Why Dar es salaam.
Why visit Dar es salaam.
Dar es salaam means haven of peace. The name was bestowed on the city during the time of Sultan Seyyid Majid, who chose the sleeping fishing village of Zaramo to have his summer palace, Bandur ul Salaam, the palace of peace. The village thrived and grew under the Sultan’s presence, becoming a centre of trade for ivory and slaves and transforming over time into the bustling city of Dar es Salaam.
The city is a hotchpotch of cultural influences, Arab, Indian, German and British influences to be found in the city’s architecture. Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus and Christians co-exist peacefully, with the wail of the azan blending into the sound of church bells in the mornings. Down at Kariakoo, Chinese electronics jostle with chickens in the market, cheerful Tingatinga paintings are stacked next to folded piles of khangas and kitenges, traditional medicines sit along side neat pyramids of fruit and vegetables as shopkeepers hawk their wares.
Visitors to Dar es Salaam are well catered for, with a choice of accommodation for all budgets, from backpacker hostels to five star hotels. For the business traveller, there are a number of hotels boasting world-class conference facilities.
There’s a mind boggling range of resturants offering Thai, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Ethiopian cuisine and more. Of course, you can also find local restaurants serving chipsi, ugali and nyama choma, freshly grilled meat.
Dar has an electric live music scene. Traditional taraab orchestras rub shoulders with dance bands playing jazz, salsa and afro funk. Rap, hip—hop and bongo flava artists collaborate and perform around the city. Tanzania’s best and most inventive musicians are showcased in May at the B-Connected Festival in Mnazi Moja Grounds. For film lovers, November sees Dar host the annual Euro African Film Festival.
The city is home to the internationally renowned East African Art Biennale, which exhibits work by contemporary artists, sculptors, photographers and cartoonists from all over Africa and beyond. The East African Art Biennale is held in December. The Nyumba ya Sanaa (Nyerere Cultural Centre) exhibits art and handicrafts throughout the year and gives visitors the chance to take part in workshops on painting, batik and etching. The National Museum and Botanical Gardens are also another diverting way to spend a day, tracing the history of Tanzania, from prehistoric fossils through to the relics of colonialism.
Beyond the museums, music and art found in the city centre, Dar has its own selection of spectacular beaches at Kunduchi, Mikadi, Mjirnwema and jangwani. At Jangwani, there’s snorkelling and diving on offer, with the chance to see tuna, king fish and even white tipped reef sharks. Kunduchi is home to Kunduchi Wet ‘n’ Wild, East Africa’s largest water park, with go-karting, quad-biking, waterskiing and slides, it is ideal for a day out with the family.
Scratch beyond the surface in Dar es Salaam and you’ll find it’s a city rich in diversity and filled with character.
