Getting to Arusha
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA General
Posts: 334
Getting to Arusha
We are planning to do safari departing from Arusha and is having difficulty finding the best way to get there. Our original plan is to arrive in Dar es Salaam then go from there, but I found that arriving in Nairobi may save us some time. With limited budget, we are considering bus as long as it is safe. What should we do? We plan to go to Zanzibar or other beautiful coastal areas in Tanzania afterwards.
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2000
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#3
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Zanzibar
Programs: Flying Blue
Posts: 1,319
There are many accidents with busses in Tanzania as the drivers tend to race from city to city... did it many times but with my kids I fly.. or rent a driver / car.
Drive to Arusha from Dar es Salaam or Nairobi takes the same time as the road from NBO to Arusha is being worked on... and the border crossing can sometimes take long..
but for safety and budget... NBO will be cheaper to fly to and there is a good save bus connection for approx $35 pp. Also the drive from NBO to arusha is nicer in my opinion.
I normally use:
http://www.riverside-shuttle.com/
Zanzibar is nice and the cheapest of the island to travel to. A hidden gem in Tanzania is Pangani it is approx 5 hours from Arusha by car.
Fly to Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is not worth the hassle.
Drive to Arusha from Dar es Salaam or Nairobi takes the same time as the road from NBO to Arusha is being worked on... and the border crossing can sometimes take long..
but for safety and budget... NBO will be cheaper to fly to and there is a good save bus connection for approx $35 pp. Also the drive from NBO to arusha is nicer in my opinion.
I normally use:
http://www.riverside-shuttle.com/
Zanzibar is nice and the cheapest of the island to travel to. A hidden gem in Tanzania is Pangani it is approx 5 hours from Arusha by car.
Fly to Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is not worth the hassle.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA General
Posts: 334
Thank you. How about carrying luggage onto the bus with us? How much room we (two people) can expect to have?
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA General
Posts: 334
There are many accidents with busses in Tanzania as the drivers tend to race from city to city... did it many times but with my kids I fly.. or rent a driver / car.
Drive to Arusha from Dar es Salaam or Nairobi takes the same time as the road from NBO to Arusha is being worked on... and the border crossing can sometimes take long..
but for safety and budget... NBO will be cheaper to fly to and there is a good save bus connection for approx $35 pp. Also the drive from NBO to arusha is nicer in my opinion.
I normally use:
http://www.riverside-shuttle.com/
Zanzibar is nice and the cheapest of the island to travel to. A hidden gem in Tanzania is Pangani it is approx 5 hours from Arusha by car.
Fly to Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is not worth the hassle.
Drive to Arusha from Dar es Salaam or Nairobi takes the same time as the road from NBO to Arusha is being worked on... and the border crossing can sometimes take long..
but for safety and budget... NBO will be cheaper to fly to and there is a good save bus connection for approx $35 pp. Also the drive from NBO to arusha is nicer in my opinion.
I normally use:
http://www.riverside-shuttle.com/
Zanzibar is nice and the cheapest of the island to travel to. A hidden gem in Tanzania is Pangani it is approx 5 hours from Arusha by car.
Fly to Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is not worth the hassle.
#6
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Consider flying ZanAir too - I took a flight from Zanzibar to Dar that cost only a little more than the ferry and I have heard others complain about large waves and sea-sickness on the ferry between Zanzibar and Dar.
Did you look into flying into JRO (Kilimanjaro airport) too? I found it to be cheaper (when factoring additional travelling since it is much closer to Arusha) than Dar and Nairobi when I flew over there.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Programs: UA General
Posts: 334
I took a Precision (large) prop plane from Arusha to Zanzibar last year - it was a decent flight and gave us amazing views of Kilimanjaro.
Consider flying ZanAir too - I took a flight from Zanzibar to Dar that cost only a little more than the ferry and I have heard others complain about large waves and sea-sickness on the ferry between Zanzibar and Dar.
Did you look into flying into JRO (Kilimanjaro airport) too? I found it to be cheaper (when factoring additional travelling since it is much closer to Arusha) than Dar and Nairobi when I flew over there.
Consider flying ZanAir too - I took a flight from Zanzibar to Dar that cost only a little more than the ferry and I have heard others complain about large waves and sea-sickness on the ferry between Zanzibar and Dar.
Did you look into flying into JRO (Kilimanjaro airport) too? I found it to be cheaper (when factoring additional travelling since it is much closer to Arusha) than Dar and Nairobi when I flew over there.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
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I too strongly recommend driving. All the time you will spend at airports on the above itinerary would be better spent on the ground, seeing the sights and interacting with the locals at various villages along the way. It would be an unforgettable experience.
If you do a search on Arusha, you will find a thread here from a year or so ago discussing this.
If you do a search on Arusha, you will find a thread here from a year or so ago discussing this.
#9
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: PHL
Programs: USAir Gold, Marriott Rewards Gold, HHonors Gold
Posts: 17
I'm thinking about those same DAR-JRO-ZNZ-DAR flights on Precision..and that quote seems more than reasonable.
As a word of caution, I was considering taking the ferry to/from DAR to Zanzibar, but I did hear from one travel agent that there was a recent sinking.
As a word of caution, I was considering taking the ferry to/from DAR to Zanzibar, but I did hear from one travel agent that there was a recent sinking.
#10
Moderator: American AAdvantage
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It's possible to get transport to Namanga (border) and on to Arusha - and enjoy the scenery, even great views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Arusha (weather dependent, of course), animals, etc. I'd avoid the matatus, but there are other forms of land transport (bus, vans, etc.) and theycan often be arranged on site by competent agents in a hotel or agency. And I think it's Impala shuttle that does the Nairobi - Arusha trip; figure a half-day.