The Tanzanite Lounge in Dar Es Salaam (DAR) is not much, but it sure beats the gate area.
Open to business and first class passengers plus Priority Pass members, the lounge is located one level before international departures. You can also buy access (20GBP/3hrs) at the door or via Lounge Pass.
If eligible, you will be presented a lounge invitation upon check-in for your flight:
Proceed through passport control, security, then upstairs where you will promptly proceed back downstairs into the lounge.
The lounge was very dimly lit, but perhaps that was more due to it being the middle of the night. The stonework on the wall is retro – to put it charitably – but the most important basics of a lounge are present:
- Drinks
- Wi-Fi
- Snacks
- Bathrooms
- Comfortable chairs
- Power ports
Wi-Fi was slow, but fast enough to check e-mail. The bathrooms were cleaner than in Zanzibar. There was even a barista who made a good-looking cappuccino (once again, you cannot do much with bad coffee, though). Food included an assortment of snacks, fruit, yogurt, and very oily warm items.
The massage chair functioned–
For about an hour (remember, we were early) we were the only passengers in the lounge. Later on, three more showed up.
Boarding was called about 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Upon going upstairs, we found that the entire plane had already boarded.
CONCLUSION
Ideally, you show up at DAR about an hour before your flight and board your flight directly. If you do have to wait, the lounge is still a superior option to the terminal.
The team here are helpful and it has a wonderful atmosphere after the tussle and bustle of Dar and the experience of East Africa. Great team