Update Mar ’23: Kunduchi Beach Hotel is currently closed for renovation but the adjacent Kunduchi Wet ‘N’ Wild Water Park is fully operational.
Table of Contents
Kunduchi Beach Hotel & Resort
1 Mtongani
Kunduchi, Dar es Salaam
Kunduchi Hotels: Kunduchi Beach Hotel and Resort Location/Kunduchi Beach Location
Kunduchi Resort Dar es Salaam is located approximately 21 km from Dar es Salaam’s city centre.
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The Calm at Kunduchi Beach Dar es Salaam
There, especially if it is low tide, I walk down a particular patch of sand that seems like a road leading deep into the ocean.
At the end of this road is a point where sand meets ocean meets sky (with the hotel itself far, far behind me). I’ve recently decided that this is my spot.
You know that place where you go to clear your mind and get an instant mood lift? Yes, it’s definitely my spot.
But…enough about my spot. Let’s talk a bit about the hotel itself.
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Kunduchi Beach Hotel Dar es Salaam
I first (re)discovered Kunduchi Beach Hotel on a random Monday in December 2007, when a girlfriend invited me to spend the day at the beach playing hooky with her and her sister.
I say rediscovered because I’ve always known of Kunduchi Beach Hotel; the original hotel was first opened in 1971 and was a regular haunt of my parents during my earliest years.
Some time in the ’90s (or thereabouts), Kunduchi Beach Hotel faced serious beach erosion that was so severe that it even affected the hotel’s foundation.
Eventually, the hotel closed down, was sold off to private investors, and didn’t reopen again until March 2005, after having undergone extensive renovation and land being reclaimed back from the ocean.
That Monday was my first visit to the hotel since 1991.
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Revisiting Kunduchi Hotel Dar es Salaam
I loved what I saw.
The first thing that struck me was the visual appeal of the hotel. From the stone-finished parking lot to the grandiose front façade, the new Kunduchi Beach Hotel was a lot nicer than anything I’d expected it to be.
I liked the reception area with its fountain and Swahili-style colorful seats.
The Louis XIV furniture in the lounge area, which might seem over the top to some, worked well in my opinion, especially in contrast to the pristine beach which can be seen from as far as the hotel’s entrance.
As you can tell, I still vividly remember that first visit today: it was a visual barrage that had me smiling inside.
The Service at Kunduchi Resort Dar es Salaam
My friends and I decided to settle down at a table in the sandy area closest to the ocean.
Big mistake!
We were a distance away from the main bar and restaurant and it took us forever to get service.
Once we were finally attended to (despite the fact that there was almost no one else there) the service was horrible.
I hate to break it to you, but service is not one of Kunduchi Beach Hotel’s strong points!
Anyhow, we had a good day at the beach that day, despite the bad service and bad food.
Oops, need I break another one to you?
The food at Kunduchi Beach Hotel is nothing to write home about. It’s passable at best!
Still, I’ve found myself going back to the hotel again and again, especially since the renovation of the boat-inspired S.S. Mawimbi Bar (which I love).
Kunduchi Beach Entrance Fee
Kunduchi Beach Hotel is currently under renovation and is closed to the public. It is not possible to access the beach through the hotel.
Kunduchi Water Park Entrance Fee/Kunduchi Wet ‘N’ Wild Entrance Fee
The adjacent Kunduchi Wet ‘N’ Wild Water Park is fully operational though.
The entrance fee to the waterpark, which includes usage of all water slides as well as the pool is Tsh. 25,000 for adults, Tsh. 22,000 for children under 120 cm, and Tsh. 25,000 for children 120 cm tall or taller.
You can also purchase entrance, use of slides and pool, the selected food menu of the day, along with a drink (soda or water). This package that includes refreshments costs Tsh. 35,000 per person.
Kunduchi Wet ‘N’ Wild Water Park opens 7 days a week, i.e., every day.
Photo Credit: TripAdvisor, SafariNow
It looks like quite a grand place! Too bad about the food and service. I love the slide show – it really communicates the atmosphere of ‘your’ spot! 🙂
Hi Vive,
Thanks for your comment. Come visit and I’ll make it my business to take you there personally. 🙂 Thanks for the kudos on the slide show.
B.
i know your place — that stretch of sand that leads out into the ocean at low tide. i usually walk out to the end of it, and from there you can swim out to the next sandbar really easily. oh, i miss dar and can’t wait to be back. only three more weeks…
I’ve wanted to visit Kunduchi for a while since I was in Dar. Don’t I need a boat to get there?
It looks fantabulous and too attractive at a glance, congratulations for such creative ideas and for adding value to the tourism industry. Kelvin from Kenya.
@JamesBrett – You’re right: I think you do know my place. I never thought to swim out to the next sandbar, though I did think it’d be interesting to take a canoe across. 🙂 If you’ve swam it before, how long did it take you to reach it? Was it an easy swim? And…how was your trip to Dar?
@Ken – Hi, Ken. Welcome to ChickAboutTown! No, you don’t need a boat to get to Kunduchi – it’s right off Bagamoyo Road. Have you been yet?
@Kelvin – Hi, Kelvin. Welcome to ChickAboutTown! Thanks for the positive words. Does your reaction mean that you will visit Dar and Kunduchi soon? 🙂
Biche
to reach the next sandbar only takes 2 or 3 minutes of swimming. it’s not far at all. but if you take a kayak (or canoe), you can make it all the way to the island out there (mbudya?) in about 30 minutes or so. there’s great snorkeling out there, and guys catch seafood and cook it for you on the beach.
the trip to dar was great. we spent 3 nights in zanzibar and about 7 in dar. definitely it’s my favorite tanzanian getaway. the beach and the food make it so worthwhile…
Wow, your trip sounds like it was a lot of fun! I love Zanzibar. I need to make a plan to go there again sometime soon!
Thanks for the sandbar/Mbudya information. I’ve never been to Mbudya though I’ve been told good things about it. The last time I ventured onto a nearby island, my party and I ended up having to be evacuated because the island got completely submerged during high tide. Not a good experience! Hehehe… But of course Mbudya is much bigger, so I am sure I have nothing to worry about. 🙂