How to Find Hotels in Mogadishu, Somalia

Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, is mostly an African desert country with hot and humid temperatures and little rainfall. This country is often not recommended for tourists to travel to because there has been no organized government for a number of years, making it a violent and overall unsafe destination. But if you must travel, you should read on to learn how to find accommodations in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet Access
• Passport
• Visa

Book Accommodations

1. Call the Somali Community Information Center at 011 ([phone] to book accommodations.
2. Ask around for the two to three accommodations within Mogadishu that all of the visiting journalists stay in, as they are typically the safest.
3. Try the affordable Sahafi Hotel, which is said to be fairly safe with good food and a helpful staff.

Find Transportation

4. Fly Jubba Airways to travel between Mogadishu and other cities such as Dubai and Jedah.
5. Fly into the Mogadishu International Airport.
6. Avoid driving on the roads. Many are in poor shape and there are few traffic laws, which makes driving dangerous.

Know Your Destination

7. Convert American dollars to the Somali shilling, which is the official currency of the area.
8. Note that Somali is the official language of Somalia. However Arabic, Italian and English are also frequently used languages in the country.
9. Know that in this desert community, Sunni Muslim is the primary religion.
10. Travel should be conducted only with hired armed guards at all times. They will transport you around in pick-up trucks which are referred to as "technicals."
11. Take note that the Shebelle River runs nears Mogadishu, and the water from the river supports local crops. The river often runs dry in February and March.

Visit Local Attractions

12. Walk around the Bakara Market. It is one of the largest and most crowded markets in the area and it sells everything from food and clothing to guns and ammunition.
13. Journey to the south of Mogadishu to visit the ruins of The Shanghai, whose impressive history tells of better days when the facility used to be frequented by the wealthy.

Tips & Warnings

• Book online to find a wide range of accommodations.
• The Somali Community Information Centre has no Web site.
• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00."
• All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• If staying in this city, be sure to only stay at one of the few accommodations considered "safe," as kidnappings often occur at the others.
• When traveling anywhere in Somalia, be sure to keep a close watch on all belongings to prevent them from being stolen.