puckthescientist

Spouse and I are flying DAR-IST on TK in biz in a few days. This flight leaves at 3:35am, and we get to the airport at about 6pm the previous evening thanks to a changed connecting flight with Precision Air.

Any advice on what to do in this airport for nine hours? It appears that there is a lounge available (Tanzanite Lounge), but it looks like it only opens two hours prior to an international departure (and does it even open for the 3am flights??) I also suspect we won't be able to check in until a couple of hours prior, so we may be stuck outside the international check-in area for quite a long time.

Thoughts? Any suggestions on where to hang out, what to do, if there's any way to check in early, when we'll be able to access the lounge, etc?

B747-437B

The lounge will be open, but that won't help you much since you need an invite to access the lounge and TK check-in won't open till around midnight. In fact, you probably won't even be allowed into the check-in area until TK check-in opens.

I'd suggest getting a hotel room and using that as a base for 6-7 hours between flights if your budget and logistics permit.

puckthescientist

Yeah, I saw that even the check-in area is basically off-limits until your flight opens up. Where do people wait for THAT? I assume there has to be some kind of space/area where people waiting to check in can hang around. Is there anything available in that area food-wise?

(budget technically permits but we'd really prefer not to stray outside the airport - especially since I'm not confident we could easily get transport back to the airport at ~midnight. that said, any particular recommendations?)

B747-437B

There is a covered area outside the entrance to check-in that you can hang out in, and if you look like a mzungu in distress the security guys may take pity and allow you in early. Neither is a particularly attractive option, since both those areas will otherwise be totally deserted after the last flights of the evening leave except for a handful of connecting tourists like yourself.

If you do go to a hotel, traffic getting to the airport around 130am (which is more realistic for a 330am departure) really isn't an issue. Last couple times, I've gone from downtown to the airport in 15 minutes (compared to 45 minutes on average by day). I have recently used points at the Holiday Inn Dar Es Salaam (15000 points) in downtown, but that's been for longer layovers (~13-14 hours). There are probably decent options closer to the airport too, but I've never researched or used those.

Canuck2012

At the entrance to the airport, in the covered area, there is a staircase, follow it to the second level and you'll find a restaurant/bar. Not a bad place to blow a few hours. The food isn't that bad either. Looking at when you'll be there, it may not be open.

Perhaps a preferable option, take a taxi into town to the Kempinski. You can just hang out there for several hours, they have a great coffee/lounge in the lobby and the best Japanese Restaurant in the country upstairs.
There is also the Serena not too far away either, another good option. No need to book a room, just go for dinner! Both hotels can send a car to pick you from the airport.

dodgeflyer

The Kempinski is no longer operating the hotel in Dar, but would recommend going there, or somewhere else in town. The airport is pretty standard for Africa (=grim) and the lounge is even worse (once you get in).

SimplyRed

We arrived at the International airport in DAR about 4:30 PM. Our KLM flight did not depart until after midnight. There are no airline lounges at this airport, no place that is air conditioned to wait. We were told to go to the Flamingo “hotel” in the airport by the Coastal Airline staff. As it turns out, the Flamingo isn’t a hotel – it’s a restaurant -- the one up the stairway. I think they usually have air con, but this day it was broken. They were liberal enough to allow travelers to sit for hours and hours in the restaurant for the price of a few drinks and a sandwich. It quickly became the unofficial KLM departure lounge and appears that this is standard. There are airline lounges. You just can’t get to them until after you clear security at the gate – and the gate doesn’t open until 2 hours prior to the flight.

On arrival in DAR we stayed in the Southern Sun hotel in the city. Its quite nice. However, the traffic between the city and the airport can be brutal, so make sure you have plenty of time to make the journey.

B747-437B

That is not true. The Tanzanite Lounge is located just after security, but you have to be already checked-in to access it obviously.

Austinrunner

Why did you go to the airport so early?

There are many reasonable hotels much closer to the airport. All those hotels are "in the city".

SirJman

How much is a taxi from Dar to the city?

What about from the city back to DAR?

I have an overnight transit there this weekend.

B747-437B

35k TZS +/- 5k for the most part.

Austinrunner

It totally depends where in "the city" you're talking about.

SirJman

Around the Holiday Inn

Stewie Mac

Going to DAR next week, first time, short stay.

Landing at 1820 from NBO, no bags, visa on arrival... any estimate of how long it will take to get to the Hyatt (ex-Kempinski)?

On departure, I'm on a 1910 flight to NBO, no bags, will have checked-in online, aiming to be at airport at 18h, what time to leave the hotel? [or do I need more than 70 minutes at DAR?]

Are taxis easy to get from the airport? And is there an ATM at the airport for TZS?

Thanks

CanuckFlyHigh

Can i bump this? We are coming from IST on TK (in J), and land at 2:30AM. We are on a Coastal Air flight at 8:30AM. Is there a lounge we will be able to get into to hang out? If so, will I get access arriving on Business Class (but not departing) What else is there to do? It is our honeymoon, I would rather not sit on the floor for 5 hours.