Slow Beach Days in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam is most travellers’ gateway to Tanzania, but the coast here is worth stopping for in its own right, all warm Indian Ocean water and easy garden living.
I base a few slow days at the solar-run Upepo Beach Garden: the sea in the morning, the garden in the heat, and just enough of the city to feel it.
Your Dar es Salaam Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 Day 1: Arrive by the sea
- Day 2 Day 2: The water
- Day 3 Day 3: A taste of the city, then rest
- Day 4 Day 4: A last swim, then on
Where to Stay in Dar es Salaam
What to Do in Dar es Salaam
A dhow on the water
Take a traditional dhow out for the morning to swim and drift, the oldest and gentlest way to be on this coast.
A taste of Dar es Salaam
Dip into the city for a morning, the fish market, the old streets and the mix of coast and continent that makes Dar what it is, then retreat before the heat.
How to Get to Dar es Salaam
A final swim and out
A last swim, then onward, whether that is a safari, an island or the flight home.
Your Day by Day Dar es Salaam Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive by the sea
Into the garden, and a first evening by the water.
Upepo Beach Garden
Home is Upepo Beach Garden, solar-run and green, right by the coast. Arrive, find the sea, and let the pace drop.
Day 2: The water
A dhow, a swim, and the warm Indian Ocean.
See the full day-by-day itinerary.
This is your only free pass. A free account gives you 3.
Day 3: A taste of the city, then rest
A little of Dar, and a lot of doing nothing.
Day 4: A last swim, then on
One more morning by the water before you move on.