Dar es Salaam

Accommodation | Activities | Restaurants | Business Directory

General Information

Dar es Salaam, founded in 1860 by the Sultan Majid of Zanzibar, is located in the Pwani region of Tanzania. It is Tanzania's largest city and is also the country's commercial and social hub. Dar es Salaam is not a major tourist attraction and is mostly a quick stop off for those travelling to the beaches of Zanzibar or flying inland for the game viewing extravaganza.

It is a lively and bustling port city with its natural harbour, smooth surfaced streets and pavements spilling over with pedlars and colourful markets. The number of smart high-rise buildings are always increasing with good infrastructure.

Dar es Salaam has decent local and international transport links. The Julius K Nyerere International Airport is situated just outside the city centre and is the main airport serving the country. Tanzania Railways operates the Central Line from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma. The TAZARA Railway connects Dar es Salaam to Zambia.

The city generally has a tropical climate being close to the Equator and with the warm Indian Ocean. It is hot and humid throughout most of the year with only two rainy seasons in April/May and again in October/November.

Activities in Dar es Salaam

There are many things to do in and around Dar es Salaam:-

Kunduchi Wet & Wild Water World complex – perfect for families
Village Museum – consists of life-size replicas of huts built in architectural styles
Mwenge Market – unique Makonde carvings
Cocoa Beach
Fish Market – fish auctions
Botanical Gardens
Bongoyo Island
Pugu Hills Forest Reserve
Oyster Bay
Kariakoo Market
Coastal travels
bird walks
hiking

Please see the activities directory for more information.

Accommodation in Dar es Salaam

There are many accommodation options for tourists in Dar es Salaam, ranging from hotels to camping and back packers. New places seem to open at an ever-increasing pace. Please see the accommodation directory for more information.

Businesses

There are a large number of bars, coffee shops and restaurants. In the city centre, local goods are cheapest at stalls and markets. There are also a range of delicious local dishes from fish soup, smoked octopus to sea bass and snapper cooked in the traditional Swahili manner. One thing about these markets is the food is always fresh.

For more information on the businesses in the area, please see the business directory, or add your own free business listing.