Lake Duluti is a perfect, relaxed Sunday Adventure with kids
Picture it: a pleasant walk/being outdoors/kids laughing and climbing everything/an easy picnic/splashing in the water/napping with the baby/listening to reggae music on the beach/returning home with sand in our shoes.
What a wonderful way to spend the weekend!
Hike
Lake Duluti’s 3 km hike is well-shaded (perfect for hiking with a baby) and easy enough for my 6-year-old.
My kids stayed engaged the entire time: with various birds and waterfowl, views of the lake and surrounding mountains, and the chance of spotting a Monitor Lizard.
Rest Stops
We packed a picnic lunch and stopped halfway around the lake to eat some cold burgers and carrot sticks. The kids helped carry a portion of the lunch in their backpacks, and Mr Mechanic and I took turns carrying Little Lion for a proper family affair.
Lake Front
We arrived full-circle at the lakefront (and parking area) in the early evening. While the kids ran off the rest of their energy at the beach, the adults threw a blanket on the sand and relaxed.
A perfect lazy Sunday.
Getting there
Lake Duluti is approximately 30 minutes east of Arusha Town. Visitors can reach by local transport off the Nairobi-Moshi Hiway and take a motorcycle taxi to the lakefront, or drive with a personal vehicle/taxi. The road is marked and well-known to locals.
What to do
Lake Duluti is a crater lake, estimated to be 700 meters deep in the center. The area offers several outdoor activities, including:
- canoeing
- fishing
- a short hike
- bikes for rent
Tips
- Keep a look out for the impressive (but harmless) Monitor Lizards which live around the lake.
- Attend on a weekend or holiday if you want to eat at the small restaurant or mingle with other visitors. If you are after a very quiet walk and the place to yourself, visit on a weekday.
- Cash-only. You will not find an ATM nearby.
- The restaurant offers only chips/fries/BBQ chicken style fare, sodas and basic beers.
If you bring your own food, they may charge you a ‘fee’ to eat at their tables or venue.
We ate our picnic along the hiking trail, at a rest stop with benches and a pleasant view. There are also garbage cans along the hiking trail making a picnic so much easier. - I walked in my Birkenstocks and Mr Mechanic wore a pair of slip-on shoes. No fancy or sporty shoes required. Some spots might be a bit muddy.
Lake Duluti Entrance Fee
Lake Duluti is a local government conservation area, thus there is a small entrance fee for Tanzanians, Residents (3000 – 10,000 tsh) and a much heftier fee ($10) for tourists.
***Please note the Tanzanian National/Residents fee has changed every time we attend, so I actually don’t know the official entrance fee.
I’m not promising, but there is a possibility you might be able to negotiate a lower price for the entrance fee.
Not from personal experience. No way.
This entrance fee allows you to hike around the lake, and take a boat or canoe into the lake.
Other Costs
Boat rental – canoes, small row boats, etc., are privately rented near the restaurant/parking area. The first two or three price offers are usually exorbitant: Negotiate!
I suggest 5000 – 12000 tsh as a fair amount for a quick ride. 20,000 tsh and up if you intend to canoe the whole lake or spend more than an hour on the water.
There is a separate fee for fishing in Lake Duluti, to be paid at the office along with entrance fees.
The only thing that could have made this day better?
If we had arrived earlier and stayed longer!
Looking for other great family adventures near Arusha?