Things to see and do Karatu

Labelled fair and solidarity tourism, this highly recommendable French-speaking Belgian agency organises safaris with very original stays in the homes of local people, notably in Endallah, a village of the Iraqw community on the heights of Lake Manyara, a rare tribe of Cushitic origin who came thousands of years ago from Mesopotamia through the Horn of Africa to settle here, and who have kept a mysterious Arabic language and unique customs. The arrival on foot is a beautiful hike with a view of the lake. Then we sleep in a local's house (in a room with bathroom and mosquito net), and with one of the guides we visit the school, the dispensary and one of the rare traditional Iraqi houses made of wood and dried mud still standing. The welcome from John Karama and all the team is sincerely warm, the villagers curious about the visitors and the open air musical barbecue festive. The experience is unique. The Endallah association organizes other immersions in the homes of other northern tribes, the Maasai and Kuria (see their website). These village visits can be combined with safaris in the Serengeti, to a Shangarai village near Arusha in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, or to Mama Polo's home in the Kuria village of Nyamburi, on the other side of the Serengeti Park on the border with Kenya. The agency also organizes classic safaris throughout Tanzania and Zanzibar and participates in local development projects.