Getting Around Djibouti

This Djiboutian airline flies from London Gatwick to Djibouti with a stop-over at Paris CDG.
The food was decent on the way to Djibouti, a bit lacking coming back (a dry sandwich and a all sugar breakfast).
It is operated by Astraeus and I'm not sure Daallo actually owns any plane.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2009: apparently Daalo does not fly London to Djibouti any longer so check with your travel agent/on the internet who else flies from your departure town.

UPDATE 2011: Daaloo flies twice a week from Dubai to Djibouti so this could be your way in!

4 more images

To go from the town centre (Centre Ville) to the airport should cost you 800 Djibouti Francs ($4.55). Many of the taxis will try it on and quote absurd amounts. Don’t listen to them. There is a picture on my ‘Tourist Trap’ tip that shows the fares FROM the airport. It should be the same price back. Save that tip on you ‘Custom Travel Guide’ here on VT and show them the picture. That should assist them with their memory and honesty.

Rates are slightly higher for areas away from the centre.

1 more image

You can roam around in djibouti by Taxi which charges you 500 Franks (US$ 3.00) for a short trip and 2000 Franks for a long trip (US$ 11.50 ) Alternatively you can use sharing mini bus with a flat charge of 50 Franks (US$ 0.28)

Located just to the south of downtown Djibouti City, Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport (JIB) is the only international airport serving the country. Most flights into and out of the airport serve destinations in East Africa, although there are some flights to Europe and the Middle East.

Airlines serving Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport: African Express Airways, Air France, Daallo Airlines, Djibouti Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Felix Airways, flydubai, Inter-Somalia, Jubba Airways, Kenya Airways, and Yemenia Yemen Airways.

The only airline to fly to Djibouti from London at the time I went, November 2009, was Ethiopian. Djibouti and Ethiopia have good relations with each other and there are regular flights via Addis Ababa.
Our flight to Addis was 7 hours out and as our connection was longer than 6 hours we used the free hotel transfer option available. Once you arrive at Addis airport go down to the bottom floor and to the transfer desk, show them your tickets or boarding pass. They will take them along with your passport and tell you to wait. After only about 20 minutes we were taken through immigration by airline staff and to a bus which took us to the Riviera Hotel, about 20 minutes drive away. We were given breakfast and a room for the day as well as lunch just before we left. The hotel is a good standard, very clean, nice sized room and friendly staff. We were transferred back to the airport in time for our flight to Djibouti. The airline also stamp your boarding pass so you do not need an immigration stamp and can pass easily through.

Port Peche is the fishing port, which is close to the main port. This is where the fishing boats arrive and depart and where you can get a boat to take you to see the whale sharks or to snorkel. Our trip on the MY Deli departed from and returned to Port Peche.

4 more images

I would recommend Kenya Airways for its superior flight schedule and standard of service between Ethiopia and Djibouti. They fly 6 days a week and are much cheaper than Ethiopian Airlines. The in-flight service was also good. Daallo Airlines is more expensive and flies through Somaliland first. Djibouti Airlines was cheapest but only flies on Friday nights.

Below are the details for Kenya Airways in Addis Ababa:

ADDIS ABABA
Kenya Airways Limited,Hilton International
Menelix 2nd Avenue
P.O. Box: 3381
ADDIS ABABA
Admin Tel: +251-1-514258
Fax: +251-1-511548
Sales Office: Hilton +25 11 5525548/7 or 5513018
Sales office: ECA +251 11 5444301 or 5153339
Sales office: AU +251 11 5515700
Finance: +251 11 5525546
Reservation: +251-1-513018/019 444301
Fax: +251 11 511548
Airport Office Tel: +251-1-626980/628393
Email: kenyaair@telecom.net.et or addtokq@sita.gmsmail.com

1 more image

Visiting Djibouti as a place of its own is maybe not worth the effort and money, but it can be combined with a trip to Ethiopia, like I did. It can also be visited when you transfer between Ethiopia and Eritrea (borders between those countries are closed due to the border conflict) or between Ethiopia and Yemen.
I arrived by bus from Dire Dawa in Ethiopia. It leaves Dire Dawa at 3am and it is obligatory to buy tickets the previous day. You can also take a train from Dire Dawa. Another possibility is to fly from Addis/Asmara/Sana. I think, that despite what might be said officially, it is possible to get a visa in the airport as well on the land border crossings. I was travelling with someone with a EU passport and he was allowed an entry after paying extra for getting a visa on the border to the border control. I got my visa in a French embassy in Warsaw - in a country without a Djibouti representation it is possible to get a visa from the French embassy.