Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

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WHY GO NOW?

The high season is easing off, hotel rates reflect slackening demand, but hot, dry days are assured for a month or two yet. For tourists, Tanzania's biggest city is mainly a jumping-off point for Zanzibar or the game parks of the interior, but this informal, relaxed city is well worth exploring.

BEAM DOWN

BA (0870 850 9850; www.ba.com) flies non-stop from Heathrow to Dar. Many other airlines offer connections, including Emirates (0870 243 2222; www.emirates.com), which flies from Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow via Dubai.

J K Nyerere airport is 13km west of the city centre. Avoid the overcrowded bus service into town: you should be able to negotiate a taxi fare for Tsh10,000 (£4.75).

GET YOUR BEARINGS

Dar es Salaam has developed around its fine natural harbour, and the main points of interest are either on the waterfront or within sight of it. Recent expansion has carried the city northwards to the Msasani Peninsula, a pleasant, breezy area about 15 minutes from the city centre. The best way to get about is by dala-dala - a minibus with its destinationon the front. Wherever you go, the fare is Tsh200 (95p). The tourist office (00 255 22 213 1555; www.tanzaniatouristboard.com), on the main shopping street, Samora Machel Avenue (1), opens 8am-4pm Monday-Friday; 8.30am-12.30pm Saturday.

CHECK IN

If you want to escape the downtown bustle, there's no better location than the Sea Cliff Hotel (00 255 22 260 0380; www.hotelseacliff.com) at Toure Drive on the Msasani Peninsula (2). Its three restaurants and many rooms overlook the sea, and walkways lead down to swimming platforms. In common with all Dar's top hotels, prices are quoted in US dollars, and include continental breakfast. Double rooms start at $190 (£105). In the central district, the Peacock Hotel (3) (Bibi Titi Mohammed Street; 00 255 22 212 0334; www.peacock-hotel.co.tz) is busy and competitively priced at $88/£49 for a double room. A no-frills option in the centre is the Riki Hill Hotel (00 255 22 218 181820), opposite a pub of the same name on the corner of Uhuru and Livingstone streets (4). Air-conditioned double rooms cost $54 (£30).

TAKE A VIEW

Overlooking the harbour and ferry terminal, the Summit Bar, on the eighth floor of the five-star Kilimanjaro (5) hotel, has unrivalled views of the water and its constant stream of traffic, much of it sail-powered.

A WALK IN THE PARK

A short distance north-east of the commercial centre's hectic streets is a surprisingly large area of green space (6), with a golf course, gymkhana club and cricket ground. Follow the road through the middle and you'll reach a shingle beach.

LUNCH ON THE RUN

Steers, on the corner of Samora Avenue and Ohio Street (7), is the city's best burger bar. The French-owned bakery next door, Epidor, does quality sandwiches and salads, with branches on Samora Avenue (1) and at the Sea Cliff Village shopping mall (8).

CULTURAL AFTERNOON

The Tanzania National Museum on Shabaan Robert Avenue (9) contains the fossil discoveries from Olduvai Gorge that proved for the first time that man was walking upright more than a million years ago. But, in general, African cities are not conducive to the study of glass cabinets, and the museum has a fascinating outdoor extension about 12km north of the city centre. The National Village Museum (00 255 22 270 0437) on the Bagamoyo Road (10), consists of 20 traditional homesteads from every ethnic region in Tanzania, reconstructed by the tribes who once lived in them. Artists and crafts men and women make and sell their wares, and there are musical performances most afternoons. The museum opens from 9.30am-6pm; admission Tsh2,000 (95p).

WINDOW SHOPPING

Imported items tend to be highly priced, so it's more rewarding to concentrate on the local markets rather than the shopping malls, although the new Slipway complex (11) on the Msasani Peninsula has an excellent handicraft market every Saturday morning. For Tanzania's vividly-coloured tingatinga paintings, head to Morogoro Stores at Oyster Bay (12), where the artists paint on every conceivable surface as you browse. Near the National Village Museum, on the Bagomoyo Road (10), Makonde tribespeople from the interior display and sell their intricate wood carvings and fabrics. Bargaining can pay dividends, but don't be surprised when an apparently primitive stall turns out to have its own international shipping arrangements. The country's unique (usually deep blue) tanzanite gemstone is sold at numerous jewellery stores along Samora Avenue (1). Bear in mind, though, that the stone has a rare beauty, and the finest specimens are exported to the US.

AN APERITIF

The bar at Coco Beach (13) is a favoured spot for watching the Indian Ocean sunset, accompanied by a cosmopolitan buzz, effervescent music, and the aroma of mishkaki kebabs. One of several lively bars in the Oyster Beach area (14), Jackie's is hard to locate because it doesn't bother with a sign, but is so popular that anyone can direct you there. Tourists mingle with locals at pavement tables shaded by trees, and a refreshing glass of locally brewed Kilimanjaro or Safari beer is Tsh800 (40p).

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

The Tausi restaurant at the Peacock Hotel (3) is deservedly popular, serving meat and fish dishes in traditionally tangy Tanzanian sauces. A three-course meal costs around $12 (£6.50). There's an air of organised chaos at the Rose Garden (15) at Garden Road in Mikocheni (00 255 22 277 2421), where tables are laid out in an attractive, but noisy, courtyard. Goat, chicken, beef and fish are prepared any way you want them. Main courses cost around Tsh4,000 (£1.90). A more restful location is the Mashua Waterfront Bar and Grill (00 255 22 260 0893) at the Slipway (11), which is so close to the water that it becomes an island at high tide. The catch of the day, straight out of the water, with chips, beans and salad, costs Tsh6,000 (£2.85).

SUNDAY MORNING: GO TO CHURCH

St Joseph's Roman Catholic cathedral on Sokoine Drive (16) is the outstanding church, designed in Gothic style in the 1890s. Its dark wooden pews and confessional boxes are an interesting contrast with the vibrantly African altar decorations and carvings. Sunday mass is at 8.30am and 11.30am.

OUT TO BRUNCH

The most stylish venue is the gloriously situated Karambezi Café at the Sea Cliff Hotel (2), while the Oyster Bay Café, right on the beach (12), is an ideal brunch stop on warm days.

TAKE A RIDE

Catch the ferry that leaves Kivukoni Front (17) every 15 minutes, and drops you five minutes later at the village of Kigamboni (18), on the other side of the creek, for a fare of Tsh100 (5p). This sleepy place, with a couple of bars and cafés, feels a world away from the hustle and bustle across the water.

TAKE A HIKE

Strike out down the coast road from Kigamboni (18), along the southern peninsula, passing a cluster of unspoilt beaches, notable for their sparkling coral outcrops. Parts of this coastline are being developed for tourism, but not excessively so, and you can picnic in the shade by making use of the palm shelters (bandas) that have been erected near some of the beaches.

ICING ON THE CAKE

Dar es Salaam is no Zanzibar - nor does it claim to be - but it has its moments. Five miles north of the city, Bongoyo Island Marine Reserve (19) includes a group of uninhabited, sandy islands, with a wealth of coral and marine life for snorkellers and divers to explore. There are regular boat excursions from the Slipway (11).

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