Dar es Salaam

Day 19: Journey to Dar es Salaam
We added another form of transport on our travels: the very packed ferry from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. The journey started in Zanzibar's principal ferry terminal in the port area of Stone Town, an exciting and hectic blend of tourists, locals, and porters. The ride on the ferry lasted for two hours and landed at the Kivukoni Ferry Terminal, near the center of the city.

We walked from there to our hotel, much easier since we had packed light, bringing only backpacks with three or four changes of clothing, making the city streets and crowds much simpler to get through. We checked into the hotel and then headed out once again, looking for a grocery store. What began as an errand turned into an impromptu adventure. Walking the streets of Dar es Salaam and doing some shopping among the locals provided us with an insight into the day-to-day life, products stocked, the lay-out of shops, and way the customer’s shop. It was an interesting yet straightforward way of interfacing with the culture.

Day 20 – Visit to Kariakoo Market and Botanical Gardens

Dar es Salaam is not your typical tourist destination. As the largest city in Tanzania, it is, busy commercial, and full of character but not particularly focused on tourism like Zanzibar. We didn’t rent a car and chose to walk everywhere, relying on phone apps to find our way.

We started the day with a walk to the Kariakoo Market. It is one of the city's busiest spots, where you can find everything from fresh produce and household goods to local crafts and souvenirs. The market was extremely crowded, an intense sensory experience with people, colors, and sounds coming from every direction. While it was interesting to see, it was a bit overwhelming, and probably not a place we would return to. From there, we walked to the Botanical Gardens. The journey was made more memorable thanks to some major road construction that made navigating the streets a bit of an adventure. Unfortunately, the gardens were underwhelming and we chose not to take a tour. In search of a break, we set out to find refreshments. 

 We stumbled upon a hotel with a bar, only to find it was under renovation. But in a wonderful twist, a hotel manager invited us to try their new bar and offered free drinks—asking if their staff could practice pouring beer for us. We happily agreed. After some hands-on “training,” and once we deemed the staff fully qualified, we made our way back to the hotel, ending the day with a story that was more memorable than the gardens.

Day 21 – National Museum & House of Culture, Coco Beach, Karambezi Café, Crafty Dee’s Brewery   

  On our last day of this amazing trip, we visited the National Museum and House of Culture. The museum does a great job telling Tanzania’s story, with exhibits ranging from replicas and casts of important fossils—most notably Zinjanthropus boisei (often called “Nutcracker Man”) from Olduvai Gorge to displays covering the country’s path to independence.   

After a long walk across the Tanzanite Bridge, we stopped at Coco Beach to rest and grab a snack before continuing to Karambezi Café for a late lunch. Along the way, we passed several embassies and enjoyed views of the rocky Indian Ocean shoreline. To celebrate the end of our incredible adventure, we made one final stop at Crafty Dee’s Brewery. After a day of walking we choice a tuk tuk back to the hotel to wrap up the day. 

Links to some helpful Websites

Crafty Dee's Brewery 

National Museum of Tanzania