Dar es Salaam

A superb little-known and out of the way restaurant is. This Ethiopian restaurant offers excellent food costing about Tsh 13,000 per dish. They serve chicken, beef, lamb and vegetarian dishes (mostly stews, but some come without sauce) on a bed of injera, a moist and springy Ethiopian flatbread. The decor is fantastic and the atmosphere is excellent as well, with a rooftop dining area. Try the Ethiopian honey wine before your meal and the beautifully-presented coffee after. Often fills up so book ahead particularly if you are in a group.

This is a new restaurant. Owned by an Ethiopia/Tanzanian couple. Really good food and simple but pleasant Ethiopian decor, in a kind of garden yard. We finished up with real Ethiopian spiced tea. They also sell Ethiopian clothes and played fantastic Ethiopian music on a good sound system. Teruwork used to cook at Addis in Dar.

The best middle-eastern food in Dar. They have two locations. City center on the corner of Morogoro and India Street and at the Mayfair Plaza in Mikocheni near the US Embassy.

International cuisine and variety of cocktails

If you don't want to spend too much and get a clean room together with a good service, this hostel could serve you well. This hostel offers accommodation, including breakfast. The hostel is run by CEFA, an Italian NGO that helps finance its rural development projects in the inner part of the country with the proceeds. Very kind staff, Wi-Fi connection available free for guests, a wonderful terrace with view on the sea and the possibility to eat excellent Italian food for less than Tsh 9300. The place usually packs up quite quickly so it's better to book with some advance.

In Mikocheni B near the CEFA hostel, [+255 22] 27 80 144, TSh 35,000 for a single, TSh 50,000 for a double inclusive breakfast. Rooms have mosquito nets, showers, air conditioning, wireless internet connection and very friendly staff. They also have a safe car park. Mikocheni B is to the north of Dar es Salaam.

Haille Selassie Road, Oysterbay area. A little further out of town in the Oysterbay area. Q Bar and Guest House has very clean rooms starting at US$15, for a backpacker room. Downstairs a large bar and restaurant which can get crowded and noisy when major football games are shown on giant screens or on Friday night when there is live music.

Close to the Dar Es Salaam International Airport. Handy for guests with early departure flights. Small but clean houses with private showers, split ACs in each room. Rate from US$30 per room per night, B&B. Transfer Shuttle from the Airport is provided free if booked on hotel's website

Also close to the Dar Es Salaam International Airport. Handy for guests with early departure flights. Clean houses with private showers, split ACs in each room. Rate from US$40 per room per night, B&B. Transfer Shuttle from Airport is free when booked on hotel's website

Double room with own bathroom.

Room with own bathroom.

Double room with own bathroom.

Double room with bathroom.

An air conditioned hotel with a small reception but some luxurious rooms. Overlooking Mnazi Mmoja Park. The hotel has a restaurant/bar with along with swimming pool, gym, and wireless internet access.

Harbour View Suites on Samora Avenue occupies the top floors of a modern office building. Rooms are large and very comfortable and have a fully fitted kitchen. Excellent breakfast for Tsh 17438. On the ground floor a well stocked supermarket, an Italian pizza and coffee house for take-outs and a subway sandwich shop. Internet access in all rooms and in the business centre. It has a fitness center, and a fine dining restaurant with a bar that is the only jazz club in the city.

(formerly Millennium Towers Hotel) 4-star hotel with a/c, breakfast, and internet access. Although this beautiful hotel has a swimming pool, a number of bars and restaurants, a small shopping mall right next door, and a cinema within walking distance, be warned that there is nothing else worth seeing or doing within 5 km, and traffic can get so bad at certain times of the day that going anywhere, especially by dalla dalla, requires Herculean patience, copious amounts of water, and a copy of War and Peace, which should be just about right for the ride to and from the hotel.

On the peninsula. Rooms for US$90. In a small complex of shops and restaurants.

A 6-hectare nature centre. There is a pool and hiking opportunities. The centre also has a 1 km nature trail on the premises. For overnight stay there are 4 lovely elevated bandas in the forested area which cost US$80-100 including breakfast for 2 persons. Camping with your own tent is possible for US$10 per person.

The South Beach Resort is situated in Kigamboni along the South Coast of Dar es Salaam, 8 km from the East Ferry Terminal. Amenities include a/c, a private balcony overlooking the Indian Ocean (every room), satellite TV, and in-room safes. Also swimming pool, 22 seater jacuzzi, pool tables, sheesha, sports and beach bars. Weekends offer great music and great atmosphere. Water Sports such as jet skiing and beach sports such as volleyball are also available. SBR also offers camping facilities and cabanas.

A few minutes from downtown, you feel a total different vibe, mostly because of their magnificent garden. Next to the Ugandan Embassy. This guesthouse has 12 rooms. All rooms include A/C, large and comfy bed, mosquito net, fridge, TV, free internet Wi-Fi all around the site and renovated bathrooms.

On the harbour, in city centre, this luxury hotel offers rooms for US$225 and up. Great breakfast buffet, and a world class spa with Thai masseuses.

Part of the Tsogo Sun hotel chain. Botanical gardens on site. En suite rooms that are large and have mini-bars, safes, coffee makers, and free wifi. There are also two restaurants onsite. A bit far from city centre but still fine to walk during the day.

Has hosted visiting African dignitaries (e.g. Robert Mugabe). Used to billet KLM and British Airways flight crews.

Dar Es Salaam's brand new hotel tower (as of 2019), across from the Zanzibar ferry and the Pspf Twin Towers downtown. Rooftop pool, haute-cuisine experience, and sleek glass exterior. This one is all about class.

Compared to some of the other hotels in this category this is fairly economical at only about TSh144,150 (2020). Nice looking tower and downtown location.

Eclipse Group of Hotels.

Around 30 km from Dar es Salaam and between a mid price and a splurge and prices start from US$167 per bungalow which sleeps two adults and includes breakfast. There are only 10 beach bungalows so it feels quite exclusive and private and each bungalow overlooks the ocean with a big terrace and hammock. Two extra beds can be put in the bungalow for a small additional fee. Lots of facilities are available on site like a tennis court, petanque, swimming pool and nature walks but you'll need to book horse riding, massages and village walks with a bit of notice. The best thing about Amani Beach Hotel is the environment – beautiful tropical gardens with monkeys running around, fish eagles soaring overhead and there is even turtle hatching on the beach in season.

This is part of the Selous Safari Company and is more of a safari lodge on the beach than a hotel. It is within easy reach of Dar es Salaam next to Amani Beach with a private landing strip. It has 9 en suite cottages and some bigger suites on the hill all made with traditional materials. It is a very peaceful and totally relaxing place with an almost deserted long sandy beach in front.