Dar es Salaam

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Tanzania

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Shot from the plane on my first trip to Dar es Salaam.

Overview

Over the last century, Dar es Salaam has grown from a quiet Zaramo fishing village into a thriving tropical metropolis of over four million people. Straddling some of the most important sea routes in the world, it is East Africa’s second-busiest port and Tanzania’s commercial hub. Despite this, the city has managed to maintain a low-key, down-to-earth feel.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

National Museum & House of Culture
Dar es Salaam
The National Museum houses a copy of the famous fossil discoveries of zinjanthropus ('nutcracker man') from Olduvai Gorge, plus other archaeological finds…
Village Museum
Dar es Salaam
This open-air museum features a collection of authentically constructed dwellings illustrating traditional life in various parts of Tanzania. Each house…
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System
Dar es Salaam
The uninhabited islands of Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavini and Fungu Yasini, just off the coastline north of Dar es Salaam, form this marine reserve system…
Fish Market
Dar es Salaam
Head down to the Kivukoni fish market in the early morning to see fishers flog their catch to restauranteurs and homemakers with all the zeal of Wall St…
Azania Front Lutheran Church
Dar es Salaam
A striking edifice, with a red-roofed belfry overlooking the water, a rather stern Gothic interior and a marvellous, new handmade organ, this is one of…
Nafasi Art Space
Dar es Salaam
Aiming to be the leading contemporary art centre in Tanzania, Nafasi is a complex of studios housed in an old industrial warehouse in Mikocheni. Many…
Kunduchi Ruins
Dar es Salaam
These overgrown but worthwhile ruins include the remnants of a late 15th-century mosque as well as Arabic graves from the 18th or 19th centuries, with…
St Joseph Cathedral
Dar es Salaam
This spired, Gothic-style, Roman Catholic cathedral was built at the turn of the 19th century by German missionaries. In addition to the striking stained…