Karatu is a remote small town in Arusha region. We used it as a base for our Ngorongoro Conservation area and Lake Manyara Safari. Here is the list of ideas for your 1 day stay in Karatu:
Walk around the town.
Enjoy “green hills of Africa”. IT IS SAFE! I have a detailed description of safety tips in my 1 Day in Moshi post
Visit Market.
The market is very live and colorful, you can buy souvenirs, Maasai blankets, variety of spices, fresh produce and even dagaa– tiny dried silver fish used to make stew.
Visit Brick making “factory”.
There are several of them around the town, talk you your hotel for suggestion. The hotel can also help to arrange the transportation. It is very interesting to watch manual brick making-process. It is called “factory”, in reality, it is just large outdoor site where bricks made. The moment you see it, you appreciate the houses built out of those bricks much more.
Visit Shalom Orphanage.
Shalom Orphanage had about 60 kids. Mama Warra opened the orphanage in 2004. We stopped by the market, bought couple of bags of rice and some treats for kids and dropped those to the Orphanage.
If you decide to visit, plan to stay for a while, talk to Mama about her story, play with kids. Mama Warra knows all her kids by name and they all call her “Mama”. Mama Warra is amazing women with a big heart. When I asked her how many orphans she has there, she responded “They are my kids, not orphans, we are family”.
Visit FAME(https://fameafrica.org/) clinic.
You can contact the clinic in advance and organize the visit. We stopped by in the morning. Back then, in 2011, the hospital was not opened yet. FAME is an inspiring story of American couple who climbed Kilimanjaro in 2002 and came back to Tanzania shortly after to open the clinic.
Visit Tumaini Junior School.
Learn about their volunteer opportunities. Contact the school in advance to arrange a visit
Day trips
Ngorongoro Conservation Area or Lake Manyara
