Tanzania Hostels

Green Hostels in Moshi … Fabulous hostel. really close to central moshi. We walked around and had no problems at all. They offer airport pickup too, although we arrived by bus from nairobi. Go to El rancho, best indian restaurant I have ever been to, and about a ten-minute walk from there! Staff are wonderfully friendly, it is very reasonably priced, and the beds are softer than marshmallows! they will cook for you if you want, and provide breakfast of bread, jam, tea, and coffee. They also have a selection of cold drinks available. Really lovely place. Beware the 10 p.m. curfew though.

Ujamaa Hostel in Arusha … The staff were amazing. The hostel was clean. The food was incredible (breakfast and dinner included). And they can link you with volunteer work, which made for an incredible opportunity to meet the locals and work with the community. And Free Laundry -- Major Bonus!

Arusha Backpackers Hostel in Arusha … I arrived in Arusha by bus from Dar Es Salaam without an advanced hotel booking. The Hotel Da Costa was the first decent looking hotel I came across walking away from the bus station. It is centrally located and convenient for most things in town. It is not en-suite, but the rooms, corridors, and showers are extremely clean and the showers are generally hot and powerful. Be warned though, after power cuts or intense use the showers retain their power but turn cold! The hotel is very secure and the staff are extremely helpful. They have a lockable room to keep your things when you are away on safari. The breakfasts are included in the price and are good. The evening meals and bar are not included, but are reasonably cheap and also good. I went to stay for one night on a temporary basis and stayed for seven nights. Now to the downside. It is next to a very noisy main street with poor sound insulation. You will need earplugs! That aside, you will not get better value accommodation in…

Casa Del Mar Hotel Jambiani in Zanzibar … We spent ten nights at Casa del Mar during our honeymoon. The personal, incredibly friendly, and charming impression will last as a memory forever. We truly miss all the people we met during our stay at Casa Del mar. They made us feel so comfortable and they all shared our happiness of being newlyweds. We would want to recommend all to check this hotel out. There's no risk that you will regret it. Just remember that they don't acept Visa card.

KAYA in Dar es Salaam … Felicia, our host was wonderful — a mother away from home. She was very welcoming and helped us to reorient ourselves after the calm of Zanzibar and the prospect of downtown Dar Es Salaam. Plus, and this is a big plus, she cooked us a wicked dinner and sat and chatted with us. Good value all round! The house is lovely — thoughtfully and lovingly redesigned and furnished. Kaya means home, Felicia told us, and it certainly was that.

Tamarind Beach Hotel in Zanzibar … We are a family of four from southern Sweden, and we stayed at Tamarind for one week in February 2004. It was great; we liked the beach and the village. The staff at Tamarind were very nice. They told us a lot about their island, and also showed us their village. We have built a sunbed like the ones at Tamarind, and we think of Zanzibar and the hotel when we are lying there.

Cristal Resort in Zanzibar Island … We stayed at the Cristal for seven nights in February 2006. Our time there was just delightful. The accommodation, food, and service was excellent. Their website is no exaggeration. The owners very helpful and pleasant. When we were there, many would walk down the beach simply to eat lunch/dinner at the Cristal and be spoiled by the owners.

Kipepeo Beach Camp in Dar es Salaam … We stayed at Kipepeo in March '06 and had a really good time there. The rooms ranged from spartan beach huts and room for your tent all the way to luxury cabins with hammock strewn balconies. The food was excellent, the staff friendly, and the beach was that perfect blue. Unfortunately, when we were there, there were tons of blue bottles (small stinging jellyfish).

Sakina Campsite in Arusha … My husband and I stayed in a double with a shared bathroom. Room was very clean and the staff were very friendly. Zipporah, the owner, is full of energy and knowledge of the area and beyond. The food was also quite good. Not in the city center, which we liked, but Arusha is easily accessible via dalla dalla. Would recommend staying here if you're in the area.

Island View Hotel in Zanzibar … Good value for the money and clean.

Coral Rock Hotel in Zanzibar … Coral Rock definitely has some great views. The place is rustic and laid back and has decent facilities like a pool and air-con in the rooms. Staff are friendly and try hard but need a bit more skills training. If you're looking for action and nightlife skip Coral Rock, it's more for people looking to relax and escape crowds. If you're looking for luxury you may be disappointed although for Jambiani it's one of the more upmarket hostels. Overall it's good value, food is decent, and arrives really quickly (fifteen minutes) when compared to most other places we tried in the area (over one hour). Tours are a bit expensive, but in line with everywhere else. No dive center at the hotel, no TV in rooms (we liked that), no baths in the bathrooms -- only showers, which I suppose saves water and space. Great fishing to be had there.