Karatu’s bustling town centre is a mix of old and new, with safari vehicles, local buses and colourful tuk-tuks driving alongside Maasai herders and ox carts, while outside the town, cultivated Iraqi farms and villages blend into the green vegetation of the Ngorongoro Forest.

If you do an Internet search for top things to do in Karatu Tanzania, you may end up with the erroneous impression that there is nothing to do in this town.

What you will do in the town

1. Enjoy some of the peaceful countryside outside of town
2. You will explore the town’s marketplace
3. You will visit a local brewery, learn about the local brick making industry
4. You will walk through a coffee farm, take a guided walk through the Ngorongoro Forest in search of waterfalls and elephants caves
5. You will visit Iraqw homestead.

Whether you are looking for cultural tours, hiking and biking opportunities, a chance to enjoy a slice of peaceful rural Tanzania, or simply a break from the dusty safari game drives, we think you should consider a stop in this underrated town.

Tanzania’s national parks are havens for huge concentrations of animal and bird life. Serengeti National Park alone has nearly 2 million wildebeest and zebra migrating along ancient trails, followed by lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas and jackals. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is a huge volcanic caldera where 25,000 animals live in an atmosphere of unparalleled splendor. The Maasai have inhabited this region for hundreds of years, and to this day still graze their cattle amongst the wildlife. A visit to a local village to learn about their culture and way of life is an eye-opening experience.