"Dar" a Dar es Salaam Travel Page by JohnniOmani

To most travellers, Dar es Salaam is just a convenient port of call on the way to more exotic destinations of Zanzibar, the game parks, Pemba or Mafia Islands. This is a great pity, because Dar, as it is affectionately called by the locals of the city, is a fascinating tropical port, often surprising travellers with scenes of breathtaking beauty. While Dodoma has been appointed as the new capital of Tanzania, Dar is the real capital, a hustling, bustling seaport that is near some of the most important sea routes on earth. I spent about 3 days in Dar and I had a blast :) I even had fun buying vintage ts in the markets :)

Life in Dar es Salaam revolves around the huge harbour, with the business district fanning out from here in a series of fascinating side and main streets. There is something amazing about spending a few hours sitting at the waters edge, watching dhows, as traditionally rigged as they have been for centuries going back out to sea. At the northern end of the harbour is Kivukoni Front, with its bustling fish market, where every morning at dawn the dhows sail in to offload the nights catch, and yelling fishwives compete with each other for the best of the catch. Wandering the streets of Dar is nowhere more rewarding than in the Asian business district, along India Street and the intersecting Indira Ghandi Street. Here the flavours and smells are of a little Bombay, and if theres anything you need to buy for your holiday, this is where you ll find it. In this concentrated section of the city, you ll find some of the best restaurants in East Africa. Dar is great fun.