Dar es Salaam ‎ (meaning ‘Haven of Peace’), is the largest city in Tanzania (population estimated at 4 million), the third-fastest-growing city in Africa and the ninth-fastest- growing in the world. Though Dar es Salaam lost its official status as capital city to Dodoma in 1973, it remains the centre of the permanent central government bureaucracy and continues to serve as the capital for the surrounding Dar es Salaam Region. Dating back to 1857, the city has a very humid climate and relatively stable temperatures, both in terms of night-to-day, and summer-to-winter. The driest and coolest season is June-October, the short rains fall October-December, and the long rains March-May. 

What to see

Dar, as it is popularly known, is full of historical buildings, many of which date back to German and British colonial times. Spanning two sweeps of bay, looking out over the Indian Ocean, the city is relaxed in atmosphere and can easily be navigated on foot (the guided city tour takes around 2 hours). 

Tours

The best place to begin a tour is at the very heart of the city: the Askari Monument, erected in memory of the African troops who fought in World War I. Head south, and you come to the harbour and the site of the imposing Lutheran church, one of the first buildings constructed during the German occupation. Along the waterfront, street-vendors sell peanuts, candy and stalks of sugarcane. At the end of the Kivukoni Front is the Kivukoni Ferry, which shuttles people, produce and vehicles across the harbour to Kigamboni, a large fertile peninsula where mangoes, pawpaws, cassava, bananas and coconuts grow right down the edge of the beach. Ocean Road leads away from the ferry along the water’s edge, home to the bustling Kivukoni Fish Market, where you can buy red snapper, lobster, prawns, squid, barracuda and shellfish straight from the sea. State House lies past the fish market along Ocean Road. Built in 1922 on the foundation of the old German palace, it is a well-maintained government residence offering a blend of African and Arabic architecture. North of Ocean Road are the Botanical Gardens, home of the Dar es Salaam Horticultural Society and one of the few places in the world where you can see coco-de-mer palm trees growing other than in the Seychelles. Across the street is the National Museum, an interesting cultural centre built in 1940. Heading south around the bay is St Joseph’s Cathedral, with its distinctive red-tiled spire, and Dar’s oldest surviving building, the Old Boma (1867), which was built to house the guests of Sultan Majid.

Where to stay

Dar offers a huge variety of accommodation options. At the top-end are; the 180-room, 5-star Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, which overlooks the harbour and offers a range of restaurants, bars, a spa, pool and gym; the Southern Sun Hotel (Garden Avenue), formerly The Holiday Inn, which offers 150 rooms, a popular restaurant, a pool and beautiful gardens; and the Royal Palm Moevenpick, which offers 230 rooms, a choice of restaurants, a shopping arcade and an outdoor pool and gardens. Many other beachside resorts are offered on the southern and northern beaches. A similarly wide range of mid-range and economy options are available.

Eating out

Eating out in Dar is a cosmopolitan experience: traditional Tanzanian food can be had on almost any street, ranging from grilled-meat kebabs to corn-on-the-cob (some of the best street food is found on Zanaki Street). As to restaurants, choices include: Italian, Chinese, Japanese, South-Asian, Indian, Ethiopian and Middle-Eastern. For high-end international cuisine, head to the Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski, the Southern Sun or the Royal Palm Moevenpick. 

Bars

Due to the strong Muslim presence, some hotels do not serve alcohol. There is, however, a wide selection of bars. Best-known are The Florida Inn, a block from the ferry port, Level 8 Bar in the Kilimanjaro Kempinski Hotel, Zens Bar (Msikiti Street), Q Bar (Selassie Road, Oyster Bay), Sweet Eazy on the Msasani Peninsular, or O'Willies Irish Whiskey Tavern (at the Peninsula Hotel, near the Slipway). Also very popular is Club Bilicanas (Mkwepu Street).

Night life

Most hotels have regular discos or live music, especially at the weekends; as do the majority of bars. 

Live music 

Concerts of classical music are frequently presented by the British Council the Alliance Francaise and other embassies. African bands and artists play regularly at most hotels and restaurants, especially at the weekends. 

Cinemas

There is a modern cinema at Mlimani City Shopping Mall and another on Bagamoyo Road. 

Theatre

There is only one theatre, The Little Theatre, in Oyster Bay, which offers a wide range of productions.  

What’s on

To find out what’s on read the two free magazines What's Happening in Dar and The Dar es Salaam Guide.  

Sports

Dar offers its own Yacht Club on the Msasani Peninsula, while the Gymkhana on Gymkhana Road offers tennis courts and golf. Most hotels offer swimming pools, tennis, squash and more. There are also a number of dive schools and water sports centres. 

Cultural venues

The Museum and House of Culture Dar es Salaam (next to the Botanical Gardens and formerly the National Museum): Opened in 1940, the museum features traditional craft items, headdresses, ornaments, musical instruments and witchcraft accoutrements. The museum also houses finds from Olduvai Gorge, most importantly the fossilized skull of Zinjanthropus or ‘nutcracker man’. For further information visit:  www.houseofculture.or.tz.

Nyumba ya Sanaa Complex (junction of Ohio Street and Ali Mwinyi Road): An art gallery offering works in oils, water colours and chalk, the complex also showcases traditional Tanzanian dance displays. 

Shopping 

The city offers a wide range of shopping malls (Haidery Plaza, Mayfair Plaza, Mlimani City Shopping Mall, Oyster Bay Hotel Shopping Centre, Shoppers’ Plaza and The Slipway Complex to name but a few). Good buys include; semi-precious Tanzanite jewellery, Makonde wood carvings, soapstone sculpture, musical instruments, basket ware, Maasai beadwork, sisal mats, brightly coloured sarongs known as kangas (for women) and kikois (for men), spices, curios and paintings. Worth visiting are:

Msasani Slipway Weekend Craft Market: for handicrafts and paintings including a large selection of Tingatinga-style paintings. 

Tingatinga Centre: (Haile Selassi Road, Oyster Bay), the place where Edward Tingatinga originally marketed his designs and one of the best places to buy and watch artists at work. 

Wasanii Art Gallery: (Msasani Slipway), a showcase for up-and-coming artists. 

Mwenge Carvers’ Market: (opposite the Village Museum), is packed with vendors and you can watch carvers at work. 

Markets

There are a number of markets, the largest and most colourful being Kariakoo Market, which offers a huge variety of clothes, foodstuffs, spices and traditional medicines. It gets its name from the British Carrier Corps, which was stationed here during World War II. 

Wildlife

The Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (www.wcstonline.org) offers twice-monthly bird walks. 

Beaches

Oyster Bay and the Northern Beaches

6km north of the city centre, Dar’s white sandy beaches with their swaying palms and pounding surf begin.  Oyster Bay is the nearest beach to the city and is ‘the place to be’ at weekends. The coastline about 25km north of Dar and east of New Bagamoyo Road is lined with resorts and is a popular weekend resort. 

The Southern Beaches 

The coastline south of Dar gets more attractive, tropical, and rural the further south you go, and is an easily accessible getaway. The beach begins just south of Kigamboni, which can be reached in a few minutes by ferry.