If you’re planning a safari to Tanzania then you’ll be most likely be flying into the town of Arusha. You may be going direct to Kilimanjaro International Airport or to the local regional airport but either way, Arusha is the gateway to classic safari destinations such as the Serengeti, Ngorongor o Crater and Tarangire. Now the trouble with gateway destinations – Maun and the Okavango Delta, Hoedspruit and the Kruger Park – is that most travellers want to get out of them as soon as possible. Who wants to sit in an airport hotel room when there are animals to see and things to do on safari?Thing is, with a Tanzania safari you may not have a choice. Tanzania is a huge country with distances between destinations not always aligning with airline schedules. An overnight in Arusha is often necessary at the beginning of a safari as the road transfers to safari destinations are too long for an afternoon start. Or it may be that the morning scheduled flight is too early to make from your camp and you need to fly in the day before.
Arusha has developed to make the most of this: there is a wide range of accommodation available and domestic flights arrive in time for check-in and an afternoon activity. So, on the grounds that you are most likely going to spend a night and the better part of a day in Arusha, let’s make the most of it. Who knows – you may end up booking another night.
ACCOMMODATION
Arusha accommodation can be divided into two broad camps: a familiar hotel-style, or country lodge. The lodges are often former – or working – coffee farms and have been beautifully converted into boutique accommodation that make the most of their views of Mount Meru. They make the ideal place to relax for a day or two after a long itinerary and the prospect of a long flight home.