Lodging Costs

Wombats Hostel: Vienna, Austria
October, 2005

Clown and Bard: Prague, Czech Republic
October, 2005
250 CZK/night

One of 30+ beds in top level dorm room, shared communal bathroom for all.

Butterfly Villa: Bucharest, Romania
Rolling Stone Hostel: Brasov, Romania
Butterfly Villa: Bucharest, Romania

Antique Hostel: Istanbul, Turkey
November, 2005
Cramped dorm room in basement with 3 bunk beds. Shared bathrooms with showers where in hallway.

Bahaus Guesthouse: Istanbul, Turkey
November, 2005
Was the only person in a room with two bunk beds in it. Shared bathroom was in hallway.

Shoestring Hostel: Goreme, Turkey
November 16-21, 2005
6 TRY/night

Had one of 6 beds in the dorm room. Dorm room had it's own single bathroom with shower.

Hotel Zahrat ar-Rabie: Aleppo, Syria
November 22-29, 2005
325 SP/night

Was given a double room (two single beds) with a private bathroom that included shower.

Hotel Cairo: Hama, Syria
November 29, 2005
225 SP/night

Baal Shamin Hotel: Palmyra, Syria
November 30 - December 2, 2005
300 SP/night
50 SP/breakfast

Was given single room with ensuite bathroom/shower.

Al Haramein Hotel: Damascus, Syria
December 2 - December 2005
225 SP/night

One of three beds in dorm room. Shared bathroom/shower is in hallway.

Cliff Hotel: Amman, Jordan
December 5 - December 8, 2005
3.5 JD/night

Shared room with two beds in it. Decent space. Room had a sink and closet, but not toilet or shower. Shared toilets and showers were fair at best. Not the cleanest.

Orient Gate Hotel: Petra (Wadi Musa), Jordan
December 8 - December 10, 2005
8 JD/night

Definitely not worth it. Location is decent, but so is the location of dozens of other places. Hot water was a problem, there wasn't really any. Bedrooms just had old IKEA furniture that was falling apart. Two beds in room, but was not shared. Attached toilet and shower, though had to use another room's shower to "find" hot water. With so many hotels to choose from in Petra, you'd best look elsewhere.

Al-Amer Hotel: Aqaba, Jordan
December 12, 2005
8.5 JD/night

Fair, nothing special. Actually had hot water, so that was a bonus. Two beds in room with attached toilet and shower. Even had a TV, though few English channels. Location is fine, with a great felafel stand right underneath it.

Mohammad Ali Camp: Dahab, Egypt
December 13 - December 15, 2005
50 LE/night for the room, split with another traveler.

Double room, though one bed significantly larger then the other. Attached bathroom, but toilet didn't flush and exposed pipes weren't all that clean. No idea on hot water, didn't bother to have a shower here.

Alaska Camp: Dahab, Egypt
25 LE/night for a room with 3 beds, no toilet or sink, split with another traveler.

Half the price of the Mohammad Ali camp and with an extra bed in the room. Public toilets and showers are less then 10 feet away and much cleaner then at Mohammad Ali. No hot water the first night, but hot water (though weak pressure) the following morning.

Dahab Hotel: Cairo, Egypt
25 Egyptian Pounds/night

Room with two single beds in it to myself. No bathroom. Shared facilities are decent.

10 Egyptian Pounds/night
One bed in the four bed male dorm room. Bed had terrible mattress.

Fontana Hotel: Luxor, Egypt
20 Egyptian Pounds/night

Room with two comfortable single beds to myself. Both room and shared bathroom were very clean. Plenty of hot water whenever I needed it. Manager Magdi was nice, but rather pushy with the tours for which I foolishly signed up for at 175 Egyptian Pounds. Turns out the tour should be around 90 Egyptian Pounds with a student card, though the tour guide was good, for what it's worth.

Nubian Oasis Hotel: Aswan, Egypt
20 Egyptian Pounds/night

Room with two beds in it, including a dresser. Room is clean as is attached bathroom. Plenty of hot water and room is quiet.

Nile Hotel: Wadi Halfa, Sudan
500 Sudanese Dinars/night

Rope bed in a 4 bed room. Dirt floor, no hot water, bucket shower.

Nile Hotel: Abu Hamed, Sudan
500 Sudanese Dinars/night

Rope bed in a large 4 bed room. Wood floors, second story, beside train station. No hot water. Deck/veranda around second floor rooms.

Nahar Hotel: Atbara, Sudan
500 Sudanese Dinars/night

Very basic lokunda arrangement. Spring beds with little life left in them. Shared sleeping. Little protection from elements accept for tarp acting as wall. Dirt grounds. No hot water.

Central Hotel: Khartoum, Sudan
6000 Sudanese Dinars/night

Probably more like a 2 or 3 star hotel. Room had two decent sized beds in it, there was a small TV with a satellite feed (CNN and Animal Planet in English), there was a balcony and the entire place was very clean. Shower had no hot water. As far as places go, this was rather expensive given what you got, (though breakfast was included), but for some reason lodging in Khartoum is very expensive, relatively speaking.


El Waleed Hotel: Khartoum, Sudan
800 Sudanese Dinars/night

Lokunda that offers rooms with 4 beds in them as well as the option to sleep outside on the roof. For a lokunda, the place was clean enough and while there was no hot water, the satellite TV on the roof was a nice touch.

(Unknown): Metame, Ethiopia
15 BIR/night

Very basic hotel just up the road from the bus station. Single room with bed. All rooms are around a small courtyard with a TV and sitting area in the middle. Showers and toilets are very basic.

Fasil Hotel: Gonder, Ethiopia
45 BIR/night

Nice enough hotel in Gonder. Large room with a large double bed. Balcony overlooking the street. Shared bathroom had no hot water. Was a bit noisy at night with several bars nearby.

Tana Pension: Bahar Dar, Ethiopia
20 BIR/night

Best budget value in town as Lonely Planet puts it. First room was sort of dirty, but second room was fine. Mosquito net over bed. Shared bathroom and shower were fair. Restaurant and cafe below.

Asheton Hotel: Lalibela, Ethiopia
35 BIR/night

Room with twin/double bet. Nice garden courtyard. Hot water, but just barely a trickle in shared bathroom. Restaurant had TV with CNN. Place was quite.

Tekle Hotel: Kombulcha, Ethiopia
50 BIR/night

Expensive hotel in Kombulcha. Charges almost double for foreigners. Room was clean and very large with two double beds. Shared shower had hot water and bathroom was clean.

Taitu Hotel: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
46 BIR/night

Run down hotel, but better then some of the brothel options around the corner. Room is clean, two double beds pushed together. Place is quiet. Water is a problem, both hot and cold. Showers and shared bathrooms are nothing to write home about. Main building has nice sitting area with two TV's and restaurant service.

Unique Hotel: Awasa, Ethiopia
45 BIR/night

Down near the lake, ut a bit of a walk from the rest of the town. Nothing special, small courtyard with bar/restaurant and TV. Room was clean, double beds and bathroom. No hot water.

Wubete Hotel: Arba Minch, Ethiopia
40 BIR/night

Decent location, though adjoining bar/restaurant is loud until around 11pm or so. Room had one large bed, attached bathroom. No hot water.

Buska Hotel: Turmi, Ethiopia
25 BIR/night

Very basic hotel. Bucket showers, out houses out back.

Edget Hotel: Konso, Ethiopia
30 BIR/night

Single room with attached bathroom. Clean, though water is very limited. Courtyard is popular with Land Cruisers. Satellite at TV shows football matches. Nice courtyard to sit down in and wait for your next ride...

Green Hotel: Yabelo, Ethiopia
20 BIR/night

Nice and close to the bus station. Didn't see any showers. Out house could use some help. Room was clean enough, though some noise from the adjoining bar.

El Sherif Hotel: Moyale, Kenya
200 KS/night

Right on the corner where the trucks leave for the morning. Room was spacious, if bare. Bathroom could use some work. Had water in the morning for a shower, but not hot.

(Unknown): Sololo Makutano, Kenya
100 KS/night

Very, very basic. Mattress on hard mud bed. Dirt floor. Bucket showers. Courtyard restaurant serves basic Kenyan food.

New Kenyan Lodge: Nairobi, Kenya
400 KS/night

Single room, common showers. Place is clean and workers seem very friendly. Hot water and (pressure!) in the mornings. Location is good. Dorm beds are 350/night, single seems like a great deal comparitively.

Hotel D'Acosta: Moshi, Tanzania
5000 TS/night

Hot water, clean (if somewhat small) rooms, fresh sheets every day and a great location. Possibly the best valued place I've stayed in all trip.

YMCA: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
11,500 TS/night

Room with two single beds in it. Fan. No hot water. Clean, decent location. Better to share a room as the price is more reasonable.

Manch Lodge: Stone Town, Zanzibar
10,000 TS/night

Low season, so got a larger then usual room. No hot water. Nice common balcony on second floor. Good location. Breakfast included.

Kendwa Rocks: Kendwa, Zanzibar
14,400 TS/night

Shared room in hut. Lower level of two level building. Two beds, mosquito nets and fan. Not right on the beach, but close enough. No hot water, no food included. Dorm prices seem over priced since they aren't much cheaper then getting your own room.

YWCA: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
8,000 TS/night

Definitely not as nice as the YMCA. Tiny room, though frankly it was fine for one person.

New Highway Guest House: Mtwara, Tanzania
5,000 TS/night

Right next to bus station, so great location. New place, spotlessly clean and comfortable.

Pensao Residencial Magid: Mocimboa de Praia, Mozambique
350,000 MTC/night

Possibly the most over priced place that I've stayed in. No fan, no nets, no running water. Two beds in a concrete room. If possible, look elsewhere for accomodation. Only plus is that it's close to the bus station.

Hotel TDM: Ibo Island, Mozambique
300,000 MTC/night

Clean, well maintained place. Was empty when I was there. Room was fine, though no fan, but did have net. Location is ok, the island is small.

Russell Camp: Pemba, Mozambique
200,000 MTC/night

Bed in a dorm room. Nice environment. Lots of South African expats. Food is decent value, though not amazing. Evening dinner buffet is a nice touch. Bucket showers. Beach is across the street.

Casa de Luis: Ilha de Mozambique, Mozambique
200,000 MTC/night

Small place. Two real rooms and a few "outdoor" rooms. Had a real room, fan, net and double bed. Bucket shower. Was fine, except the mosque is next door so be preapred to be woken up early in the morning.

Pensa Quilemana: Quelimane, Mozambique
125,000 MTC/night

Shared room with 3 others. Pretty dodgey and run down looking place. Better to find some other place if possible.

Baobob Beach: Vilanculos, Mozambique
200,000 MTC/night

Nice backpackers place. Right on the water. Dorm rooms are decent size and not to cramped.

Fatima's Nest: Tofo, Mozambique
250,000 MTC/night

Had a "fixed tent" which opened up onto the beach. Two real beds in the tent. Only the front row of tents are worth the extra cost over the dorm room since the rear tents don't have ocean views.

Fatima's: Maputo, Mozambique
200,000 MTC/night

Bed in a dorm room. Decent, nothing special. Most travelers seem to cook in the kitchen, so it must be well equipped. Location is ok, nothing special and the waterfront is a bit of a walk.

Swaziland Backpackers, Manzini, Swaziland
75 Rand

Nomads Backpackers, Durban, South Africa
75 Rand

Sani Lodge, South Africa
65 Rand

Sani Pass Chalet, Lesotho,
100 Rand

Anglican Church, Maseru, Lesotho
80 Rand

Semonkong Lodge, Semonkong, Lesotho
80 Rand

Long Street Inn, Cape Town, South Africa
80 Rand

Kenny