Staying at Kijiji Beach Resort in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The minute that I made the decision to visit Dar es Salaam, I began searching for the perfect spot to stay for my 7 day trip. Though I was in an online travel group, I decided to do this part of the planning by myself.
For my first trip to Africa, I wanted an authentic and traditional Tanzanian lodging experience! After researching for a few days on booking.com I was positive that Kijiji Beach Resort was the place where I would be staying for my very first international solo journey.
I also sent my lodging plans to one of my Tanzanian guides, who later confirmed that it was indeed a beautiful place to stay-He even went a step further, by going to Kijiji Beach Resort to video chat with me a few days before I left the states, so that I can actually see and feel the beach resort vibes in real-time. This made me even more excited!
My Room Cost:
$265.00 including taxes for 7 days…
Yep, you read that right. For what it would cost in America for a 1 night stay at a regular hotel!
Booking at Kijiji Beach Resort
If you book online through booking.com you will have the option to reserve now, and pay at the resort. When I finally got to the resort, I was not even required to pay right away, neither was there an upfront deposit or cleaning fee.
Other Hotel Fees
Whatever you eat and drink during your stay at Kijiji Beach Resort can be charged to your tab whether you are dining in or out of your room. So make sure you keep up with your expenses while at the resort, and hold onto your meal receipts so that if any mistakes are made, you will have proof of all of your purchases and payments. I personally always paid for my drinks and meals upfront, and never had them charge any of my food to my hotel tab.
Tax Fees
As I was reading the Kijiji Beach Hotel reviews, there were a few people claiming that they were being overcharged upon check out. *There is a tax fee of $1.50 that will be charged for each night of your stay. This fee may not be included in your total cost online, but is stated in fine print when you book your stay on booking.com.
Currency
Tanzanian currency calculates at 2,000 TSH (t-shillings) for every $1.00 USD. Kijiji Beach Resort allows for you to either pay in their currency as well as in US dollars. They also offer currency exchange at the front desk.
TIP: Understand, calculate, and budget using Tanzanian currency before your trip. When trip planning, instead of calculating USD to TSH, try calculating TSH to USD. You can find most expenses at numbeo.com
How To Get There:
Kijiji Beach Resort is in the Kigamboni district of Dar es Salaam Tanzania. From Julius Nyere Airport, it was a 1 hour ride in the Bajaji. A Bajaji is like a covered motorcycle that can be powered by a motorcycle, electric motor, or car engine.
I highly recommend riding in a Bajaji! This will allow you to get an up close and personal view of the rural side of Dar while you are on your way to the Resort. Plus, it's inexpensive and so much fun! Watching the daily life of Tanzanians while riding in the Bajaji on my very first visit was amazing!
I did have a personal Tanzanian guide who took care of my pick-up arrangements, but if you wanted to catch a ride in a Bajaji to Kijiji Beach Resort, they are parked right outside of the front entrance to the airport, in front of the gas station. This gas station area seems to be connected to the airport, and has onsite police officers, so there should be no problems.
Kijiji Beach Resort offers pick-up and drop-off transportation services for around $40.00 USD-you may be able to negotiate a lower price.
Alternatively, if you do not have a rental car, or other transportation arrangements, there are buses and cabs available in front of Terminal 3.
*If I didn’t have a personal guide, I would definitely go with Kijiji Beach Resort transportation services.
Staying at Kijiji Beach Resort in Dar es Salaam,Tanzania
Located in the Kigamboni district of Dar es Salaam Tanzania, Kijiji Beach Resort is a private beachfront stay that lies exotically on the coast of The Indian Ocean. Approximately 10 meters from the beach, you will experience the tranquility of a beautiful lush tropical garden.
Entering Kijiji Beach Resort
Before entering the beach resort gates, you are taken down a long bumpy dirt road. Upon arrival you will be respectfully greeted by a few of the men from the Masaai tribe, along with front desk staff and workers.
TIP: Be sure to study your Swahili greetings so that you can properly greet and thank them. With the exception of the Masaai, most staff speaks English.
The country's national language is Swahili so learning just a few words in their language is always a good idea.
Hi- Jambo or Mambo
What's up- Mambo vipi ( I practically say this one everyday now)
Most importantly Asante which means thank you-Asante sana-thank you very much
Ndio-yes
Hapana-No
Once checked in, one of the staff showed me to my room, while a handsome Maasai man carried my luggage😉
Oh, the Maasai are hired on staff as keepers and guards. One of my other guides told me that The Maasai men makes sure that the resort stays safe-Masaai Herders Now Dar Security Guards
My Room
Accommodation
I had the pleasure of staying in room Tembo B!
Tembo in Swahili means Elephant.
Tembo B is a deluxe bungalow with a garden view and balcony. The covered balcony had natural wood table and chairs. I absolutely loved it! I especially enjoyed sitting outside on the front balcony, enjoying nature, taking in the Tanzanian vibes, talking to new friends, and drinking wine.
My room was located close to the resort entrance which is a great spot if you want to be further away from all of the parties, noise, and music on the weekends. I personally did not mind the noise and loud music-I mean it is a beach resort!
Every single night, I slept like a baby and woke up to the sounds of crowing roosters and beautifully harmonized singing birds. I slept so good that the staff had to come to my door to wake me up almost every morning so that I wouldn't miss breakfast. Though at times I wanted to sleep in, I really appreciated them for thinking about me!
On a daily basis, I was provided with 2 complimentary Tanzanian bottled waters, housekeeping, pest control-for mosquitoes, and breakfast buffet.
Inside Tembo B
Tembo B is equipped with a large walk-in shelf closet with a long mirror, clothing rack, hangers, and a safe to store valuables.
Decor
The room was beautifully decorated with Tanzanian art! The natural make of the lamp covering and wooded wall decor with seashells provided me with the perfect Tanzanian room experience!
Tanzanian Breakfast Buffet
Upon arriving for breakfast, the waiters will greet you and make you feel right at home. Every morning, waiter Musa cheerfully explained each and every Tanzanian dish that was displayed. After each meal, they take an account for who was there that morning, and you will sign off on a sheet before leaving the restaurant area.
Although you can order your food and have a Kijiji Beach Resort Staff serve you in your room, or on the balcony, I always ate right on the beach, or at the resort restaurant so that I can talk and laugh with the friendly waiters, people watch, and chill by the beach.
One day, while at the breakfast buffet, I had the pleasure of meeting and dining with the owner and his wife. The owner of Kijiji Beach Resort is a down to earth man with a great sense of humor and is from Switzerland. His wife is a beautiful outgoing Tanzanian woman who also very teasingly funny. The owner and I sat and talked for almost 2 hours!
All juices are freshly squeezed!
Guess how much my dinner was in USD?
Dinner Music and Parties On The Beach
Blaring with the sounds of a mixture of Tanzanian Bongo Flava and American 2000 R&B music, there was never a dull moment at Kijiji Beach Resort. The DJ setup is right on the beach, and he begins spinning tunes at around 10:00 am-11 am. Music continues all day and night until around 11:00 pm.
Weddings, birthday parties, get-togethers, and reunions, are mostly celebrated at Kijiji beach on the weekends. So the weekends are a bit crowded. If you enjoy hearing lots of laughter, joking, kids, dancing to the rhythmic sounds of Tanzanian music, and meeting new people, you will especially enjoy your stay on the weekends.
While conversing with the owner of the resort, he asked me if the music was too loud, because he was getting some complaints. I said, well as for me, I enjoy loud music so I have no complaints. In my opinion, a resort is supposed to be a party-like atmosphere anyways. Also, the staff had already made me aware of the noise difference on the weekends versus the weekdays. I was not bothered at all. My enjoyable 7 day stay was a mixture of quiet and loud, which suited me just fine.
But if you plan on going to bed before 11:00 pm, room Tembo B would be perfect for you, because as I stated earlier, it is close to the entrance, and the furthest room away from the beach and music.
Swimming Pool
Beachfront Bar
Outside Bathrooms and Showers
Barracuda Beach
Right next to Kijiji Beach resort is Barracuda Beach.
Feel free to roam!
