There are busses to and from Arusha via Kondoa to the north. The road is not paved, and can be bad in the rainy season. The highway is known as the Great Northern Highway. Travel time is often in excess of 12 hours, and breakdowns are common. The best plan would be to use Kondoa as an intermediate overnight point and continue north or south the next day.
There are also busses to and from Iringa. Travel time is about six hours on a winding gravel road of varying quality. The road passes right over the Mtera Dam which is worth a look.
'''New Dodoma Hotel''' has excellent European, Tanzanian, and Asian food. There is also a Chinese restaurant of excellent quality (the owners are Chinese). Meals begin around 3000/= at the snack bar and go up to 12,000/=. Drinks are unreasonably expensive, at 2,000/= for a Kilimanjaro domestic beer.
'''VETA''' has good food, when they eventually bring it to you, but choice can be limited unless you are there during Parliament sessions. Prices are reasonable.
'''Nam Hotel''' also has excellent food, at reasonable prices. It's on the other side of the airfield.
There are two great places for ordering traditional grilled pork (kiti moto). One is down the road from VETA at the highway junction. A kilo of meat with kachumbari salad will cost about 2500/=. The other is on the other side of the air field at Jacana Park. Prices comparable. If you are fond of animals, hold your ears when they slaughter the pig.
There are also more atmospheric places, fresh and tasty on the Uhindini Road, across from Victory Bookshop, at reasonable prices.
'''NK Disco''' operates on Friday nights and is popular with the younger set. A nice place to have a quiet drink and watch TV is at '''VETA'''.
For those on a budget '''CCT hostel''', near the roundabout has clean double rooms, self-contained toilet, for 6000/=. Breakfast is included, but very basic. They do make an excellent omelet. Upscale is the '''Nam Hotel''', across the airfield. Clean doubles, satellite TV, and good food for 18,000/=.
A bit up market is '''VETA''', out near the Parliament. In fact MPs often stay there. Clean doubles (24,000/=) and singles (12,000/=) self contained, and a very nice TV bar, where you can rub elbows with important people. Food takes a long time, so order early.
The '''New Dodoma Hotel''' is across the street from the railway station. Excellent quality double rooms for 50,000/= and excellent food as well. They have a pool.
There are numerous guest houses of varying quality; Shukrani is nice but noisy (6,000/=)located right near a mosque, where you will be awoken by the morning call to prayer. There are also a rapidly growing number of smaller hotels, so shopping around is becoming increasingly possible.