Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro

Having again returned to Moshi, I decided to stay once more at the Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro. It was a good decision. This hotel is, generally speaking, a delightful and secluded oasis of calm near the center of a noisy, busy, traffic congested town that does not quieten down until well into the evening.

Not much has changed since I was last here. The bungalows, of which there are eight, are the accommodation of choice compared to the rooms in the block above the spaceous and comfortable lounge.

While these rooms are not bad, the bungalows are simply far superior. In the large, open lounge, one can relax with a cold beer after a hot day in town, browse the Internet with the free but frustratingly slow WiFi connection, or just chat.

The grounds are meticulously maintained with one glaring omission.

The bungalows as mentioned are the rooms of choice.

They are large, well furnished, clean and very comfortable.

Each is equipped with an efficient if somewhat noisy air conditioner. This is a "must" at night to help ward off the stifling heat of Moshi.

The water is always hot and the bathroom facilities are first rate, not always the case in Tanzania even in an upmarket hotel.

A shower here after six days on Kilimanjaro is one of life's little pleasures!

The breakfast buffet in the morning is on the whole good, but not great. Service can be a little indifferent and the quality of the items on offer varies.

The breads, jams and the juice are decidedly poor. The eggs, bacon, sausage and fruit are good to excellent.

The coffee is hot. Given the risk of venturing out into the sometimes risky streets of Moshi after dark, where dodgy characters seem to lurk in many doorways, it might be advisable to consider having dinner in the hotel.

After a particularly unpleasant walk down to a restaurant near the Buffalo Hotel one evening, I decided to eat in and it was excellent.

There is an ATM machine right next store along with a nice souvenir shop. Just a half block away is a nice park to pull up a chair and have a beer. A waitress after I had lunch took me up to the third floor of the hotel part for a great view of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

I ate here at least once a day and I noticed many locals and other visitors also came here to eat.

Two females wonder in for a bite to eat and told me they sure wish they were staying here at Bristol. The pizza was fantastic and the garlic sausage salad was great.