Traffic in Dar Es Salaam
 

Hi - I need some help with transport logistics at the end of our upcoming safari.

We are ending our trip in Zanzibar on a Monday, and our flight home from Dar Es Salaam is at 3:45AM on Tuesday. Even if we took a chance on the last possible flight out from Zanzibar, it still gets us into DAR around 8PM, and I don't think it would be pleasant to wait around at the airport for so many hours in the wee hours of the night. So, I'm thinking we'll get a day room at a hotel in town.

However, I hear traffic from airport to town is horrible. What's the best time to arrive in DAR to minimize traffic? If we leave town at 2AM for our flight, should that be enough time?

Another idea is to take the ferry, which would get us right to town center. What do you all think of this option?

I did this journey several times last year and yes, the traffic can be really shocking. I think you need to allow an hour. So leaving at 2am will get you there at 3, which isn't enough time. You won't be able to check in early when you arrive from Zanzibar as check in probably won't open til 3 hours before and it wouldn't make sense anyway as your Zanzibar flight will probably come into the domestic terminal which is quite a way from the international terminal.

If you get a room in town you will probably get there about 9:30pm and will have to leave about midnight. Doesn't seem worth it to me.

The traffic at 8pm will be a lot less than, say, at 5pm, but there will still be some. While you may not need a dayroom, it might still be nice to go to the Kilimanjaro Hotel (now a Hyatt, I believe) or the Harbourview Suites and have dinner and relax in a pleasant place. Then, head back to the airport for your flight. There is very little in the way of services at DAR.

I might add that you could also fly out of Zanzibar in the early afternoon and get to Dar ahead of the rush hour traffic. Then, getting a dayroom would make sense. In addition to the Harbourview (dayrooms are about $100 right now), there is also the Slipway with several restaurants, shops, and a hotel. You can rest, relax, dine, and have a sundowner.

As the above and my reply to you on TA.

I am there now (!) and it took about 1hour to get from the airport to the southern sun hotel. This was at 2pm. Tonight ill be going back to catch a 2:15 flight and according to the driver it will take around 30minutes to get there late at night..

The Tanzania Lounge in Dar International Airport was quite pleasant with comfy clean sofas, good decor and ambience, tvs, 2 desktops with internet access, wireless and nice snacks.

There is another lounge there but I didnt check that out. After reading a lot of feedback on Nairobi lounges, I feared the worst but was pleasanly surprised- Its no Changi or HKIA but definitely nice and at 6:30 pm wasnt crowded at all.

Maybe dinner+lounge can both work out.

The problem with the airline lounges at DAR is that they aren't accessible until about an hour prior to your flight. The KLM lounge is lovely, but you can't reach it as it's beyond security and one can't pass that point until nearly flight time. We spent several hours in a restaurant at the DAR airport. The traffic late at night is much better than daytime. After our midnight arrival, I think it took about 20-30 minutes to the Southern Sun hotel.