Dar es Salaam Cruise Port

Dar es Salaam is Tanzania's largest port and city, sitting on the Indian Ocean along the country's east coast. Its name means "haven of peace" in Arabic, and the city was established in the 1860s as a summer residence for the sultan of Zanzibar. In 1896 German colonists developed it further, and it became the capital of German East Africa. It usually serves as a port of call rather than a turnaround port, with ships stopping here as part of voyages around the Indian Ocean and East African coast.

The climate is tropical and coastal, hot and humid year round, with an average temperature around 32°C. The hottest stretch runs from October through March, when temperatures can reach 38°C, while between May and August they settle closer to 25°C. Two rain seasons shape the calendar: a shorter one from October to December and a longer one from March to May.

The city's main attractions include its Botanical Gardens, Kariakoo Market, the National Central Library and the National Museum of Tanzania. The gardens are filled with tropical trees and plants, while beaches line the Msasani Peninsula to the north and Kigamboni to the south. Trips to the nearby islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve are popular, offering spots for swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling. The bustling streets around the centre hold markets, hotels and restaurants serving everything from traditional Tanzanian barbecue and Zanzibari cooking to Thai, Chinese and American fare.

The Old Boma, one of the city's oldest buildings, was built between 1866 and 1867 by Majid bin Said, sultan of Zanzibar, and later enlarged under German rule. Alongside it stand the Azania Front Lutheran Church, built between 1899 and 1902, and the Roman Catholic St Joseph's Cathedral from around the same period, together forming an early architectural core of the city. The port has been named Africa's Leading Cruise Port at the World Travel Awards.

Been on a cruise to this Turkish Aegean port? Log this Mediterranean voyage on your account at The Cruise Globe to see the actual route!