Descending into the Ngorongoro Crater

Karatu is a picturesque town located in the lush highlands of northern Tanzania, serving as a strategic gateway to the renowned safari destinations of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, and the Serengeti National Park. Nestled between the Ngorongoro Highlands and the Great Rift Valley, Karatu offers a serene and verdant setting, characterized by its coffee plantations, farming communities, and African rural life. The town is known for its friendly atmosphere, rustic lodges, and campsites that provide a peaceful retreat for travelers exploring Tanzania's northern safari circuit. Karatu's proximity to major wildlife reserves makes it an ideal base for safari excursions, cultural tours to local Iraqw and Hadzabe communities, and hikes in the surrounding highlands. Additionally, the town features local markets, artisan shops, and opportunities to explore the rich Tanzanian culture and cuisine, making Karatu a compelling stop for those seeking an authentic Tanzanian experience outside the national parks.

Karatu is generally safe for visitors, with standard travel precautions recommended. Vaccinations for Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever, along with malaria prophylaxis, are advised for travelers to Tanzania.

Safety & Vaccinations

Located on the main road connecting Arusha to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro regions, Karatu is easily reached by car or as part of organized safari tours.

Getting There

Exploring Karatu and its surroundings can be done by vehicle, with local taxis and tour operators offering services to nearby attractions and national parks.

Getting Around

Visitors to Tanzania, including those planning to visit Karatu, need a visa, which can be obtained on arrival or online through the eVisa system, ensuring easy access to the country's northern safari circuit.

Visas

Karatu

Hot Water Showers

Flushing Toilets

There are outdoor showers at this property

Outdoor Showers

Swimming Pool

There is a safe provided in the rooms of this property. 

Safe

There are hair dryers in the rooms of this property

Hair Dryer

Wifi

This property has a gift shop on the premises.

Gift Shop

There are private decked verandas at this property. 

Private Decked Verandas

The farm is accessible via a scenic drive from various locations in Tanzania. The drive from Kilimanjaro Airport to Gibb's Farm is approximately 4 hours.

Guests can arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and then take a 45-minute drive to Arusha. From Arusha Airport, there’s an option to fly to Lake Manyara Airport, which is a convenient transfer to the farm.

Gibb's Farm

Loved this place. Highly recommend a stay here. The gardens are so very beautiful and well maintained. Staff are amazing, kind genuinely friendly, caring people. Lots to do here if you want to join in. The spa was amazing ‘recommend the coffee scrub’ it was so good. Was sad to leave. Well done everyone you really know how to make a holiday great.

Beautiful stay at Gibbs Farm, my only suggestion is to stay longer than 1 night to really experience all of the amenities. Our room was lovely, the fire place added a warm atmosphere in the evening.  I will definitely recommend to my friends.

I don’t even know where to start with this place. Best word to describe - Magical! Out of all of our accommodations during our honeymoon, this certainly was the most memorable. To begin our stay, we received private fireside dinner with the most gracious waiter to celebrate our honeymoon. When we entered our room, we were greeted with champagne, turndown service with a fire infront of bed was already setup. I can’t forget to mention the gorgeous bathtub and the 2 showers, one of them outside!
By far, this is some of best farm to table food we’ve ever had. We already miss Gibbs Farm and can’t wait to visit them again.

Must stay place for families in TZ. Incredible food and experience.

What a wonderful place.
Great stopping by here for lunch.

Special shout out to Nimrod and Perfect to make us feel at home...

Historic lodge on Ngorongoro Crater slopes

Unique, culturally-themed luxurious accommodations

The accommodation at Gibb’s Farm exudes a sense of well-being and tranquility, with each of the seventeen 1-bedroom farm cottages and two spacious farm houses uniquely themed to reflect elements of East African culture and history. These recently refurbished cottages and houses feature eclectic artworks, verdant garden settings, and modern amenities, complemented by the classic charm of a traditional farm. The famed outdoor showers, combined with comfortable bedding options and private terraces, ensure a luxurious and authentic stay.

24-Hour Electricity 

For a fee, you can have your clothing cleaned by this property's laundry service.

Laundry Service (Extra Cost)

There is a lounge and bar at this property. 

Lounge & Bar

This property provides complimentary tea and coffee

Tea & Coffee

By flight, the closest airstrip is Lake Manyara Airstrip which is 25km away. Air companies fly on schedule and charter basis to and from Arusha.

By road it is a 145km, this is a 3 hour drive from Arusha City.

Kitela Lodge

We stayed for two nights recently, and it was a relaxing and refreshing holiday, close to nature. Rooms were great. The service was excellent. Food was basic, but nothing fancy. Value of money.

We loved our stay at Kitela Lodge.  The rooms and facility are luxury quality, highly recommend.  The lodge also has a giant garden, so all of the food at the restaurant uses fresh and tasty ingredients.  The staff was friendly and professional.  Not far from the Crater.

We (two couples) spent two nights at this beautiful lodge. It offers spacious, luxurious cottages with fine views of the surrounding gardens and coffee fields.  The food was excellent, and the staff friendly and professional.

We were greeted with towels, fizzy wine and snacks. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. The gardens are beautiful with vibrant colours in a peaceful location with the delightful chorus of bird song. The rooms are spacious with extremely large beds, they are clean and contains everything you need. We sat on the balcony at happy hour to watch the sunset which was gorgeous. The food was incredible. All freshly cooked to perfection including the stirfry and banana crumple. Credit to the chef who cooked us a beautiful lunch which was one of the best we have had in Tanzania which included zucchini soup, salad and chicken with meatballs.

Definitely the most beautiful place we stayed in Tanzania! The private villas with balconies overlooking the stunning landscape full of coffee plants is one I will dream about for years to come.  The room was gorgeous, incredibly comfortable and perfectly spotless. The staff was the highlight for us. The most beautiful smiles greeted us each morning. Every single person we encountered at Kitela seemed genuinely happy and that made us so happy! We didn’t want to leave! Oh and the food! We were thrilled with all the meals and loved the “pack your lunch” option at breakfast. We had the most beautiful fresh vegetables at all our meals. I still think about the amazing cucumber, tomato and avocado salad we had at dinner one night! Thank you to each one of the staff for making our stay so wonderful. We feel like we found a special treasure!

Ideally located from the Ngorongoro Crater

Kitela Lodge - Karatu

Chalet type bedrooms situated at ground level with a private terrace or balcony. Overlooking the gardens and/or coffee plantation. Ample and comfortable. Rooms with a double bed or two single beds. The rooms have a bathroom with bathtub and shower. The family room consists of two rooms with a connecting door.

The rooms all have individual lock boxes to store personal items.

In-Room Lockable Box

Laundry Service

There are kid-friendly food options available.

Kid-Friendly Buffet

By road, the lodge is around 2.5 hours from the nearest city, Arusha.

By air, the closest airstrip is Lake Manyara, which leaves you with only a 30 minute drive to the lodge.

Karatu Simba Lodge

My wife and I stayed here for 2 nights during our Safari trip.
Rooms are spacious and comfortable, very clean and well cared for. At night it can be a little cold depends when you come.

The food and the service were perfect.

Very quiet and nice location, I would truly recommend this lodge!

My husband and I stayed here as part of our honeymoon.
From the beginning staff were so lovely and welcoming and they prepared our room with petals on the bed.
It is located in the Tanzanian countryside so the view and the experience was different and amazing.
We enjoyed the views from the hotel seating next to the firepit watching the sunset.
The food was truly amazing, one of the best ones we have had.
Staff are so lovely and attentive.
At night it can be a little cold but the staff put some hot water bottles for us and it was great!
Rooms are spacious and super comfortable, very clean and well cared for.
I would truly recommend this lodge!

From the moment we arrived at the lodge, we were treated like VIP’s. We were greeted with fresh juice and welcomed warmly. Dinner was delicious and presented in a way that you would expect from an upscale restaurant. The service was very attentive; it’s the first time I have ever had someone ask if I wanted fresh hot coffee so that I didn’t have to drink warm coffee! Breakfast the following morning was a pleasant experience as well.

The rooms were spacious and clean. Remember that this a tented lodge so there is no heating or cooling. It was a little brisk when we returned from dinner so we were concerned that we might be cold at night. Fortunately, when we got into bed, we were pleasantly surprised by the . We were told that it may take some time in the mornings for water to heat up but it took less than a minute. If you’re concerned at all about staying in a permanent tent lodge, don’t be, at least not here.

The atmosphere I felt at this lodge was that of a home. The way the staff interacted with us was if they owned the facility and was proud of the work they did. We never felt that this was just a job to anyone. Well done Karatu Simba Lodge! 👍

Simple but nice rooms. Food was brilliant for dinner and breakfast. Staff could not be nicer and made it a memorable stay for the last night of our safari trip with Leopard Tours.

Excellent place! The staff was amazing and went above and beyond to make out stay phenomenal! the place is absolutely stunning and everything is simply perfect, just come and enjoy and find out for yourself.Dani was an absolute rockstar and he made our stay extra special with his hospitality and his kind smile!

a peaceful retreat in the Tanzanian countryside, providing a tranquil escape from the bustling world

With comfortable and eco-friendly accommodations, the lodge is a perfect base for exploring Lake Manyara National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater

Guests can savor delicious and healthy cuisine, featuring locally sourced ingredients, while enjoying the beautiful natural surroundings and warm Tanzanian hospitality

The accommodation at Karatu Simba Lodge provides a serene and rustic haven within the Tanzanian countryside. Set in individual twin, double, or triple cottages or rondavels, each unit features canvas walls, a solid attached bathroom and shower, and handcrafted furniture made from African hardwood. These comfortable spaces offer stunning views of the surrounding forest, fields, and distant hills, creating a peaceful atmosphere for relaxation. All rooms come with mosquito nets for a restful night's sleep. Solar power ensures that the rooms have electricity and hot water, while amenities like a torch, umbrella, and a power strip for device charging are provided for guests' convenience. The lodge's eco-friendly approach means guests should bring a headlamp or 'book light' for reading at night. Due to the lodge's solar electrical system, the use of hair dryers is discouraged to prevent potential power disruptions. Overall, the rooms at Karatu Simba Lodge offer a comfortable and sustainable retreat, allowing guests to unwind and reconnect with nature.

Charming gateway to Tanzania's northern safari circuit.

Karatu

Karatu

About Karatu

What to do

Where to stay

Hotels & Lodges

Gibb's Farm

Kitela Lodge - Karatu

Karatu Simba Lodge

What to know

Blog

Descending into the Ngorongoro Crater

Frequently Asked Questions