Djibouti City, Djibouti - Travel Guide and Travel Info

With a population of about 400, 000 inhabitants, Djibouti city is the largest city in the relatively young country of Djibouti which as doubles up as the nation’s capital alongside other functions. The city actually has a rich history and traces its roots in 1888. During the colonial era, it was designated as the administrative capital for French Somaliland and proudly maintained the status for three years. While Djibouti as a country has very few tourism resources and Djibouti city receives a handful of tourists in any year, there are some good beaches which attract some visitors on the eastern shore.

Visitors coming to Djibouti city by plain are served by the Ambouli Airport and Air France provides regular flights to the city. Other flights that facilitate travel to the city and country as a whole are the Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airways. Unfortunately, while visitors used to get into Djibouti city by train, it doesn’t operate anymore which limits modes of transportation to the area. Taxi cabs especially the green ones in color and offers the best transportation for getting around the city. Due to the influence of Somali land, most inhabitants of Djibouti city are khat chewers which have been a common habit in the city. Ideally, khat is just a stimulant and not narcotic as most visitors tend to think. Somalis and Djiboutians believe that khat supplies them with a special form of energy. 

Djibouti city has little to offer to tourists considering that the city and country has been undergoing through a period of development lately. There are countable parks in the city where tourists can relax and a museum that houses historical exhibits of the locals. Nightlife is not as great as such but you can still give it a try as a way of killing time especially during weekends. However, the recently built Aden Bay Casino in Djibouti city has recently given the city a spot on the tourism map. Located at Sheraton Hotel, the casino has 40 sports poker machines, poker, roulette tables and black jack.

Shopping in Djibouti city offers no unique experience especially due to the fact that items are quite expensive at the market. When it comes to eating, Djibouti city has been regarded as a melting point and a typical menu includes camel meat, lobster, sashimi, sushi, steaks and crab. Cold beer is also served and most of the hotels in the city have a nice atmosphere offering fantastic indoor and outdoor settings. During weekends, the hotels usually host some organized events such as the colorful sushi night. La Mer Rouge Restaurant is one of the best eating places in the city that you should definitely not miss. There are various drinking spots in Djibouti city including Club Hermes, Sham’s, Club Menelik, La Oasis, La Galette and Golden Club. Djibouti city is a relatively safe place to be for a vacation only that you will need to be careful about cab rides as the drivers can become nasty at times.