Dar es Salaam tours and excursions
Dar es Salaam tours
Dar Reality Tours
While Dar's recent history and daily life are quite fascinating, it can be hard to really make contact with either as a short-term visitor. Afri Roots' Dar Reality Tours are a brilliant way round that, leading groups by bike and on foot around the city to introduce them to what normal life is like in the back streets and markets. Visitors will also learn about the city's colonial past, plus its role in pan-African liberation struggles and international politics. Tours run regularly, but call in advance to ensure a guide is available.
Tel: 0732 926 350.Website: http://www.dar-reality-projects.org
City Tours
For a guided look around the city, Daigle Tours take visitors to see everything from the Kivukoni Fish Market and Botanical Gardens to the National Museum and a number of monuments and significant churches. Guides also take customers through the bustling Kariakoo Market and the Mwenge Carvers Market during the one-day tour. Trips include lunch and entrance fees.
Tel: 737 213 202Website: http://www.daigletours.com
Dar es Salaam excursions
Bagamoyo
Tanzania's oldest town and the original capital of German East Africa, the faded port of Bagamoyo is one of the most striking places on Tanzania's coast. Around 40 miles north of Dar Es Salaam, the town has a fascinating, if bleak history. This name of this former slave trading centre means "Lay down your heart" in Swahili. Remaining sites include ruined medieval mosques, well-preserved German fortifications and churches, and the bustling dhow-building yards along its waterfront. Bagamoyo is about an hour's drive from Dar, and is most comfortably reached by private taxi.
Website: http://www.visitbagamoyo.orgZanzibar
The island of Zanzibar is so beautiful and distinctive that most visitors choose to stay for at least a few days. It is, however, perfectly possible to visit within one as flights from Dar take just 25 minutes (as opposed to 2 hours by ferry). The best destination for a day trip is the capital Stone Town. One of East Africa's most beautiful cities, Stone Town has a fascinating afro-Arabic culture and a dense grid of picturesque old streets where mosques, churches and Hindu temples stand almost side by side. For something calmer, the beach, reefs and giant tortoise reserve at Prison Island are just 15 minutes by boat from Stone Town's waterfront.
Tel: (024) 223 3485.Website: http://www.zanzibartourism.net
Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve
Just off the coast are the islands of Bongoyo, Mbudya, Pangavini and Fungu Yasini, part of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve. Bongoyo, 7km (4.5 miles) north of Dar es Salaam, and Mbudya, 4km (2.5 miles) further up the coast, are the most frequently visited, with good beaches, swimming and snorkelling.
Tel: (022) 215 0621.Website: http://www.marineparks.go.tz
