Belinda Ocean resort, Dar es Salaam’s cool attraction
East African Business Week
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA - Dar es Salaam is one among few Tanzania cities endowed with a largest coastline beach area where lots of beach resorts have been erected.
Most of these are either owned by Asians or European investors and it's rare to find one owned by indigenous Tanzanian.
(Tourists enjoy their time at the Belinda Ocean Resort in Dar es salaam, the resort attracts alot of tourists during the weekend Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
We travelled to the northern part of Dar es Salaam city at some 20 kilometers at a place called Mbezi lying along the Indian ocean coastline where several beach resorts hotels are dots the area. Some of the beach resorts around Mbezi area includes, Giraffe beach resort hotel, the White Sands, Jangwani Sea breeze and many others.
Commuters plying to the location will take you to Mwenge from the city center where you will have to connect with another commuter bus plying to Mbezi where you will be charged $0.38 being the total fair amount from the city centre.
Our visit this time was to Belinda Ocean Resort situated in a premier location at Mbezi about 25 km from the Airport and almost 15 kilometers from Dar city centre. It is a comfortable, top-class hotel, designed to give one maximum relaxation in vacation and leisure.
It took us 20 minutes from Kinondoni to Africa Sanaa depot where we connected with a Bajaj to Belinda at $0.96
(Tourists enjoy their time at the Belinda Ocean Resort in Dar es salaam Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
We were welcomed by friendly staff ready to serve customers with diligence. You will however be required to pay a an entrance fee of $1.92 to European football matches at the beach resort but and a swim if you will.The owner Dr. Moses Mkony says the entrance fee charges are very low and this allows individuals with lower incomes to have access and relax at the resort because most of the beach areas are either privately owned and or walls have been built restricting beach goers.
He says Belinda Ocean resort usually have the live shows performances from Nkhanga Moja dancers, a famous taarabu women artist group which showcase their artistic dancing performances during weekends besides the premier leagues being shown through plasma televisions at the resort.
There is also a DJ during the weekend that will give you the best music to chill you out as you refresh and enjoy different buffets being served at the resort.
Dr Mkony says that he first came up with the idea of investing in hospitality industry after winning a tender to design the Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) building where he used part of the money to buy a plot and set up a hotel Belinda annex 1 located away from the beach before embarking on the Belinda annex 2 beach construction.
"After designing the TTCL building I also borrowed some $ 192,307 (Tsh300 m.) from a local bank that helped me to set up the hotel which in turn led to the development of Belinda Ocean Resort after a $384,615 (Tsh. 600m) loan from the bank also" Dr. Mkony says
He says that currently Belinda Annex1 and the Annex2 located at the Beach have combined total of 60 rooms at a very reasonable price where swimming pool and beach swimming are offered free to hotel lodgers
Dr. Mkony says setting up a beach resort was not an easy thing especially with the mindset being perceived by local citizens that underlet things being set up by local investors.
"We have that mentality that anything that is being offered by indigenous people cannot offer good services and we tend to shun away from them, this is a very wrong perception" Dr. Mkony says.
He says he developed the idea of setting up a hotel in 1995 because he had wanted to set up something that can later be managed by his family and the hotel would be the best business investment.He says tourists from all walks of life especially Italy, Europe and Asia come at his beach resort seeking both accommodation and fun. He however says that there hasn't been enough efforts by the government to promote tourism in Tanzania as most of the beach areas in the city remain undeveloped.
"Dar es Salaam has a large coastline that has still not been developed and if these beaches were to be developed Dar can become one of the few cities in Africa with beach tourism attraction", he says.
People usually flock to Belinda to have fun from kids to the elderly because the beach resort offers entertainment for all ages and says there is a huge cost involved in running hotels especially those with a beach location.
(A customer being served at the Belinda Ocean Resort in Dar es salaam, the resort attracts alot of tourist during weekends Photo By Kenan Kalagho)
As I walked to Belinda Ocean Resort on Sunday they were not only indigenous at the hotel but Europeans, Asians and many more tourists enjoying the ocean swim as well as buffets being served at the resort. A European tourist who introduced herself only as Ms Lossa at the resort says she was moved to spend the time at the resort due to the natural setting of the grass thatched roof that gives the resort a unique look. He says there is also need for the government and or municipality to make sure that all the beach localities are accessible to the public through the establishment of commuter routes to the beach areas because most of the beaches are located far from residential areas that draws back the public wanting to have fun at the resorts and this at times makes them run low.
After the swim I had a privilege to taste the buffet at the resort by ordering "Mshikaki" at $1.9 a chain that will enhance your appetite.
Departing from the Belinda Ocean resort at 7PM was sad as frequenters could still be seen dropping in. Belinda will always give you the best at an affordable rate that matches your income.
Most of these are either owned by Asians or European investors and it's rare to find one owned by indigenous Tanzanian.
We travelled to the northern part of Dar es Salaam city at some 20 kilometers at a place called Mbezi lying along the Indian ocean coastline where several beach resorts hotels are dots the area. Some of the beach resorts around Mbezi area includes, Giraffe beach resort hotel, the White Sands, Jangwani Sea breeze and many others.
Commuters plying to the location will take you to Mwenge from the city center where you will have to connect with another commuter bus plying to Mbezi where you will be charged $0.38 being the total fair amount from the city centre.
Our visit this time was to Belinda Ocean Resort situated in a premier location at Mbezi about 25 km from the Airport and almost 15 kilometers from Dar city centre. It is a comfortable, top-class hotel, designed to give one maximum relaxation in vacation and leisure.
It took us 20 minutes from Kinondoni to Africa Sanaa depot where we connected with a Bajaj to Belinda at $0.96
We were welcomed by friendly staff ready to serve customers with diligence. You will however be required to pay a an entrance fee of $1.92 to European football matches at the beach resort but and a swim if you will.The owner Dr. Moses Mkony says the entrance fee charges are very low and this allows individuals with lower incomes to have access and relax at the resort because most of the beach areas are either privately owned and or walls have been built restricting beach goers.
He says Belinda Ocean resort usually have the live shows performances from Nkhanga Moja dancers, a famous taarabu women artist group which showcase their artistic dancing performances during weekends besides the premier leagues being shown through plasma televisions at the resort.
There is also a DJ during the weekend that will give you the best music to chill you out as you refresh and enjoy different buffets being served at the resort.
Dr Mkony says that he first came up with the idea of investing in hospitality industry after winning a tender to design the Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) building where he used part of the money to buy a plot and set up a hotel Belinda annex 1 located away from the beach before embarking on the Belinda annex 2 beach construction.
"After designing the TTCL building I also borrowed some $ 192,307 (Tsh300 m.) from a local bank that helped me to set up the hotel which in turn led to the development of Belinda Ocean Resort after a $384,615 (Tsh. 600m) loan from the bank also" Dr. Mkony says
He says that currently Belinda Annex1 and the Annex2 located at the Beach have combined total of 60 rooms at a very reasonable price where swimming pool and beach swimming are offered free to hotel lodgers
Dr. Mkony says setting up a beach resort was not an easy thing especially with the mindset being perceived by local citizens that underlet things being set up by local investors.
"We have that mentality that anything that is being offered by indigenous people cannot offer good services and we tend to shun away from them, this is a very wrong perception" Dr. Mkony says.
He says he developed the idea of setting up a hotel in 1995 because he had wanted to set up something that can later be managed by his family and the hotel would be the best business investment.He says tourists from all walks of life especially Italy, Europe and Asia come at his beach resort seeking both accommodation and fun. He however says that there hasn't been enough efforts by the government to promote tourism in Tanzania as most of the beach areas in the city remain undeveloped.
"Dar es Salaam has a large coastline that has still not been developed and if these beaches were to be developed Dar can become one of the few cities in Africa with beach tourism attraction", he says.
People usually flock to Belinda to have fun from kids to the elderly because the beach resort offers entertainment for all ages and says there is a huge cost involved in running hotels especially those with a beach location.
As I walked to Belinda Ocean Resort on Sunday they were not only indigenous at the hotel but Europeans, Asians and many more tourists enjoying the ocean swim as well as buffets being served at the resort. A European tourist who introduced herself only as Ms Lossa at the resort says she was moved to spend the time at the resort due to the natural setting of the grass thatched roof that gives the resort a unique look. He says there is also need for the government and or municipality to make sure that all the beach localities are accessible to the public through the establishment of commuter routes to the beach areas because most of the beaches are located far from residential areas that draws back the public wanting to have fun at the resorts and this at times makes them run low.
After the swim I had a privilege to taste the buffet at the resort by ordering "Mshikaki" at $1.9 a chain that will enhance your appetite.
Departing from the Belinda Ocean resort at 7PM was sad as frequenters could still be seen dropping in. Belinda will always give you the best at an affordable rate that matches your income.
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