Best Things to Do in Dar es Salaam Tanzania: Day 12 Travel Guide & Tips

Stepping into Dar es Salaam for the first time, I was immediately warned about safety concerns, which kept me confined to the upscale peninsula – the city’s most affluent district.

This exclusive stretch of coastline is dominated by luxurious restaurants and five-star hotels, leaving just one public beach oasis known as Coco Beach for ordinary visitors like myself.

Since waterfront hotels in this posh neighborhood carried eye-watering price tags, my modest accommodation was tucked further inland, making Coco Beach my only seaside escape.

While the ocean views dazzled, the restaurant prices remained stubbornly elite. At a Persian eatery, a single Middle Eastern platter set me back over 100 RMB. Perhaps due to fewer customers on this “commoners’ shore,” the lamb and chicken tasted suspiciously stale – a suspicion confirmed when my stomach revolted violently two hours after returning to my room.

These days, I’ve not only broken free from the gilded cage of the affluent quarter but ventured much further – exploring a rustic fishing village in the distant suburbs where I eagerly await the day’s fresh catch alongside local fishermen. The authentic Tanzania I came to discover finally reveals itself beyond the tourist bubble.