cwn

I am looking at flights round trip Dubai to Kilimanjaro.

On the out bound trip the lay overs are about the same, but on the return NBO has a 7 hr layover 10am till 5pm. DAR has a 5 1/2 hour lay over 1 till 6:30pm. We will be flying BC on Emirates either way. Is there a separate lounge to wait in at DAR or NBO?

cwn

Also, if we have 7 hours in NBO is that enough time to leave the airport and go somewhere to lunch?

ShayTay

With a seven-hour layover in Nairobi, you could set up a city tour, including lunch, with Kennedy, a favorite guide with many of us here on the Board. You could probably get a Kenya transit visa for a stay that short.

Patty

There's some mention of the NBO lounge in this thread http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35080678

7 hours is enough time to leave the airport. You'll need a transit visa for $20 per person.

I think (but may be mistaken) that all airlines share the Tanzanite lounge in DAR. It's nothing special but is air conditioned.

DonTopaz

The lounge at NBO is an unpleasant place to spend 1 hour, let alone 7.

It's a shared lounge, called the First Class Lounge. There is a small selection of cold beverages (definitely no hard liquor, though possibly beer -- I don't recall), and some unappetizing rolls wrapped in clear plastic.

The lounge itself is a single room and not terribly large. When I was there, it looked like several individuals and families had been camping out there for quite a while. In the evening, there were not enough seats for everyone, but that might be different during the day time when there may be fewer flights.

Shared lounges are almost always worse than airline-operated lounges, but the "First Class Lounge" in NBO is just about the worst of the shared lounges I've run into.

Patty

I've never had the pleasure of spending any time in the First Class lounge at NBO but for me the Tanzanite lounge at DAR ranks up there as one of the worst I've been to. It's saving grace is that it's air conditioned.

cwn

Thanks Everone,

Well, I think we will stick with the round trip NBO. We will see if we can arrange a tour and lunch. That sounds good.

ShayTay, do you have contact information for Kennedy?

There is little difference in the actual air time either way, but a bad layover can really make for a terrible trip.

Thanks again!

roadwarriorafrica

The "First Class" lounge in Nairobi Airport has been "upgraded" a bit. They do serve alcohol including beer, wine, and spirits. They also serve food such as samosas, quiches, sandwiches, and crisps. Also the airconditioning has been upgraded. However I agree that it would not be fun spending 7 hours in this lounge. 2 hours maximum.