Dar-es-Salaam
Dar-es-Salaam is a patchwork of past and contemporary cultures with Eastern, German and British influence – Eastern in the shops and Bazaars of India street, German in the almost Bavarian Railway station and the post telegraph offices, British in the legacy of flowers and gardens. It is fundamentally, however, a Swahili city. The first quality of the city that the visitor notices is the extreme friendliness of the people – beaming smiles enthusiastic conversation at the drop of a hat.
The word Dar-es-salaam is Swahili for ‘Haven of Peace’. The city’s natural harbour and its central location on the coast made it a natural choice for a trading centre. Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar had planned to develop the harbour in 1866. German colonists revived the Sultan’s plan in 1887.
Benedictine and Lutheran missionaries built churches and a hotel, the Kaiserhoff, for merchants. The town flourished with the building of the Central Railway which linked the coast with Lake Tanganyika in 1914. The British based their commercial and administrative centre here after the First World War.
The waterfront bustles with hawkers selling snacks. At the end of the Kivukoni Front you will find Kivuko Ferry shuttling people, produce and vehicles to Kigambini, a large fertile peninsula with beautiful beaches. Ocean Road is home to Kivukoni Fish Market the best place to buy fresh red snapper, lobster, prawns, squid, barracuda and shellfish.
The city’s Botanical Gardens are right next to the city centre – an oasis of cool garden and peace and queit. Across the street, is the National Museum with excellent cultural and archeological displays including the partial skull of the “Nutcracker man”, Mary Leakye’s discovery at Olduvai Gorge.
Morogoro Road takes you to the Asian District. Shop for gold work and textiles, Indian tea and snacks. Visit one of the many Hindu Temples in Kisutu Street.
The Gymkhana Club is the city’s main sports and recreational centre and is open to temporary members. It has a challenging 18-hole golf course, tennis, rugby, cricket, football, hockey, squash and table-tennis pitches.
Nyumba ya Sanaa (House of Art) is located near the entrance of the Club and is a must on any visitor’s itinerary.
For a taste of the real Tanzania visit Kariokoo Market. Everything sold here from fruit to traditional medicines and livestock.
The Village Museum: 10 km north along Bagamoyo Road has traditional houses representative of the homes of Tanzania’s different ethnic groups. Villagers demonstrate their ancient carving and weaving skills and the finished products are for sale. Dances take place on special holidays.
At the famous Mwenge Handicraft Centre on Mpakani Road you can see Makonde carvers carrying out their centuries old traditional craft.Visitor facilities on the beaches include:
- North of the city along Bagamoyo Road, beautiful white beaches, spotted with waving palms draw visitors and locals alike for a respite from the heat. Oyster Bay is nearest to the city. Oyster Bay Hotel is located behind in the beach.
- The fishing village of Kunduchi lies further along the road. The Kunduchi Beach Hotel is noted for its exemplary Swahili architecture. The Kunduchi Ruins are a short walk from the hotel. Little is known of their history. One of the ruined buildings is a 16th Century mosque and the 18th century graveyard set in a grove of baobab trees with graves marked by inscribed stone obelisks.
- Other resorts include White Sands, Bahari Beach, and Rungwe Oceanic.
- Most of the hotels offer boat trips by Ngalawa out to the nearby reefs, coral atolls and islands such as Mbudya, for excellent snockering.
Arusha
This is regarded one of Tanzania’s most attractive towns. It is located at the foot of Mount Meru in lush green countryside, surrounded by maize and wheat plantations, and has a temperate climate throughout the year.
For most visitors, Arusha is the gateway to the “northern circuit”. Generally, it is the place to go to arrange a safari. Once there, you may obtain further information in the tourist office on Boma Road, and the Tanzania National Parks office on 6th floor, Kilimanjaro Wing, International Conference Centre.
In Arusha, makonde curvings at prices lower than in Dar-es-Salaam.
Arusha is a modern town in every aspect and its visitor facilities cater to all budgets.
Mwanza
Mwanza is the most important Tanzanian port on Lake Victoria.
Bukoba
This is Tanzania’s second-largest port on Lake Victoria. The Wasukuma, the largest ethnic group in Tanzania, live here. They farm cotton, tea and coffee.
Among things of interest to the visitor is the Sukuma Museum (also called the Bujora Museum), which displays the culture and traditions of the Wasukuma.
Dodoma
This is the political headquarters of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Party, and the official capital of Tanzania. However, all foreign embassies and high commissions are in Dar-es-Salaam.
Kilwa
There are actually three Kilwas – the oldest, Kilwa Kisiwani (Kilwa on the island), lies on a small isalnd two kilometres offshore. Here are the ruins of the medieval city of Kilwa, once thought to be the site of King Solomon’s mines.
Kilwa Kivinje (Kilwa of the Censuarina Trees) was a major 19th century slave trading centre, while Kilwa Masoko (Kilwa of the market) is a regional headquarters.
The Kilwa area is of great historical interests and great scenic beauty. The Kilwas were at their height during the 12th century and continued until the 1800s, ending with the abolition of the slave trade. Power shifted and soon all that remined of the Kilwa’s former glory were the fabulous ruins along the coastline.
The coastline town of Kilwa is still beautiful. Kilwa Kivinje was the terminus of the southern caravaan route from Lake Nyasa . Over 20,000 slaves were exported from here annually during the 1860s . It was also the site of the Germans’ southern administrative headquarters.
A colorful market is held daily on the square at Kilwa Masoko. Men in white robes and women in black buibuis gather under the mango trees to barter fresh produce and a variety of goods.
Kilwa Kisiwani is famous for spectacular ruins, the finest and most intact collection of Islamic architecture south of the Sahara. These ruins, together with the stone town ruins on Songa Mnara Island, a few kilometres to the south as well as the ancient oblong houses of uninhabited Sanje ya Kati, make this area the historical nucleus of the south. Time bars visitors from venturing south of the Kilwas . Small fishing villages are scattered along the coast, unchanged by the progress of the rest of the country.
The town of Lindi is known for good fishing and fine beaches. The main southern port at Mtwara offers good swimming and snorkelling. The village of Mikindani is an old Arab seaport with narrow winding streets lined with small shops and mosques.
Visitor facilities include hotels at Kilwa, Lindi and Mtwara. Kilwa Masoko is the best base for exploring the Kilwa area. Going north, there are several delights for tourists on the coast and most are within easy reach of short stay visitors. Tanga is the largest town in the area.
Bagamoyo
The town of Bagamoyo was the centre of the 19th century slave trade. The name Bagamoyo is derived from the Swahili bwaga moyo, which means “to lose hope” or “where the heart lays down its burden”.
Many of the European explorers passed through here, including Burton, Speke, Grant, Stanley and Livingstone. The church, built by the Holy Ghost Fathers, is the oldest in East Africa and it was here that the preserved body of Livingstone lay before being shipped to England.
The beach that stretches to either side of Bagamoyo is everyone’s idea of a tropical paradise. In its day though, thousands of slaves were shipped from here on a regular basis. The Kaole Ruins dated from the 13th century and include what is thought to be the oldest mosque on the East African mainland. Bagamoyo Art College, 100m south of the Badeco Hotel, have free shows of traditional music, dancing and mime on weekends.
Located on the Bagamoyo-Pangani Road. the Sadani Game Reserve is one of the least visited in Tanzania and is the only East African Coastal reserve to harbour large mammals and also the only place where elephant can still be seen bathing in the Indian Ocean. Lion, leopard, zebra, roan antelope, giraffe, orynx and buffalo live in the reserve.
Pangani
The town of Pangani on Pangani River mouth has an attractive situation. The banks of the Pangani River are heavily forested and a magnificient beach sretches north of the estuary.
Tanga
The town of Tanga has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. There are various excursions that can be made from the town. The Amboni Caves are the most extensive limestone caves in East Africa. Locals believe a fertility god lives in them, and offerings are usually left for the diety.
The Tongoni Ruins are the remains of a Shirazi town from the 14th and 15th centuries. Its graveyard houses the largest concentration of historical tombs on the East African Coast.