Dar es Salaam, meaning The Haven of Peace in Arabic, has one of the best deep natural harbours in the world.
From a small Swahili town in the middle of the 19th century, Dar es
Salaam has grown into a large metropolitan centre with a population of
over 3,500,000 dwellers. The city population represents the over 120
tribes of Tanzania with their different cultural backgrounds coming
together, alongside the oriental civilizations from the far and middle
east, and the Europeans including early Portuguese visitors in the 16th
Century, the Germans and later the British.
All cultures at one time or another
passed through Dar es Salaam. It is necessary to visit Dar es Salaam to
understand the secret of letting different cultures live together in
absolute harmony. Being the commercial capital of Tanzania, Dar es
Salaam is also the main gateway to the nature reserves of southern
Tanzania, which include the Selous Game Reserve and the National Parks
of Mikumi, Ruaha and Udzungwa Mountains, Saadani and Kitulo.
It also serves as a convenient
connection for travel to the islands of Mafia, Zanzibar and Pemba both
by sea and air. A city tour of Dar es Salaam will take you to the
National Museum, Nyerere Cultural Centre, the Village Museum, Mwenge
Wood Carvings Market, and the Magogoni Fish Market, among other
interesting spots.