A harbour city, Dar Es Salaam is probably best known for its more famous Tanzanian cousins, Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Much like its alluring neighbours, Dar es Salaam is a melting pot of influences thanks to its past as an important trading centre.
Having achieved its independence as recently as 1963, the city is embracing the founder of Dar es Salaam, a sultan of Zanzibar’s, original intention for the city; that it be a Palace of pleasure and peace. Visitors can enjoy the ancient history of the region at the Village Museum which showcases traditional Tanzanian music and dance daily, snorkel, swim and sunbath at one of the local beaches and enjoy tropical flora and fauna at the Botanical Gardens.
As it is a Muslim city, Dar es Salaam tourist guides won’t be able to offer much in the way of bars, but the food and music will more than make up for that. The heady mixture of Arab, Asian, African and German colonial influences make for a cosmopolitan city, you’ll find it hard to forget.