Getting to our Hotel!
Many of our guests ask us how to find our little Hotel in Arusha. Safariland Cottages is based in a quieter area away from the main town centre of Arusha. It really would be too far to walk so its helpful to know where to go to find us. We do have a map to the hotel, visible if you click the icon above our logo but the easiest way to get to us is to use one of the many public transport options available in Arusha.
Taxis
Taxis are possibly the simplest and safest ways around Arusha, however they are often the most expensive. You can pick up a Taxi by flagging it down, or at the taxi rank near the clock tower, or at the main bus interchange in the middle of Living Stone Street. Taxis will generally cost 15,000 to 20,0000 TZS ($7-9 USD) to get from the centre of Arusha to our hotel. Tell your driver to go to Old Radio Road, Njiro. He or She should head out on Njiro Road, past the cinema complex and then turn left at the World Vision sign.
Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi)
Boda Bodas are everywhere! You can find these guys on pretty much every corner, particularly if there is a food stand and a shady tree nearby. Motorcycle taxis may be the fastest way to get from A to B in Arusha, including getting to our hotel! Obviously Boda Bodas are also the least safe option and you can’t carry much but you can always find one and you can go anywhere you please! Most riders will charge between 3 and 5,000 TZS (around 2 USD) to go from Arusha town to our hotel.
Dala Dala (bus)
Dala Dalas are the backbone of public transport across Africa and Arusha town is no exception. These minibuses are a very cheap and easy way around. just flag them down on their route, or you can pick them up at the main bus stand or at the Clock tower. They are not so convenient as taxis as Dala Dalas are prohibited from the centre of town to keep congestion down. To get to Safariland Cottages expect to pay around 500 TZS, which is about a quarter in US dollars.
Transfer Bus
As an alternative to public transport if you call ahead we can pick you up with our transfer bus. We can pick you up at the Impala, where the Nairobi shuttle bus stops, and it costs $8 USD to get from Arusha to our Hotel.
We hope to see you at our hotel, in Arusha, soon!
Safariland Cottages Arusha Hotel celebrates the arrest of The Queen of Ivory
There was news this month that had us all very excited at our little hotel in Arusha: A major break through in the war on ivory poaching. For many years the Tanzanian government has struggled to combat the killing of elephants, even in protected areas, solely for their ivory.
While the problem of poaching has always existed, the recent past has seen an escalation in elephant deaths that has all conservationists very worried for the elephant population in Tanzania. Restrictions have been enforced that has even impacted on our hotel, with strict no fly zones and restricted filming licenses making it difficult for hotels and other businesses around Tanzania to create effective adverts, while the cost of increased security has affected the entry fees for the national parks (not really by much for standards in the US or Europe, but there has been some shifts). Despite these efforts, poaching continued.
This month however there has been a major event in this struggle. The So-called “Queen of Ivory” A 66 year old Chinese national named Yang Feng Lan was arrested for ivory trafficking offences that stretch back to 2006. This is a huge deal as this arrest sends a message: that well connected, wealthy individuals are not above Tanzanian law anymore. In fact this may even be a pivotal event in the current push to weed out corruption within the bureaucracy of the customs service and other connected civil industries in Tanzania.
All of which is great news for our little hotel in Arusha. Closing off the demand and illegal supply of ivory means that elephants can repopulate, making for better chances of seeing an elephant on Safari in Tanzania (though in truth we’ve never had a problem finding groups of elephants with our tours, that’s the advantage of having the best guides!) and encouraging more guests to come and enjoy the relaxed family atmosphere of Safariland Cottages.
If you would like to read more about this news please click here.
