Kilimanjaro Airport

Small clean basic. One of your contributors mentions a corrupt customs official in 2007. There are now serious problems with customs officials there who take one into a room and will not be satisfied until a bribe has been paid. This is not just if one has gifts or items disallowed on the Exemption Schedule of the Customs Tariff Act. Anyone is likely to be their victim and they are very persistent and intimidating. Something should be done.

A very small airport definitely not a hub but shops are decently-priced and have beautiful souvenirs. If you climb KiKilimanjaronjaro then don't bother buying any souvenirs at the moutain itself as the airport shops have basically the same shirts and etc and the prices are unnegotiable.

A lot of tourists travel nowadays through KiKilimanjaronjaro International Airport (JRO; usually called Kia). It is a fairly small airport with international flights mainly by KLM and Ethiopian. The travel from the airport to Arusha town takes nearly an hour; the smaller town of Moshi is closer. A taxi to Arusha should cost USD 50-60. KLM arrives in the evening and security along the road to Arusha has sometimes been poor. At some time passengers even travelled to Arusha in a convoy. At present situation seems to be under control. There are some decent tourist shops both before and after immigration actually more shops than one would expect considering the low number of flights. I have travelled through this airport many times during the last 15 years. Considerable renovation in the check-in area has taken place a few years ago and it now looks fresh. Toilets do not always work – a common phenomenon in Africa. Some years back I had at several occasions considerable problems with a corrupt customs officer who wanted something under the table for obviously no good reason but that person has disappeared and the last few years customs checks have been quite relaxed. Getting a visa at the airport is rather straightforward but since usually a good number of people come without a visa one has to expect some queuing; having the visa ready is recommendable.