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#3 of 37 hostels in Moshi
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At Hostel Hoff we focus on independent volunteering within and on the outskirts of Moshi, Tanzania. Hostel Hoff started very small, back in 2006 with the hope of helping volunteers side step international profit orientated "organisations". It is our belief that you should not have to pay to volunteer, therefore prices cover your accommodation and the volunteering experience is free. The projects we work alongside include nursery & primary schools, vocational training centres, orphanages, centres for children with disabilities, medical centres, women's groups, community development & conservation projects, and many more.
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HOTEL STYLE
Quirky Hotels
Charming
Location
78Somewhat walkable
Grade: 78 out of 100
32Restaurantswithin 1 km
18Attractionswithin 1 km
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Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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+1
Nice rooms with the option of double-room for two, tents or dormrooms up to six people. I really enjoyed staying in the dormroom with two-four other girls. The staff at the hostel is always kind, very helpful and ready to have fun. Also the security is 10/10!! You can easily arrange trips directly through the hostel also. I went on a 4-day safari trip, hotsprings and to Lake Chala. I definetly recommend.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I had the best time at Hostel Hoff! The staff is so welcoming and friendly, it feels like home the second you get there. Great food and rooms are getting cleaned everyday. Its a calm and safe location, and still very close to the city center of Moshi. I would recommend anytime!
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
I really loved my stay at Hostel Hoff. The meals were incredible, the cleaning was thorough, guests were always well taken care of, whether it was finding activities to do or making sure we understood the culture and how to navigate it. I also really enjoyed my volunteer project, especially since it was a chance to really get to know local people and the community. I highly recommend and want to return myself!
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary Mushi, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 13 Dec 2022
Thank you very much Celeste for such a great review. You had a challenging project with no structure but you worked hard and gave it structure. Your support for the club is immesurable. We will be very happy to have you back here again. Thanks
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hostel Hoff is an amazing place with an amazing staff. Facilities, location and people are top class. The hostel staff will help with anything you need so you don’t have to worry. Welima, Elia, Mary, Simbo and Obedi made my stay perfect. Asante, I will definitely come back to Hostel Hoff!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary Mushi, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 13 Dec 2022
Thank you very much for this great review. We really do appreciate it. You are welcome anytime to the HOFF, your second home. Thanks,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fantastic place to stay in Moshi! If you’re on a gap year or taking time out to travel, you should definitely check out Hostel Hoff! I stayed here with my boyfriend in March/April 2021 and we are so pleased we did. The hostel was great, comfortable and super clean. The staff were really friendly and so helpful in showing us around Moshi and giving us advice. The food was excellent, nutritious meals freshly made, very tasty. We were travelling during covid but had no issues. Places are quieter than usual and you can see the impact covid has had on the tourism industry. All the more reason to travel if you feel safe to do so, everywhere is open in Tanzania and they have hand sanitiser, washing stations and great cleaning at the hostel. We volunteered at a preschool and orphange in Newlands which is just outside of Moshi. We loved it but it did require about an hours travel there and back each day, the public transport is fairly regular and cheap but it’s just worth considering when you get to select where you’d like to volunteer. Hostel Hoff have connections with loads of projects around the Moshi area so there is a wide variety of volunteer opportunities. We can also highly recommend the safari with African Scenic Safaris. We went to Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater, must sees!! We saw the big 5 in three days and amazing scenery.…
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary Mushi, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 13 Dec 2022
Hi Kate, Thank you very much for such an incredible review. Thank you for trusting us and staying with us on such a dificult time everyone was going through. Thanks for your great support to the project during those hard times. We really appreciate it and we are looking forward to have you volunteer with us again. Thanks,
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Where to begin? I had an incredible time staying at Hostel Hoff! I was there as a solo volunteer for 12 weeks at the end of 2019 and loved every second of it. The hostel is based in Moshi which is a reasonable sized city in the North of Tanzania. As a white female, I felt safe walking around town on my own during the day, just be sensible, don't show your valuables and dress appropriately! Don't be scared to say no to men on the streets who will try to sell you things you do not want. Do not go out walking at night, even in groups, it is not safe. Use trusted transport. There are lots of trips available that can be organised through the hostel, you can visit the hot springs, go on safari and even climb Kili if you're brave enough! It's also easy to organise a trip to Zanzibar yourself as you can fly from Kilimanjaro airport. The Hostel itself is beautiful. On a clear morning you can view Kilimanjaro. The gardens are well cared for by the wonderful gardeners who are always friendly. I was staying in a four person tent outside, it was nice and cool at night. There is plenty of storage space for clothes and a fan in the tent if needed. There are also smaller tents and indoor rooms available. Inside the Hostel there is a kitchen where you can prepare food and a living room with a TV for watching films. Power cuts are frequent (this is Africa!) so take a power bank and a torch. There is an outdoor toilet and shower block and indoor bathrooms too. There is a board in the communal area outside where any important information will be written. The hostel is a great place to meet other travellers and experience living with people from cultures around the world. Water is available from the hostel for 15USD per month. I'd recommend this as it is cheaper than buying from town. If you do not have a reusable water bottle you can buy one from the supermarket. Unfortunately for the duration of my stay the wifi only worked for two days. Data is available to buy - buy a local sim card, it is not too expensive and wifi is sometimes available at local restaurants. It's worth noting that in general all staff and volunteers at the hostel speak at least some english and it is generally the language used as there are volunteers from all over the world. It's also worth learning kidogo kiswahili as it will come in handy both in town and at the projects! The food was lovely! Breakfast and dinner are provided at the hostel each day. Breakfast includes eggs, pancakes, toast, fruits, tea and coffee. The dinner menu went in a two week rotation and the food is tasty! The hostel caters for vegetarians but it's worth mentioning that Tanzania in general doesn't offer great vegetarian alternatives. You can use the kitchen during the day to make your lunch but I'd recommend going into town and trying some of the local food! The market is great fun and you can haggle the price of your food. It's worth mentioning that if you're not a swahili speaker you'll be charged quite a high price because the locals associate foreigners with having lots of money. The staff at the hostel were great, there are two guards who are always around - even if it is just to kill a tarantula! They are very friendly and knowledgeable about their country. The rooms and tents are cleaned every day and there is a laundry service available too. The hostel has a manager who lives on site and is available to answer any questions. All staff are very approachable and welcoming! They will help you to learn swahili too! I volunteered at a project which supports girls who have been affected by early marriage and female genital mutilation. The project was a short walk from the hostel. I loved every second of my project, the girls were amazing and the staff care a lot about what they do. It's worth mentioning that for some projects, there can be a lot of travel involved and this can become expensive if you are staying there for a long time. Things I wish I'd known before going: Don't bother taking loads of toiletries with you, you can buy soap, shampoo, conditioner etc there very cheaply. It's not easy to find sun cream or after sun in Moshi because the locals don't use it. YOU WILL NEED FACTOR 50. Female travellers - it is VERY difficult to find tampons as they are not generally used in Tanzania. There was an ongoing debate about whether malaria tablets were needed whilst staying in Moshi. Malaria does not seem to be present in Moshi however many of the trips involve leaving the city and travelling into rural areas where it is common. It's also worth having very good travel insurance. The local hospital is good and the staff speak english. If you need the hospital someone local will come with you to help. The nearest "western" hospital is Nairobi. I hate to mention any negatives but no trip is perfect! It was a shame the wifi didn't work whilst I was there, I am not somebody who is on my phone a lot but I think some travellers struggled without it. Obviously Tanzania is full of various snakes, spiders, insects etc and you will be covered in mosquito bites - take lots of repellent and long clothing! Generally the trips from the hostel are somewhat expensive in comparison to Tanzania as a whole. They are worth doing but try to haggle down the prices if you can. It can become a bit tiring living at the hostel for a long time and having a constant turn over of other volunteers coming and going. This is the nature of staying somewhere like this but I promise you will make many lifelong friends throughout your stay. I'd recommend staying for at least 4 weeks to fully experience Tanzania! All in all I fully recommend Hostel Hoff! It was an incredible experience and now I have a second family in Africa. I will go back to visit someday!…
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Date of stay: September 2019
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary M, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 11 Mar 2020
Hi Shona, Thank you very much for such a great review. You were a great volunteer and your project was very happy to have you work with them for the 3 months. We have listened to our volunteer reviews and we have changed into a more reliable company. We now have WIFI full time at the Hostel. Wish you all the best and KARIBU tena HOSTEL HOFF (your sceond home)
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Very nice hostel with a lovely staff, nice and clean rooms, lovely homemade food and there's always someone around you can ask if you need any help! I felt very safe and it feels like home from the beginning!
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Date of stay: July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Mary M, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 6 Oct 2019
Hi Kahli, Thank you very much for the review. Karibu tena Hostel Hoff
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Staying at Hostel Hoff was hands down the best choice of my entire Africa trip. It was incredibly well-organized, ethically-run, clean, safe, and had some of the most welcoming staff I'd ever met. The facilities and grounds of the hostel far surpassed my expectations. There was good wifi, hot water, near-constant electricity, and beds were very comfy! There was a nice kitchen we could use, dishes and fridge and toaster. There was a big common space indoors with TV that was loaded with movies and shows, a giant bookshelf full of novels in all languages, towels/sheets, and a big comfy couch!! There was a nice dining area outside we ate at every evening, with electric plugs nearby, and the woman (Mary) who runs the hostel ate with us every night! The facility has indoor rooms (think: college-dorm-type setup,) as well as permanent outdoors tents for the more adventurous! The tents are super cool--zero bugs/snakes, stay cool in the heat, and have locking cabinets/a dresser/big comfy wooden beds with mosquito netting. You get to be in nature when you wake up, and can see the smattering of stars across the sky when evening comes(: I felt very safe in the town itself, and could walk around alone there for hours at daytime (I'm a 21 y.o. female). Hostel guards kept us very safe at night--never once felt unsafe. There are cleaners daily for the hostel, and a groundskeeper who keeps the nature tame! The food at Hostel Hoff is the best I've had in my entire life. Dinner and breakfast are provided. There is always fresh fruit/veg at meals, and more than enough food to go around! I'm still dreaming about Victoria and Jessica's chicken stew over steamy rice, eggplant spaghetti, chips mayari, and toasty chapati bread! YUM! The volunteers I lived with and met have become lifelong friends. Everyone is super friendly and welcoming, they go out for drinks on the town, dinner at nearby restaurants (the brownies at La Fuente are to DIE for,) and shopping days in town! It's truly a lovely community to come back from projects to every day. After dinner we would always play games or watch movies together and I don't think I've ever laughed as much as when we all played charades together!! Lots of people were there solo, as was I, so don't worry if you're going alone. You'll fit right into the Hostel Hoff family! The hostel is a 10 min walk from the town center, very close to post office/bank/supermarkets/good restaurants/nightclubs. Mary is the woman who runs the show. She answers emails within a day (usually less!,) and is constantly on top of everything happening there. Her communication and organization are flawless. She makes changes whenever issues are brought up, magically fixes electricity cuts, checks up on everyone, and really makes the place feel like home when she visits every night! I can't say enough positive things about her. The hostel will help you get a SIM card, and give you a town tour as well! They have numbers for safe motorbike/tuk tuk/taxi drivers, massage and manicure people, doctors, etc., etc., all on hand. I will note that their weekend tours are wildly overpriced. (Masai tour, waterfalls, coffee, etc.). While I'm sure they're lovely, I would really urge you to look elsewhere. There are loads of wonderful, safe, super fun, and fairly priced tours offered elsewhere in town! The company that runs the hostel also hosts Kilimanjaro climbs and safaris. I went on a safari with them (African Scenic Safaris,) and had a phenomenal time. I really encourage you to check out their TripAdvisor page, as they've got thousands of reviews and 5 stars! I've had 9 friends climb Kilimanjaro with them and heard nothing but positives. They're safe, ethical, fairly priced, and have a super high summit rate. Tanzania really is the "heart of Africa" and I feel very lucky to have picked Moshi as my first destination on such a beautiful and misunderstood continent. The hostel became my home, and I hope to return some day. I strongly urge you to send them an email (a quick google search will get you to their website/contact details,) and book the flight! You won't regret it! I volunteered at their medical volunteer option--St.Joseph's hospital. This next bit is about that: I was able to be incredibly hands on (within my level of training) at the hospital. I performed CPR on countless kids and infants, was able to help insert/remove IVs, observe surgeries (heart, c-section, appendectomies, etc.,) clean and triage burn victims, change dressings, help with charting and rounds, consult with doctors, help with births, transport patients, and give advice where I could. As a nursing student, I came with the idea to work on a different ward (male, female, labor & delivery, and pediatric/children's,) each week, to maximize the scope of my experience. However, after one week on the children' ward, as my focus in school is pediatric trauma nursing, I fell in love with the kids and knew I'd found my spot! I worked the pediatric ward for 4 weeks, with days here & there spent in labor & delivery. The experiences I had there were beyond comprehension. In my time on the children's ward I witnessed & experienced deep joy, sharp sadness, loss, wonder, and fascination all wrapped into one. I became dear friends with the local nurses, as well as foreign med students and volunteers. I had profound experiences there that have shifted my views on medicine, invigorated my passion for pediatric trauma nursing in 3rd world nations, and given me a newfound appreciation for the resources available at my home hospitals. I fought tooth and nail alongside other volunteers for countless children and newborns, performing CPR, mouth-to-mouth, intubating, doing the kangaroo method to raise body temp., etc., etc.. Quite a few kids and infants who we worked on in my time at St.Josephs ended up succumbing to their various conditions/traumas and dying with us. Holding them as they passed, fighting to save them, informing their families, and everything that came between has fundamentally changed who I am. Witnessing and helping with births, watching babies enter the world and holding them in their first moments here with us? Words don't even come close. Volunteering at St. Joseph's was a deeply profound privilege. I had experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life, met patients who have impacted me at the core, and was able to witness things I couldn't have seen elsewhere. Staff all spoke very good English, doctors and nurses were very kind and open to feedback, the facilities were well-organized. They did not have any continuous monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, etc., (in fact did not have any BP cuffs at all,) but did everything they could with what they had. The effort you put determines the quality of your experience there. If you leave at noon, or don't ask to help out with things, you can have an entirely different experience than I did. Stay until 2pm, ask nurses and doctors if you can help with/perform skills within your medical training (such as asking to wash burn victims, take over CPR if someone has been doing it for a long time, change bandages, observe a surgery,--only if you are well trained in that area,) speak with other volunteers, follow up with your patients, etc. You get out what you put in!…
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Date of stay: July 2019
Location
Service
Room Tip: The tents are super nice and well-built. No bugs, colder than indoors, and you're right by...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary M, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 6 Oct 2019
Hi Diana, Thank you very very much for such a lovely review. Words can't explain how happy we are.Karibu tena Hostel Hoff-your second home
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hostel Hoff is going to be your new family, whether you ask for it or not ;) I was traveling for the first time on my own, and my destination was Moshi, Tanzania to do volunteer work for 8 weeks. I didn't know what to expect, i didn't know where I was gonna live for the next 8 weeks. But as soon as I arrived to the hostel all my worries went away. You are welcomed by the amazing, kind and outgoing local staff who do their best to make YOU feel like home. Always ready for a little chit chat whether it's in the early morning or late evening. The cooking by Vicky and Jess is very lovely, and they have all types of meals to make sure that everybody gets the food that they like. You always find the cleaning ladys yeah, well, cleaning! My room (and I was staying in the tent in the garden) was never dirty an the bed was always made up nicely. Hawa is the local manager at the Hostel, and she is truly a hard worker. From the day you arrive, she will do her very best to assist you with whatever request you may have. She will go to 3 different supermarkets on a saturday evening (this was her day off in that particular week) to try and find an ice pack for one of the guests at the hostel. She will go out with us in the weekends to a bar, to make sure we get home safely, and just because she's so much fun to be with. Truly one of the brightest faces at the place. Mary, the general manager at the hostel, stops by several times a week to have a chat at the dinner table. She makes sure that everything is as it should be, and that we're all feeling well and in high spirits. If we have even the slightest thing that we're not happy about, Mary will for sure take care of it. It's great to be in contact with two managers at the hostel as well. All in all, a really great hostel that you'll for sure feel sad about leaving on your last day. A place i'll definitely hope to return to one day, to show my family and friends! - Thea…
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary M, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 24 July 2019
Hi Thea, Thank you very much for the review.We are very grateful to hear such nice words from you dada. We already miss our future president.We wish you all the best and welcome back to Hostel Hoff(Your second home)
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
I thoroughly enjoyed my fun, safe, relaxing time at Hostel Hoff . Although I was a bit older ((63) than most Hoffers at the time, I felt comfortable as the staff are very warm and accomodating, checkingi n with us all regularly as to how we were doing at our projects and in general. Mary and Hawa were available at any time to assist with advice, directions, calling a tuk tuk, etc. and their patience and helpfulness was very much appreciated. Elia and John along with two lovely dogs kept the place safe, the two cooks , Vicky and Jess ,were outstanding in their ability to deliver consistently nutritious, tasty meals. I esp loved the breakfast crepes. One minor suggestion: perhaps less white bread and rice and a pot of real - not powdered- African coffee would be a nice addition. Vicky also whips up fantastic clothes as she's an excellent tailor.Richard maintained the garden well - I esp loved watching the the poinsettia tree change color - and Domina worked tirelessly to keep the rooms, and common areas very clean. My room was up in the far corner -very quiet,spot next to the bathrooms and hot shower. I would recommend Hostel Hoff especially if it's your first experience in Africa or Tanzania.…
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Date of stay: June 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Mary M, General Manager at Hostel Hoff
Responded 24 July 2019
Hi dada, Thank you very much for such a great review. You were our role model and we will miss you greatly. We wish you all the best and we are looking forward to seeing you again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LOCATION
TanzaniaKilimanjaro RegionMoshi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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Frequently Asked Questions about Hostel Hoff
Which popular attractions are close to Hostel Hoff?
Nearby attractions include Kilimanjaro Climb For Charity (0.5 km), Mama Africa Giftshop (1.2 km), and by Blue Zebra (0.5 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Hostel Hoff?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, airport transportation, and laundry service.
What food & drink options are available at Hostel Hoff?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Hostel Hoff?
Conveniently located restaurants include Moshi Delight Restaurant, Milan's Restaurant, and Union Cafe.
Does Hostel Hoff have airport transportation?
Yes, Hostel Hoff offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Hostel Hoff located near the city centre?
Yes, it is 0.1 km away from the centre of Moshi.