City Rating: Djibouti City

Population: 480’000

Date of visit: October 2017

Attractions & sights: 1/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: 2/5
Total: 👍👍/5

The city in a nutshell:

Expensive and boring harbor town. The overall rating of 2/5 is quite generous, and Djibouti City would get a 1.5/5 if I gave half points.

Where to stay:

Staying in the European quarter is highly recommended, as the rest of the city is unsafe. However, to come straight to the point: there are not many hotels in Djibouti City and most of them are ridiculously expensive. If money is not an issue, then head straight to the Kempinski. It’s not very central but apparently the best hotel by far.

Best value for money is probably the Atlantic hotel in the centre. Everything close to Place Menelik is a good option, as most of the bars and restaurants are around this little square.

The Good:

There are only three good things: 1) it’s relatively safe for African standards, 2) nightlife is alright (but a bit sleazy), 3) some of the restaurants at Place Menelik are okay.

The Bad & The Ugly:

Djibouti City is neither a beautiful nor a fun city. There are almost no sights or activities to do there. Although it’s a city by the sea, the beaches are not very nice and the ocean looks rather brown than blue and has a bad smell. Prices are also incredibly expensive and higher than the average of a EU country.

Getting in and out of the country can be a time-consuming matter. Especially, the interrogation after the arrival is annoying. Moreover, the airport in Djibouti is a catastrophe.

The best thing to do a Djibouti is booking a tour to Lake Assal or Lake Abbé (or anything outside the capital), but there are way better things to do than spending time in Djibouti City.

 

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