Moshi.
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Overview

Moshi is a municipality in Northeast Tanzania, the mountain region of Tanzania.

Understand

Moshi is home to three main cultural groups: the Chagga, the Maasai and Pare. However, most Maasai are employed as watchmen or are selling traditional medicines, and their homeland is further north. The Pare are from the Pare Mountains from about 50 km on the way to Dar es Salaam.

Talk

Usually you will be able to find people with a decent command of English, but people appreciate it if you are able to use a bit of the native language, Swahili.

Get in

To get into Tanzania you must have a visa. This can be done in your home country by finding an embassy or consulate, or when you arrive in the airport or at a border crossing.

Don't over-economise on bus travel, since the cheaper companies often have poor safety standards, and you don't want to risk having a drunk driver. This is a very serious warning!

By plane Kilimanjaro International Airport is approx 30 min from Moshi and taxis and buses are available from each. Flights come from various non-domestic destinations, and this is how most tourists arrive. Direct flights from Amsterdam daily and direct from Doha (Qatar) Flying to Dar es Salaam is also an option. A little bit farther from Moshi than Kili Airport, but it will almost certainly be cheaper. You'll need to catch a bus from Dar to Moshi--probably about 7 hours.

By bus Buses arrive in Moshi from all of the main cities in Tanzania, and this is the cheapest way to travel. Hood and Abood go to Morogoro for TSh 13,000. Buses also go to Arusha, Mwanza, Tanga, Mbeya, Dodoma and Nairobi. All prices are worth bargaining for — locals will get massively lower prices!

By train Twice-weekly passenger trains started running from Dar es Salaam in late 2019. While faster and more comfortable then buses, delays and cancellations have plagued the Tanzanian rail network for years. Make sure to check at the railway station if the train is running.

There are passenger trains from Arusha: 86 km by rail in two hours, 4 times a week.

Get around

No need to do anything other than walk within the city, though it is strongly advised not to walk around at night, for your own safety.

Local transport around Kilimanjaro can be easy if you take local buses called "Daladalas". They are 16-seater minibuses which usually transport about 30 people and/or children and livestock at any given time. Daladalas can be used to go within Moshi or to the surrounding villages, for instance Machame and Marangu, and are very cheap (less than a dollar). Listen to the conductor shouting the destination as they drive past, and feel free to shout your destination to him. They sometimes have stickers in the front window stating where they go to. It's not recommended to travel by daladala or by taxi up muddy tracks if it's been raining very hard. It's also essential to check that the vehicle is in a reasonable state of repair and that the driver is sober.

Motorcycle taxis (Boda bodas) are numerous but are the most dangerous way to travel. Drivers are legally required to provide a helmet, just make sure that the strap is working. Some drivers are quite reckless and there have been reports of drivers taking passengers to remote areas to rob/rape.

To hire your own Land Cruiser and driver is around TSh 100,000 a day.

To hire your own motorcycle is around TSh 35,000 per day, or less if rented for a week or more.

See

The market can be fun to visit, even if you're not interested in buying anything. There are many religious institutions, most notably the mosque near the center of town. Visit the Commonwealth War Cemetery opposite the Magistrate's Court. Visit the former German administration office between Kilimanjaro Co-operative Bank and BP petrol station on Mawenzi Road/Nyerere Road. You can still see the metal pillar which was used for hanging convicted people.

There are several smaller communities outside of the main town of Moshi that are worth taking a look around.

Following Kibo Road north out of Moshi you will come to the YMCA and will be in Shantytown, which is an area of relative wealth. Several restaurants are located out here as well as a few hostels and hotels. Following Station Road out of Moshi to the east you will be in Majengo, a significantly worse off area than main Moshi. Following Boma Road out of town to the west you will be in Soweto, which has many more expensive homes and is also home base for a large European volunteer organization. There is the FalconCrest Hotel and Pub, as well as the Scorpion Pub for a night out. There is a good market near the Scorpion Pub.

Do

Give a Heart To Africa. NGO, vocational school for adult women.

Honey Badger Lodge and Safaris. A hotel, campsite, lodge and safari company. A family run place with an excellent swimming pool, bar area and children's play area. They can organise all your local tours and safari anything ranging from a night of local drumming and food to climbing the mountain or seeing the national parks.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is the obvious reason for being in Moshi. Safari is also essential, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park and Arusha National Park are within a fairly easy distance. Tours can be arranged through several companies, and it is advisable to use common sense when finding a company. Your best bet is to ask other tourists who they used. Or, ask your accommodation for a referral to a safari company. Do not deal with a random person on the street; look for a real office! You can also book ahead of time but you will be spending a lot more. Otherwise, you can almost certainly bargain prices down, within reason.

When you pay for safari most of it goes to cover park fees, lodging, food and gas. The guide gets little money, especially when working for a large organization; most of their income is from tips. Also, if you are traveling with a cook it is a good rule of thumb to tip them as well or to incorporate their wages into the overall tip. A well paid guide is a happy guide, who will try their hardest and give you the best experience.

Cultural trips to Maasai villages are very worthwhile and informative, but be aware most of the villages are not authentic. Hiring a Local Guide is a fantastic and inexpensive way to see the Moshi that you wouldn't see otherwise. Guides can be hired at virtually any hotel. Day trips to Marangu Waterfalls are often fun, you can stand underneath the waterfall, even jump off one and go swimming. Day trips to Lake Nyumba ya Mungu can also be interesting, lots of local fishing culture, aloe vera plantations and sugar cane plantations. There is also a snake park and camel riding centre in nearby town Arusha. These can be arranged individually by taking a bus or organizing with a safari company. Also make sure that all employees at the safari-company you decide to go with get a good salary, it is better to pay more and be assured quick service with a possible car break down or other unforeseen situations. Walking tours across the rice paddys make for a nice day and you can also visit the local forest to see some monkeys! These are usually arranged through a safari company but are significantly less expensive as you are only paying for a single guide. Even if you aren't getting a bus, the bus station is worth visiting for its chaos. It is highly recommended to take a daladala just to be able to say you have, and no doubt you will have an adventure. If wanting to just have a relaxing day in Moshi it is recommended to head to the Impala Hotel where you can relax by the lovely pool (in your bikini and whatnot without fear!) and also enjoy a meal pool side. Another good place to go swimming is the YMCA located a bit north of town, and has a large, deep pool. The Social Reality Tour is a 3 hours' walk with a social worker through deprived areas of Moshi, visiting people who are affected by HIV/AIDS. These individuals are happy that visitors are interested in them and the social worker can provide background information about the situation of HIV/AIDS in the region. The tour is an important income for the NGO KIWAKKUKI, allowing them to continue their home-based care program. .

Moshi is also home to several volunteer organizations though they tend to be very overpriced and badly managed. However, there are many opportunities to volunteer in orphanages, schools and women's centers without being connected to these organizations.

Global Volunteer Programs Kilimanjaro is a grassroots organization based in the town of Moshi in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. It is committed to improving the lives of Tanzanians through a comprehensive program of volunteering projects tackling social, economic and environmental problems with an emphasis on education, healthcare, rural development and capacity building. As life-long residents of the community, the founders of the organization are well aware of the needs of the local population and, through GVP’s programs, focus on those needs with a dedication to excellence.

Light in Africa. A locally managed orphanage (separate for babies, girls and boys), school and dispensary. They have a very informative website, but be warned, you must be dedicated if you are to help out here!

Moyo Mmoja is a women's center open only to fellow women to volunteer. Give a Heart To Africa (www.giveahearttoafrica.org) is a small NGO in Moshi operating a vocational school for adult women. They offer the women free education in English, business and computers and help some of them start their own business. This NGO is run solely by volunteers, and is a very hands on experience. Volunteers are welcome any time of year; no prior experience is necessary. Hostel Foot Prince is run by the organisation Foot2afrika. They only charge for food, and accommodation while project volunteering is free.

TEATEM. A non-government organization. They have volunteer placements dealing with education and marketing local companies available. Also fundraising help is needed for a planned computer training center and for a vocational training center. Visit their website for more details.

World Unite!; have been active in Moshi since 2005, placing volunteers and interns into a variety of NGOs, hospitals and government institutions. World Unite are also running their own development projects where volunteers can participate, in cooperation with local and foreign NGOs, development organizations and private partners. Result of such a project in Moshi is the Kiwakkuki Social Reality Tour ( a no-profit tour for visitors to Moshi, supporting families affected by HIV through revenue generated by tourism. Short-term volunteering is possible, but generally World Unite! focus on volunteer placements with a duration of 2-12 months, and on individuals rather than groups. Being one of the bigger and better-run volunteering organizations in Tanzania, they also offer volunteering options in Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salaam, Ngorongoro and Lake Victoria, besides cultural travel options.

Buy

Major banks ATMs in Moshi accept international credit and debit cards accredited with Master card, the plus logo, and Visa card. Stanbic Bank and Equity Bank have MasterCard/Visa ATMs. Make sure your card issuer is aware you are travelling in Tanzania as your card may be blocked for security measures. They all deal in local currency, the Tanzanian shilling. To convert currencies there are several foreign exchange offices near the banks.

As of August 2009, don't expect to be able to take US dollar traveller's cheques and change them to US cash in Moshi. All the banks in town and most forex offices refuse to do it. If you're desperate, the only place that would do it is Executive Change Bureau, on Boma Rd., but they charge 10% commission. If you're going to Moshi, better bring US cash, or verify in writing that the places you are planning to deal with will accept US traveller's cheques (and what the fee is, if any) if you plan to carry them.

For souvenirs, Downtown Moshi is probably cheaper than the big 'out-of-town' places for tourists, which hideously overprice things. Even better, with a 15-minute walk from town on the Dar Road, you will find a community of artists who create the wood carvings and paintings that sell in town. There are lots of fabric shops up and down the main street, as well as tourist shops selling carvings and paintings. If you do get hassled by street sellers, do not be afraid! Their only interest is to take you to a shop where you might buy something and they receive commission for taking you there (they are not the artists themselves!). Generally speaking there isn't a lot buy, but a lot to look at. If you've just been up Kili, the 'Just done it' t-shirts are probably worth a look! Or if you've spent a lot of time drinking, you might want to pick up a Safari or Kilimanjaro Lager t-shirt! Tanzanite is sold in several shops.

The market is fantastic, and should be thoroughly explored. There are several bookstores but most deal primarily with school and religious texts. There are many stationary shops with everything you could need.

Stanbic Bank. Has a Mastercard/Visa Card ATM.

Equity Bank. Has a Mastercard/Visa Card ATM.

I&M Bank. Has a Mastercard/Visa Card ATM.

Kenya Commercial Bank. Boma Road has a Mastercard/Visa Card ATM.

Diamond Trust Bank DTB. mastercard visa card atm.

Eat

El Rancho Kilimanjaro Restaurant. EL Rancho Kilimanjaro is an Indian Specialty Restaurant in Shanty Town, Moshi, Tanzania. The Restaurant provides healthy, delicious & tasty Indian Food.

IndoItaliano. In town opposite the Buffalo Hotel. Good pizza, nice balcony location for lunch or dinner, sometimes you might even see some white people working there, doing their practical training for a chef or a waiter. As the name suggests, in addition to the popular pizza and Italian food, there is also good Indian dishes. Beer and wine served.

the Salzburger Cafe. Kenyatta Street. Somewhat like a steakhouse, decent food but limited menu. Restaurant has Volkswagen decor and waitresses wear leopard print outfits, quite interesting.

Deli Chez. Hill Street. Usually a lunch time destination but is open for dinner, a bit expensive, located on Hill Street. The menu is quite varied with Indian, Chinese in addition to pizza, burgers and American dishes. A good number of vegetarian choices. Ice cream and milkshakes. No alcohol available. Closed on Tuesdays.

Coffee Shop. Hill Street (in the center of town near Deli Chez). The favoured lunch time location for tourists, good soup, spaghetti, milkshakes, very fair prices, and near internet cafes; the coffee shop will also bake cakes on order (for birthdays and such). Closed on Sundays.

Kilimanjaro Coffee Lounge. The alternative lunch option, very good bagels and fruit & veggie plates, excellent smoothies.

Union Cafe. Run by KCNU - coffee growers cooperative, roasts coffee beans on premises. Espresso drinks, sandwiches, milk shakes, pizza, burgers, salads and breakfasts. Open 7 days/week.

There are also many other nameless restaurants that serve as decent lunch spots, you should look for a busy restaurant, that's always a good sign. If wanting to try the local food ask for ugali (translates as stiff porridge, a bit bland but harmless) or "wali na maharage" (beans and rice).

Pub Alberto. Offers BBQ at night inside the pub near the dance floor but it is a bit sketchy.

Heading along the road of the banks and Immigration office there is Abba Ali's Hot Bread Shop that sells excellent bread, honey, doughnuts and other desserts, especially nice cakes. Opposite the bakery is Aleem's Grocer, a decent grocery store.

A great place to buy groceries is at the local market, which can be found easily from the double roads or the alleyway by the Tanzanian Coffee Shop on Chagga St.

Panda Chinese. Off Lema Road in Shantytown. Run by the only Chinese family in Moshi, decent food, ideal for large groups, a favourite of tourists for dinner.

Italian Passion. Good wine, decent food, dinner.

Impala Hotel. Ideal for a Sunday afternoon of sitting by the pool and taking lunch.

Honey Badger Lodge. A relaxed restaurant bar which offers a fusion of quality Swahili food with international flair. Served the local way. Guests can dine with others or alone as they wish. You can call in ahead to book dinner from the set menu or request a special group BBQ.

Drink

As Moshi is situated on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro it is largely populated by members of the Chagga tribe. Chaggas are known for their keen business sense, their warm hospitality and their love of a good drink, so getting a beer in Moshi is rarely much of a problem! In the daytime and early evening you can head to the Police mess, The East Africa Bar, the KNCU restaurant (up on the top floor of the KNCU building) or the Siesta inn (a 15-minute walk from the main street). All these places serve food so you can keep your stomach lined as you sip a few of the fine local beers (don't bother with European imports - they're no better than the local stuff, but considerably more expensive). Some of the local beers are Kilimanjaro, Safari and Tusker. The most common local liquor is Konyagi.

Glacier. A nice outdoors pub usually with local music nights. Mostly meant for group nights out to sit around the fire and a favourite spot for tourists. Located off Lema Road in Shantytown.

Pub Alberto. If you feel the need to keep the party going into the small hours then you'll need to make your way. Open until around 3:30AM, Pub Alberto enjoys a reputation as something of a seedy dive. Indeed, the dance floor is usually a writhing mass of tourists, local people having a good night out, and ladies of negotiable virtue touting for business! If you do go to Pub Alberto then leave your valuables at home and only take the money you'll need for a good night's drinking. It's not as bad as some people make out and as long as you're sensible you'll have a fantastic night!

La Liga. Best and biggest night club in Moshi. Music is mostly European, but they play also local bongo flavour. Very popular place. Sundays are ladies' night, which means ladies don't have to pay entrance fee.

Honey Badger Lodge. A spacious outdoor bar. You can relax and swim in the day and sit by the bar by night.

Pamoja. Relaxed bar and hotspot for volunteers.

Sleep

Be sure to avoid touts. If you are travelling as a couple, a good idea is for one person to sit in a lobby or restaurant with the bags, while the other scopes out rooms. Often they follow you and stay outside signaling reception.

Buffalo Hotel. Cheap but decent. The hotel is safe and clean with decent food.

Camel Hotel. Next door to Kindoroko, rooms with a/c, clean bathroom, double bed.

Haria Hotel. Bright and large rooms with a beautiful roof top bar and restaurant. A popular hotel with volunteers.

Hostel Hoff. Only Western style hostel in Moshi, run by an Irish woman. Partnered with safari company Path to Africa. The hostel is named after David Hasselhoff.

The Keys Hotel. Don't expect good service or wake-up calls, the receptionists might be sleeping themselves.

Kilimanjaro Backpackers. Clean, simple, and cheap rooms. Avoid eating there. See discussion page for additional comments.

Mt. Inn. Mt. Inn is 6 km from Moshi town on road to Marangu, Kilimanjaro National Park. It's a base hotel for climbers plus has a variety of food (Indian and continental) and a swimming pool.

Shira Place Bed & Breakfast. This very large Mediterranean-style house has 7 bedrooms, a large living room, dining room and kitchen, satellite TV, wireless internet, beautiful gardens and a stunning view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. If you want to reserve, ask for Michael.

Springlands Hotel. Springlands Hotel near Moshi is a good base for mountain walking trips and safaris to Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru, and other wilderness areas in Northern Tanzania. This modern hotel is on the Southern slopes of Kilimanjaro.

Tarn Hut Resort. 4 km from town center along the road to Dar es Salaam and Marangu gate. Small decent place to stay, friendly services.

YMCA Hostel. On the edge of downtown towards Shantytown. Has a pool.

Zebra Hotel. clean rooms, friendly people and decent food and bar.

Hostel Foot Prince. Western style hostel. Also provides safari and mountain-trekking with the organisation Foot2afrika.

Tembo Tamu Bed and Breakfast. A family run bed and breakfast in a village environment. Also able to organise safari and Kilimanjaro climbs.

Twiga Home. A new and modern hostel/budget hotel in the Soweto Area of Moshi with single and double/twin rooms with or without AC, all with private bathrooms and hot water. Free shuttle to Moshi town, free WiFi, restaurant, bar, garden terrace. Perfect for backpackers, mountain climbers, volunteers. 14 rooms, very friendly staff.

Honey Badger Lodge. A wide range of accommodation options, camping, dorm rooms, self-catered rooms, ensuite rooms. Spacious lush gardens, large clean swimming pool, friendly staff.

Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro. Also available in combination with Expedition Kilimanjaro (see Climbs).

Kindoroko Hotel. Tiny single rooms. Just ask for another room if you can't move. Great double rooms. Awesome roof top restaurant and bar - amazing view of Mt Kilimanjaro! In house tour company offers affordable safari trips to. Works extensively with Expedition Kilimanjaro (see Climbs).

Parkview Inn. Rooms are well furnished and exceptionally clean. Restaurant and poolside service is available.

Mount Kilimanjaro View Lodge. Very unique lodging located up Mount Kilimanjaro nestled against the rain forest, near the local Chagga tribe town Uru Shimbwe. Ideal altitude for trekkers to acclimatize a minimum of two days before beginning their planned ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro or Mt Meru. Mini hikes in the rain forest to spectacular waterfalls. Unbelievable view, extremely welcoming staff who will throw a celebration for you when you arrive and immerse you in their "cultural" celebrations later in the night. Owner is very knowledgeable with expeditions (naturally) to Mt. Kilimanjaro as well as safaris to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, etc., and is willing to organize those trips for you.

Kibo Executive Lodge. A small, clean bed and breakfast. Lunches and dinners are also available. Full bar service. Nice outdoor garden in a quiet residential setting. Outdoor seating available for meals or relaxation. Comfortable common area with large LCD cable TV.

Sal Salinero Villa Kilimanjaro. Has most facilities, good relaxing in beautiful gardens with pool.

Weru Weru River Lodge. A more western style hotel, Weru Weru River Lodge would be about 4 stars in the US. 32 rooms.

Respect

Moshi is a popular tourist destination so most will not be offended by your clothing choices. However, women will gain much more respect by wearing clothes covering their legs at least to the knees, as local ladies rarely show their legs.