Whether its food, art, antiques, textiles or gems, we can show you places that will excite and inspire you. Click though the list to discover the many possibilities for souvenir hunters.
Local Markets
Let us help you through the maze of markets, and provide you with an insider’s shopping experience to make your holiday complete. Enjoy a relaxing morning at the local market where you can find all the tropical fruits, vegetables, plants, local crafts and colourful materials.
Makonde Carvings
The Makonde tribe of southern Tanzania are famed for their abstract wood carvings, including remarkable ‘trees of life’ which perfectly illustrate the archetypal African concepts of remembrance and continuity.
Have a look at the Cultural Heritage Centre or visit the Antique Makonde Carvers workshop in Arusha to buy directly from the craftsmen.
Tingatinga Paintings
Vivid, bright colours and humorous designs are often used in these popular paintings. The style takes its name from the artist E.S. Tingatinga, born in the 1930s in South Tanzania and later moved to Dar Es Salaam, where he died in 1972, shot by the police who mistook him for a criminal.
The ONSEA HOUSE collection has 3 paintings from the Tingatinga school. We can show you the best places in Arusha to buy the finest paintings.
Maasai Blankets
One of Africa’s best known tribes, the cattle-herding Maasai inhabit Northern Tanzania and Kenya. Their colourful blanket cloths provide picturesque photo-opportunities. We can bring you to the shops, close to the Arusha Central Market, selling blankets where also the Maasai buy them!
Pottery
Visit a local pottery in the forest of Tengeru, just outside Arusha. A great place for authentic handcrafted pots and plates.
Place your order when you arrive in Arusha and pick-it up before flying back home.Tanzanite
Northern Tanzania, specifically the region around Arusha, is the only place on earth known to contain Tanzanite, a precious transparent gemstone, first discovered in 1967. In its normal form, it is brown but when heated up to 500°C it acquires a characteristic colour and brilliance: from blue to violet and a rare olive green, which costs upwards of $500 per carat.