Comfortable and good value for money. Rooms were spacious, and bathroom clean. We stayed one night after a long flight and we could rest well. The garden is nice, and quiet. Staff was very friendly, food good and plentiful.

Stayed in July 2025

This hotel is close to the Kilimanjaro airport, and we didn't want to make the treck into Arusha and back the next day for our international flight. The communication from the hostel was excellent. They arranged transfer for us. They even drove me into the pharmacy the next day, as I had to pick up some medication before my flight. It is a great place if you want peace and quiet. My daughter was working in the mornings, and had no trouble with her wifi calls. The showers were hot, and the meals were served to us in a little dining area by our rooms. Highly recommended!

Stayed in July 2025

The location is a bit isolated & not anything to do in the area, but it is a good location for tours to Mt Kilimanjaro area.

Staff was Superb, the meals were excellent (emphasis added). Very relaxing, and the bed was quite comfortable. Host was extremely helpful and very flexible & fair with the change we needed to make to our schedule. I highly recommend this hostel! We have stayed in hostels in over 100 countries and this is a very good stay.

Stayed in July 2025

Very comfortable, staff were superb, very helpful staff, very clean. The meals were very, very good, and were more than we could eat!

Stayed in July 2025

Nothing!

Amazing owners. Super kind - and helpful. Helped arrange for pickup and just overall can't complain. Breakfast was better than expected. Eggs, bread, spread, fruit. You can request something specifically if you need it.

Stayed in June 2025

This was one of the best accommodations ever! I prolonged my stay from one to four nights to fully enjoy the peaceful vibes of the place. My room was very clean, the bed comfortable and the bathroom was spacious, with shower and hot water. I also loved the garden all around. Great WiFi too. I could work inside my room as well as outside. The owners and the staff are amazingly professional, kind, and very helpful. The breakfast and lunch/dinner are delicious, incl. vegetarian and vegan options!! Airport shuttle service worked smoothly and the driver also helped me get to other destinations in the following days. The location is great to move around the most visited locations in the area. All in all, highly recommended and looking forward to be back!

Stayed in May 2025

The location is off the main highway a bit up an an unpaved rough road but the local taxi drivers had no problems negotiating and it does provide an experience seeing part of Arusha not otherwise visited.

The owner and staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, the room was large and airy with good bathroom, the food was very good and plentiful, and the property is lush and attractive.

Stayed in January 2025

The accommodation is very clean and comfortable, the food is absolutely amazing and abundant. The staff is super kind and gentle, they are ready to answer at any doubt or question, and in case you need something. The hostel is surrounded by nature, it has been a pleasure to spend some days there! It is located at 30 minutes away by car from jro airport and 30 minutes from Arusha city centre.

Stayed in October 2024

Lovely place with gorgeous gardens, very friendly hosts and delicious vegan/vegetarian food

Stayed in October 2024

Nothing

Very accommodating staff. Excellent quiet location. Beautiful grounds.

Stayed in October 2024

dinner，breakfast，shower，everything is excellent. People are very nice.

Stayed in August 2024

Approaching the hostel can be tricky, but I suspect, that most of the guests will arrive there by taxi anyway, thus its location shouldn't cause any concerns, since it is marked on Google Maps accurately.

Clean, spacious rooms and bathrooms for a great price. The dinner was excellent, and the staff was super kind. Don't look further if you just need a reliable and comfortable place to sleep between trips or flights.

Stayed in August 2024

When we arrived there was no electricity due to programmed blackout in town but short later they switched the generator on and everything was fine!

I recommend this hotel for courtesy the food and location: we stayed here the last night in Tanzania due to its proximity to the JRO airport (35 minutes by car). Dinner and breakfast were excellent, the staff very friendly and helpful. Our room was big, clean and quiet. They can provide a transfer to the airport with flexible timetable.

Stayed in June 2024

None

It was very easy to communicate with Nitimana, the host of Shamba. He welcomed us warmly on arrival day. All the meals were wholesome and abundant, the most delicious we had in East Africa. 6 of us occupied 3 private ensuite rooms and all 3 rooms were well maintained and very clean. & comfortable. Showers were hot and have good water pressure. We like the green spaces around us - Nitimana's garden was such a grear place to chill l & observe some wildlife as it is near the river.. We engaged a walking tour through Nitiama and had a great time with Rugati, our walking guide. It was very interesting & enjoyable to experience Arusha's local atmosphere with Rugati by walking and taking a public bus to local markets. We bought delicious local fruits at the market. Shamba hostel provides a very authentic interaction with local Tanzanians & insight into their lives. We highly recommend at least a couple of nights at Shamba hostel when l you come to Arusha.

Stayed in June 2024

There was no hairdryer in the bathroom.

The staff is very kind, and since our arrival it was everything easy to understand. Dinner was amazing, and the room is very clean!!!

Stayed in June 2024

You'll likely need a car to reach the lodge - it is about a ten minute drive (6 one half mile or about a kilometer) from the main road on a bumpy/rocky road. On the other hand, taxis and safari vehicles have no trouble reaching this spot. IF you are arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport, I highly (highly) encourage you to stay here (35 minute drive), because you will be outside the craziness of Arusha (which is even further to the west)

Food is ample/plentiful and quite good. If you let them know your preferences, they will do their best to cater to them. And the cook does wonderful local dishes (ugali; banana stew; curry with meat)...and the pineapple for desert is great. The hosts are superb people - speak 100% perfect English...work with laptop computers - and own this compound for many years. Their internet is first rate speed (Dad worked for a computer company for many years)...they are also kids of Maasai parents (Maasai are well known for being smart, honest/110%, fun, and a joy to be with). The owner and his wife (and his brother) live onsite and will solve any issues right away They also grew up in the immediate area (indeed their dad built this house/compound in the late 1990s) so know Arusha, tour guides and everything else quite well. Overall for about $45/night you get a great breakfast and dinner...24 hour hot water (and the water pressure is superb)...and grounds where (if you are a birder) you can see African Wood Owls (pair); Tropical Boubou (kind of shrike) and Puffbacks plus others. We've stayed in several places in Arusha while traveling - this one is best quality and great value - especially if you want to try all sorts of local food - the cook does everything well! Finally, if you are leaving Tanzania on an international flight at Kilimanjaro International Airport, this place is significantly closer to that airport than the hotels in Arusha - just off the main road. We can't say enough nice things and recommend this place highly enough - and we've traveled extensively in East and southern Africa.

Stayed in December 2023

The place is a bit dark inside, especially with the regular power cuts we had

Very kind host and staff, great Tanzanian food

Stayed in December 2023

the main door to the rooms always remains open

the quietness, simplicity and fit-for purpose hostel

Stayed in September 2023

electricity sometimes gone due to regional service provider cutting the power but we knew that upfront and it wasn't a problem at all

My brother and I had perfect 2 days in Shamba Hostel. We were the only guest in the entire Hostel but breakfast and dinner were prepared with so much love and it was very tasty...thank you for these perfect dinners. Rooms were very clean with clean bathrooms on suite. No luxury at all, but everything there what you need. The host, his wife and the rest of the staff were very kind and friendly. They also took us for a short stroll through the nearby village. If I ever come to Arusha again, I will stay here. Thank you for an unforgettable stay.

Stayed in September 2023

Really amazing staff, we got everything we asked for, the food was really delicious, hot water and everything

Stayed in October 2023

We experienced city wide power outages but then Beatrice started her generator and then we had reliable power for the rest of our stay.

Beatrice set up a breakfast buffet just for us that contained scrambled eggs, toast, watermelon, pineapple and several local dishes that I was unfamiliar with but were tasty. I especially appreciated that Beatrice and her friend John sat down with us at dinner time so we could have a relaxed conversation about their lives in Tanzania. I have paid for home stays in other countries. Staying at the Shamba

Stayed in September 2023

The food was well cooked and was near what we normally eat. Food was served on time. The lodging was modest and aged but clean. Owners were very pleasant and accommodating. Owners speak good English.. This Hostel should be visited when in that area of Tanzania.

Stayed in September 2023

The mosquito net didn't fit the bed properly.

Staff was helpful and friendly. The food was good and there was plenty of it. The bed was comfortable and there was hot water for the shower.

Stayed in September 2023

Nothing. Shamba Hostel is 10 out of 10.

- Great hosts! Hospitality is above any expectations - Dinner and breakfast were amazing (no way you can eat it all) - Best WiFi we had in Tanzania

Stayed in August 2023