Dar es Salaam

Flights to Dar es Salaam

Direct prices from airlines | Crazy Llama

September 17

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Dar es Salaam is rarely the main tourist destination in Tanzania. This is usually just a necessary arrival point on the way to the safari. But in this city it is best to get acquainted with the local culture. Walk around the markets (only very carefully), wander through the streets, talk with the locals. Africa is represented in all its diversity.

Julius Nyerere International Airport, DAR

African airports do not have a special level of service or technological sophistication. Their main task is to let through some number of passengers. But in what conditions these passengers find themselves at the airport is another question.

 

Dar es Salaam Airport is not different from other typical African airports. There is no Internet, there is no place to be especially comfortable with any level of comfort, you should not expect miracles from the staff as a service. During arrival, long lines are possible due to the slowness of employees. This is all normal for Tanzania, so do not be surprised.

How to get from the airport to the city center?

The airport is 10 km away from the center. And you can drive, for example, by taxi. It’s better to negotiate the payment in local currency: so the drivers will understand that you are a little price-conscious and you won’t be fooled. A trip to the center will cost about 15 dollars, if counted from Tanzanian shillings, and if you agree in dollars, they will tell you the price twice as high.

A taxi outside the airport will take you even cheaper. In this case, it will be possible to get to the center for 4-8 dollars. But keep in mind that it’s best not to do like that at night.

And the cheapest way to get to Dar es Salaam is with Dala Dala city buses. To catch it, you will also have to leave the airport area and find the nearest stop. In just 20 cents, a minibus (at best) takes you to the city bus station. But be prepared that Dala-Dala is more often converted trucks than real buses.

Quick facts about Dar es Salaam

Car rent
from $ 21 per day
Hotel booking
from $ 8 per night
Currency
TZS
Tanzanian shilling

Reference average prices in Dar es Salaam

🌭 Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant
$ 1,74
🍕 Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course
$ 30,46
🍺 Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$ 1
🚌 One-way Ticket (Local Transport)
$ 0,17
🏠 Apartment rent per month (1 bedroom in City Centre)
$ 404,81

Best time to visit Dar es Salaam

Best season to travel: June to October and December to March
Prices
Hotel from $8
Temperature
The average temperature during the year ranges from 19°C to 31°C
Precipitation
The average rainfall per year is 1038 mm
Weather

During the year in Dar es Salaam, the dry season is replaced by the wet twice. Therefore, travelers should catch dry periods so as not to stay in the hotel constantly.

Dar es Salaam Sightseeings

From Arabic Dar es Salaam can be translated as "House of the World", and this is a completely fair definition of the city. Its formation was influenced by many local rulers, as well as the frequent "guests" of the city, the Germans and the British. Once it was just a fishing village. Now Dar es Salaam has become the largest city in Tanzania and one of the most important shopping centers in East Africa.

Bongoyo Island

Dar es Salaam is a large and bustling city. If you suddenly get tired of all this fuss, you can always escape to Bongoyo Island. It is close enough so that it can be easily and quickly reached. But at the same time, it is far enough from the center to get rid of city noise.

 

Bongoyo is an ideal place for swimming, getting the perfect African tan and complete relaxation. The beach is rather narrow but long. If you take a little walk along it, you will find almost deserted places without extra people.

Tanzanian Cultural Heritage Center

Despite such a pompous name, this is not a museum, but rather a shopping center. At the same time, all the goods in local stores are somehow part of the culture of Tanzania. Here you can find all sorts of authentic figures, traditional clothes, even local products. So tourists can not only get acquainted with African culture, but also take it with them as a souvenir.

Kariakoo Market

Another unique experience is a walk through the local Kariakoo market. There is always lively traffic and a huge variety of goods. Even if you usually do not like to go shopping, you need to look here for the local flavor. African markets are generally unique. The main thing to remember is that you need to bargain for any product. Well, also do not keep valuables in sight. Just in case.

Azania Front

The Lutheran Church of Azania Front was built here by German missionaries back in 1898. Now it is one of the main attractions of Dar es Salaam. Moreover, the church is still used for its intended purpose. In addition, the local church choir often rehearses here. If you're lucky, you can spy on an unusual performance.

Coco Beach

This is one of the favorite gatherings of locals in the evenings. Yes, and tourists, too, it should be noted. Come here on the weekend. The beach turns into a small grocery market where you can get local snacks, take a walk along the coast and watch the local nightlife. It may even be possible to dance to African motives.

Village Museum

If you want to learn more about traditional Tanzanian architecture and life (and you are a tourist, so you definitely want to), you urgently need to go to this open-air museum. It reproduces the traditional houses of different regions of Tanzania, usual for local furniture and other elements of daily life. In the afternoon, the museum hosts an hour-long show with dances of different tribes.

What to eat in Dar es Salaam

In the city called “House of the World”, it’s easy to guess, that food also fell under the influence of different cultures. So if you are really afraid of the exotic, you will still find some familiar dishes, from Arabic to Mediterranean.

For example, try a local kebab. In Dar es Salaam it is called Mishkaki. Most often it is made from beef, goat meat or chicken. And you can often buy it right along the road from one of the open barbecue facilities.

From Tanzanian cuisine, you may be surprised at the strange taste of Ugali. This is corn or cassava flour mixed with water to the state of either a bun or mashed potato. A hot dish is served with gravy and usually eaten by hand.

Baobabs can be an unusual snack, but one of the most interesting. They are considered superfood, rich in all imaginable vitamins and other goodies. And after you should drink coconut water, which is cheaper than a regular mineral water here.

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