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Getting There By Air:

Dar es Salaam International Airport (DAR)
Tel: (022) 284 2461 or 284 4371.
Website: www.tanzaniairports.com

Located 12km (7.5 miles) southwest of the city center on Nyerere Road, this is the main arrival point for domestic and overseas flights. It has two terminals, about 700m (2,300ft) apart. Terminal 2 is newer and has most scheduled domestic and international flights. Terminal 1 is customarily used for charter flights.

The airport has a scant collection of amenities including a handful of exchange bureaus, some souvenir shops, a bar, a restaurant and an Internet connection. Avoid the touts and agencies here as many are unreliable.

To get to and from the airport take a dalla-dalla (minibuses) signed U/Ndege (short for Uwanja wa Ndege, meaning airport) or a taxi.

Getting There By Water:

Ferries run daily between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Pemba from the Dar es Salaam Ferry Terminal on Sokoine Drive. Tickets can be bought from the office here. There are several ‘fast’ services and one slower one. Dhows also ply these routes although officially foreigners are prohibited from catching non-motorized dhows and boat captains are subject to heavy fines if caught. There are two types of dhow. Jahazi are large, lateen-sailed boats, whilst Mashua are similar, but smaller and therefore have proportionally wider hulls and usually a motor.

Dalla-dallas (minibuses) run regularly past the ferry terminal. Alternatively it is not too far to walk to the city center.

Getting There By Road:

Only around 20% of Tanzania’s roads are sealed, including those between Dar es Salaam and Arusha, and Dar es Salaam and Mbeya. Depending on the weather conditions, the remainder can be average to impassable. Unless you are familiar with driving in East Africa, it is unusual to tour the country by car. Most people base themselves in a region and arrange for a tour agent or safari operator to organize transport.

If you are coming into the country in a private vehicle you’ll need the registration papers and your driving license, or preferably an international driving license, as well as a temporary import permit, which you must buy at the border in addition to a one-off fuel levy. You will also require a carnet de passage en douane, which acts as a temporary waiver of import duty. Tanzanians drive on the left. The speed limit is 80kph (50mph) unless otherwise shown. Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear seat belts.

There are a handful of car hire agencies in Dar es Salaam, including Avis on Ohio Street (tel: (022) 211 5381; website: www.avis.com), Green Car Rentals on Nkrumah Street (tel: (022) 218 2022) and Hertz on Ohio Street (tel: (022) 212 2130; website: www.hertz.com). Most companies insist that you hire a 4-wheel drive vehicle if driving outside the city and may require you to also hire a driver.

Dar es Salaam’s main bus terminal is at Ubungo, 8km (5 miles) west of the city on Morogoro Road. To get to and from Ubongo, catch a dalla-dalla (minibuses) or hail a taxi. However, the bus company Scandinavian Express (tel: (022) 218 4833; website: www.scandinaviagroup.com) operates its own terminal on the corner of Msimbazi Street and Nyerere Road, which is quieter and closer than Ubungo, where they also have a ticket office.

Two other big bus companies are Dar Express (tel: 0748 276 060) and Royal Coach (tel: (022) 212 4073). Each bus line has its own booking office near the station on Libya Street, except for Scandinavian Express who sell tickets online or at their own terminal. Prices are usually fixed and should always be bought from the office, never from a tout.

Express buses are quicker, less crowded and run according to a schedule. Some have air conditioning and toilets on board. Ordinary buses are more congested, slower and leave when full.

Scandinavian Express also runs a number of daily international bus services between Dar es Salaam and Nairobi in Kenya, via Arusha, as well as Dar es Salaam to Mombasa on the Kenyan coast. There are also bus services from Dar es Salaam to Lilongwe in Malawi, Kampala in Uganda and Lusaka in Zambia.

Getting There By Rail:

Tanzania has two rail lines and main stations. Tazara Station, on the corner Nyerere and Nelson Mandela Roads (tel: (022) 286 0344; website: www.tazara.co.tz), is around 6km (4 miles) southwest of the city center and links Dar es Salaam to cities in the southwest and to Zambia. To get to and from the station catch a dalla-dalla (minibuses) or hail a taxi. The Tanzanian Railway Corporation’s Central Line station, on the corner of Railway Street and Sokoine Drive ( tel: (022) 211 7833; website: www.trctz.com), is more central and joins Dar es Salaam to Kigoma, Mwanza, Dodoma and Tabora.

There are three classes of travel based on the number of beds per compartment. Tazara is generally more comfortable, but both operators are prone to long delays and breakdowns.

Getting Around:

Public Transport
For long-distance travel take one of the buses run by the companies detailed above. For shorter journeys, both within the city and the surrounding region, the choice is between 30-seater ‘Coaster’ buses or dalla-dallas, which are smaller minibuses. These both run when full and can be awkward to try and board with luggage. Dalla-dallas are probably the least safe transport option, as drivers race each other to pick-up points to collect new passengers. They are cheap and surprisingly efficient though. The names of the first and last stop are shown in the front window or hollered out by the driver’s assistant, who also collects the fares. Main terminals include New Posta in front of the main post office on Maktaba Street, Kariakoo on Msimbazi Street, Kivukoni on Kivukoni Front and Stesheni on Algeria Street, near to the Central Line train station.

Taxis
Taxis are distinguished by their white number plates. Price rates are not fixed, cars have no meters and you must negotiate the best deal before setting off. There are no meters, so agree a rate before the journey. Taxi ranks can be found throughout the city, usually in front of larger hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants or landmark buildings. Shared taxis are relatively rare.

Bicycle Hire
Main sealed roads are not good for cycling, as it can be very dangerous. Many of the secondary roads are safer though. Mountain bikes are virtually essential and should be brought from home as hired bikes tend to be of poor quality. The International Bicycle Fund (website: www.ibike.org/bikeafrica) organizes cycling tours throughout Tanzania.

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