a lifetime and it is only fitting that your palate experiences a scintillating journey of its own. By the time you return to your home country, you’ll have more than exciting memories and photographs as mementos of your trip, but also practical knowledge of how to put new kinds of dishes together.

GO ON A COFFEE TOUR

Arusha is surrounded by coffee plantations, so a cup of steaming fresh coffee is never far away. Meander across coffee estates as you learn how pretty flowers transform into rich brown beans that make up one of the world’s most consumed beverages. A coffee tour in Arusha also lets you stock up on fresh coffee beans that you can take home. One of the best-known coffee sites, Arusha Coffee Lodge, is actually the location of the Shanga workshop so you can cross off two items of this list with a single tour.

CHECK OUT LAKE DULUTI

Lake Duluti lies inside a volcanic crater and is located about 20 minutes from Arusha. This crater lake has water year-round thanks to groundwater and seasonal rainfalls. Here you can go canoeing or hike around the crater. The marsh area of the lake is home to humongous papyrus plants and you will usually spot different varieties of colorful bird species.

EXPERIENCE THE NIGHTLIFE

If you would like some nightlife action before or after your safari, don't worry, Arusha’s got you covered. There are several places to go, including sports bars, night clubs, karaoke, and even big-screen movie parties. It all depends on your mood for the night.

VISIT THE CULTURAL HERITAGE CENTER

This is the place to be if you are looking to get a closer glimpse of Tanzania’s rich culture through art and artifacts. The eclectic design of the building alone makes it one of the more popular visitor destinations in Arusha. Step in and be wowed by the beautiful wildlife sculptures and amazing exhibits that tell the story of Tanzania and its people. There are also items for sale if you’re inclined to contribute to the ever-growing artistic expressions of the community.

Personalize your Arusha experience with Sababu Safaris today!

At Sababu Safaris, we are committed to providing you with more than a travel package, but a personalized itinerary that lets you travel with purpose and make a lasting impact on the local communities that you visit. Call us today at +1 914-207-4426 or fill out our contact form to get started.

Source: What To Do in Arusha Before and After Your Safari in Tanzania

Must-Have Travel Guide to Tanzania

On a Sababu Safaris tailor made holiday to Tanzania you can discover Tanzania's dramatic beauty and phenomenal wildlife.

Sababu’s tailor made Safari Itineraries focus on the national parks, game reserves and private wildlife conservancies in the north, south and the west, plus the mainland coastline and the island of Zanzibar.

THINGS TO DO IN TANZANIA

1.            Witness huge herds of wildebeest and zebra migrate from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya.

2.            Conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro and watch the sunrise from ‘The Roof of Africa’.

3.            Enjoy an adventurous and authentic bush experience in Ruaha National Park in Southern Tanzania

4.            See resident hippo pods at Lake Manyara.

5.            Visit the Mahale Mountains National Park in Western Tanzania to see chimpanzees in the wild and enjoy activities such as hiking in the forests, swimming in ice-cold pools in the mountain waterfalls and kayaking on the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika.

6.            Enjoy a river safari in the Selous Game Reserve.

7.            Spot an abundance of wildlife, including zebra, buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, hippo and elephants in the Ngorongoro Crater.

8.            Relax on the idyllic, palm fringed and secluded beaches of Zanzibar.


Tanzania is a vast country with much regional variation in geography and climate, plus distinct rainy seasons, therefore deciding when to visit Tanzania depends on what you want to experience whilst you’re there.

Game viewing in Tanzania's parks are at their peak during the dry season from June to October. The best chance of seeing the wildebeest migration cross the Mara River in the Serengeti is during July and August, whilst late January to February is the time to visit for the wildebeest calving season.

The ideal time to visit Tanzania's coast and the Zanzibar Archipelago is between August and October, whilst the coast and the islands are best avoided during the long rains from March to May.

If you’re interested in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro they recommend that you do so during the warmest and driest times of year - December to mid-March and mid-June to end of October. 


You require a passport with at least two blank pages and six months' validity, plus a visa to enter Tanzania. Single-entry visas are available upon arrival at Tanzanian airports or you can obtain one in advance. A visa costs $100 for US citizens and $50 for other nationalities.

Visitors to Tanzania should ensure that they have Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus vaccinations.  There is a high risk of malaria in most areas of Tanzania (including Zanzibar), therefore anti-malaria medication is recommended and you should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Avoid mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and long trousers especially after sunset, using insect repellents on exposed skin and sleeping under a mosquito net.

Where To Go On Safari in Tanzania: Tarangire National Park

After the Serengeti, Tarangire National Park has the greatest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania and in the dry season the Tarangire River is a magnet for thirsty wildlife. Tarangire also has some of the highest population density of elephants as compared to anywhere in Tanzania, and is the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. Its sparse vegetation, strewn with baobab and acacia trees and its breathtaking views of the Maasai Steppe and the mountains in the south makes it a beautiful and distinctive location to visit.

Located just a 2-hour drive from Arusha, Tarangire is a popular stop for people traveling through the northern safari circuit on their way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. The park extends into two game controlled areas and the wildlife is allowed to move freely throughout.

Unlike most safari companies, Sababu Safaris is a local Tanzanian based operator. You’ll be able to directly communicate with our team on the ground. No agents and no outsourcing your safari. We thoroughly regulate the high quality and standards of our services so that we are able to deliver the safari experience of a lifetime. To ensure you are able to communicate with us in a timely manner, we have offices in both the US and Tanzania (and we also speak German)!