Dar es Salaam

National Museum of Tanzania & the Zinj Skull

The National Museum of Tanzania (Shaaban Robert Street; USD 5; Mon–Fri 9:30am–6pm; Sat–Sun 9:30am–5pm; the most important museum in Tanzania; the natural history, cultural history, and archaeology of Tanzania from the Dinosaur Age to independence; the fossil collection from Tendaguru — the world’s finest collection of Late Jurassic African dinosaur fossils; the hominin fossil casts from Olduvai Gorge including the “Zinj skull” — the Paranthropus boisei skull Mary Leakey discovered in 1959; the colonial history collection; the independence movement archive; and the German East Africa collection from the 1880–1918 colonial period) is the finest single museum in East Africa.

Allow 2–3 hours for the National Museum (the dinosaur fossil room — the Brachiosaurus and Dicraeosaurus bones from Tendaguru; the hominin fossil cast room — the Zinj skull; the Laetoli footprints cast; the Homo habilis collection; the cultural history room — the traditional dugout canoe from Lake Tanganyika; the German colonial maps; the Tanganyika African National Union independence display). The museum provides the most comprehensive overview of Tanzania’s natural and cultural history available in the country.

Photo: Jaba1977, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kariakoo Market — the Largest Market in East Africa

Kariakoo Market (the Kariakoo neighbourhood; free entry; open daily 6am–6pm; the largest covered and outdoor market in East Africa; 4 city blocks of stalls selling: fresh tropical produce (the finest mango, jackfruit, and coconut in Dar es Salaam), dried fish (the dagaa — the tiny Lake Tanganyika sardines — in 50kg sacks), fresh spices (the finest clove and cardamom outside Zanzibar), fabric and batik kanga cloth (the printed East African wrap; the finest selection in Tanzania), secondhand clothes, electronics, and hardware) is the definitive market experience in Tanzania and the finest free urban exploration in Dar es Salaam.

The Kariakoo market at 7–9am (the most active; the fresh produce arriving; the freshest fish; the market women in kanga wraps arranging the spice stalls; the daladala minibuses unloading market-bound traders) is the finest time. Bring a guide or confident Swahili (the market is genuine; not tourist-oriented; a local guide from your hotel — USD 10–20 for 2h — provides cultural context and prevents the occasional overcharging of tourists unfamiliar with local prices). Budget TZS 10,000 for a bag of fresh fruit and spices.

Photo: Moongateclimber, Public domain

Zanzibar Ferry — the Most Scenic Indian Ocean Crossing

The Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar ferry (the Azam Marine or Kilimanjaro Fast Ferries; USD 35 tourist class; USD 25 economy class; departures daily at 7:30am, 9:30am, 12pm, and 3pm; the 2-hour crossing on the Indian Ocean; the Dar es Salaam skyline receding; the Zanzibar archipelago approaching; the dhow traffic on the ocean; the flying fish alongside the hull; the most scenic and practical transport in Tanzania) is the finest single mode of transport in East Africa and the essential Zanzibar approach for travellers based in Dar es Salaam.

Book the Zanzibar ferry at least 2 days ahead online (the Azam Marine website; the 7:30am departure reaches Zanzibar by 9:30am and allows a full day in Stone Town; the 9:30am departure arrives by 11:30am — better for accommodation check-in; tourist class is USD 35 for an air-conditioned cabin section; economy class USD 25 for the open deck). The ferry terminal (the Kivukoni ferry terminal; 20 minutes by taxi from the Msasani hotels; the immigration and customs checkpoint on arrival in Zanzibar; carry your passport).

Slipway & Msasani Peninsula

The Slipway complex (the Msasani Peninsula; 10km north of the city centre by taxi; USD 5–10; the finest waterfront dining and craft market in Dar es Salaam; the dhow-building yard visible from the complex; the Indian Ocean sunset over the Msasani Bay; the restaurant cluster — the Waterfront Restaurant (the finest seafood in Dar es Salaam; USD 20–40; the fresh catch: lobster, red snapper, and prawns in the finest Swahili coconut sauce); the small craft market with Tingatinga art — the Tanzanian folk painting tradition using bright enamel paint; the finest Tingatinga originals in Dar es Salaam) is the finest evening destination in the city.

Taxi from your Dar es Salaam hotel to the Slipway (USD 5–10; 20–30 minutes; the Msasani Peninsula road; the most upscale neighbourhood in Dar es Salaam; the embassies, international schools, and expatriate compounds). The Slipway sunset (the Indian Ocean horizon to the west; the dhow-building yard active in the late afternoon; the fishing boats returning; the craft market open from 4pm) followed by the Waterfront Restaurant dinner (the fresh catch of the day; the coconut fish curry; the prawn piri piri; USD 25–40; the finest meal in Dar es Salaam) is the essential Dar es Salaam evening programme.

Photo: Xiaotong Gao, CC BY-SA 3.0