05 Nov What to Expect When Visiting Djibouti City, Djibouti
What to Expect When Visiting Djibouti City, Djibouti
- // Destinations, Djibouti
Curious how we wound up traveling around Djibouti?
Drew loves to bid on experiences on this site. He’s won things on there before; notably, my Christmas present last year (a set visit to the CW’s show, Jane the Virgin) as well as the opportunity to sit in the audience of Tosh.O.
Earlier this year, we sat down at one of our favorite restaurants here in Vegas and he asked me, “So…have you ever wanted to go to Ethiopia?”
I have to be honest, I only knew three things about the country:
- They have delicious food.
- There was a terrible famine throughout Ethiopia in the 80s.
- Ethiopia’s Prime Minister is young, bright, charismatic, and people seem to really love him.
Ignorance aside, I said “Sure, why not?”
That’s when Drew told me that not only had he bid on a charity auction for a posh lodge in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains but that he’d also won!
At this point, you’re wondering what all of this has to do with Djibouti, I’m sure.
Well, we found that the cheapest way to get to Ethiopia is through Djibouti and, as luck would have it, Drew has always wanted to go there because he can’t go to Uranus! (Ahahaha!)
Djibouti
While I knew three things about Ethiopia, I knew nothing about Djibouti. Nothing.
Located in the Horn of Africa, the little country of Djibouti has some dubious neighbors: Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea by land and Yemen and Saudi Arabia by sea. The vast number of people who visit here are either foreign government workers or using the country as a pit stop to another destination. Religion is a major driver in the country with Islam being the most practiced (about 94% of people are Sunni Muslims).
Djibouti City is the place to convene for land excursions to Lake Assal or Lake Abbe or sea adventures to dive with whale sharks, deep dive, or snorkel.
Read about our trip to Lake Abbe!
Djibouti City
After 36 hours of flight time and layovers, we were excited to finally touch down in Djibouti City. When you’re making your final approach before landing, you realize that there is nothing but barren desert and then, seemingly out of nowhere, an ocean appears and Djibouti City rises from the dirt.
It was hot, and I mean really sticky and hot, when we made our way out of the airport…and we live in Vegas! (“It’s a dry heat” actually makes a difference, ask Djibouti.) It took about 15 minutes to get from the airport to our hotel in the center of town.
Yemeni Fish
After a quick nap and cool shower (because there was no hot water), we headed out to take in the sites of Djibouti City, find the Central Market, and try one of the country’s famous dishes, Yemeni fish.
Yemeni fish, or mashwi, is grilled whole in a tandoori oven and served simply with lemon and zahawiq, a delicious and spicy chutney that is similar to a Mexican-style salsa but blended into a puree. On the side, Yemeni fish is generally served with mukbaza, a folded bread that is sweeter in taste. We chose the restaurant Mukbasa which is located in the city’s African Quarter and is famous for this dish.
For the whole meal, including a large water, we paid $14.
In Djibouti, it isn't customary for women to dine out at restaurants. In fact, it’s not very common for men and women (even in the same family) to dine together at home.
Central Market
I want to get this out of the way first. I’m a pretty adventurous person and can hold my own in a lot of scenarios, but if Drew hadn’t of been with me I would have felt uncomfortable walking around the city – daytime or nighttime. As soon as we walked out of the Atlantic Hotel on the first night in Djibouti City we were met with many children beggars (children as young as 3 years old!) who teetered up to me, tugged on my shirt, and cried “mama!” over and over again while holding out their hands. They didn’t approach Drew and they followed us for probably 5 blocks.
The Central Market is pretty typical of Asian and African markets with plenty of touts to come and shop. Unfortunately, there were no local handicrafts and we were fresh out of the need for recycled tire sandals, a knockoff soccer jersey, or a hijab.
Most women wore a hijab, many with a niqab (face veil), so even being dressed in long pants and a long-sleeve shirt felt a tad scandalous. Marketgoers seemed curious about us being there and were friendly.
Lodging
We stayed in two hotels in Djibouti City, one on our way out of town to see Lake Assal and Lake Abbe and another on our way out of the country on our way to Ethiopia. All lodging is super expensive in the area due to foreign military and government persons visiting and living in the city.
The first was the Atlantic Hotel (almost $200/night). Its central location makes up for some of its shortcomings like spotty electricity and unheated water — both of which were turned off at night. However, the bed was comfortable and clean, and the balcony provided good views of the ocean off in the distance and some of the city’s remaining French colonial architecture. Please don’t get your hopes up when you see the price tag; the Atlantic Hotel’s Western equivalent would be a $40/night motel in America.
After our visit to Lake Abbe and Lake Assal, we stayed at the Rayan Hotel for our final night in Djibouti City. I’m not a fussy person by any means, but this tested my limits for accommodations. After the terrible night’s sleep we had in Lake Abbe (blog post on its way!), we just wanted to sleep like babies and take a scalding shower. The mattresses (yeah, two twin beds) were hard as rocks and unmade, and the water from the shower came out in a cool trickle. On the positive side, it was fairly quiet and the price included a decent breakfast.
Know Before You Go
- Wear closed-toe shoes when walking around Djibouti City. Pavement is uneven when present and there are many dirty puddles.
- Depending on the time of year, it can be really freaking hot. Wear moisture-wicking, breathable clothing. I love these Columbia shirts and they might not be the most fashionable, but they don’t show sweat, keep you looking fresh, and can be washed and dried easily in a hotel room sink.
- Women should be respectful of local religions and their customs by dressing modestly.
- Pack earplugs because you will be woken up at 4:30 or 5:00 AM for the daily call to prayer.
- Bring mosquito wipes and sunscreen.
- An absolute must — pack a bar of soap in either a zip lock baggie or a reusable travel container. You’ll also want some cheap flipflops (girl, trust me).
Best Times to Visit Djibouti
The best time to visit Djibouti is from November until January. The temperature is more manageable and this is also when the whale sharks make their annual visit. May through September is extremely hot and traveling to Lake Abbe and Lake Assal (both notoriously hot places) would be dangerous.
What You Can Expect to Pay in Djibouti City, Djibouti:
> Lodging: $100 (wallet-friendly) vs $300+ (average) per night.
> Coffee: Around $1
> Dinner: $10-20 (two people) Yemini Fish for 2, 2 Waters, and Bread
> Beer: N/A
Recommended Lodging Options in Djibouti:
Nowhere we stayed was clean or comfortable. So it’s hard for me to recommend anywhere, but these appear to be…well…options.
- Sheraton Djibouti — International brand hotel, so that’s promising. It’s also on the water with some beautiful pools which would be A+ awesome in the hot sun. (From $281/night)
- Djibouti Palace Kempinski — This place has decent reviews but it comes at a cost. (From $315/night)
- Hotel Rayan Djibouti — We stayed here — You’ve seen the pics, so you can decide for yourself. (From $90/night)
- The Atlantic Hotel — Also also stayed here. It was cleaner and nicer, but still not to Western standards. (From 140/night)
Resources to help your Travels
As always, everything on this site is completely free. If you found this post (or anything on YouFoundSarah.com) useful, I’d be grateful if you considered using the affiliate links below. I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. These are the services Drew and I love to use ourselves when we plan our travels. Thanks for your support!
— Sarah
Booking.com – For booking hotel rooms.
Tours by Locals and GetYourGuide.com – For finding high-quality tours around the world.
VRBO – For renting homes across the world.
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About Sarah
Sarah hails from the land of fried chicken, sweet tea, buttered biscuits, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet…Alabama! She loves exploring undertouristed locations — places that you wouldn’t automatically think “I’ve always wanted to go there!” Of course, we’ll always have Paris, but what gets Sarah really jazzed is finding those diamond in the rough cities and sharing them with you. Read more…
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