Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Today we travel further passing through the bustling town of Dar es Salaam making our way to our home for the evening, in the historical town of Bagamoyo. This evening is spent preparing for our excursion to Zanzibar.

Previously ‘Mzizima’, Dar es Salaam is the biggest city in Tanzania, with a population of over 3.2 million. It is also the richest city in the country as well as a crucial economic centre. Even though Dar is not the official capital city of Tanzania, it is still the centre of the permanent central government and serves as the capital for the surrounding Dar es Salaam area. Albert Roscher of Hamburg was the first European to arrive in Mzizima (‘healthy town’) in 1859, and in 1866 the city was given its current name by Sultan Seyyid Malid of Zanzibar.

After Malid’s death in 1870, Dar began to rapidly deteriorate, but in 1887, it was revived when the German East Africa Company constructed a station in the city. The development of the town was due to it’s key role as the administrative and commercial centre of German East Africa as well as the industrial growth that resulted in the establishment of the Central Railway Line in the early 1900s.

Located within such close proximity to the Equator and the inviting Indian Ocean, Dar es Salaam experiences a relatively tropical climate, with hot and humid temperatures during most of the year. Annual rainfall amounts to approximately 1,100 mm and, in an average year, the city experiences two separate rainy seasons. First there are ‘the long rains’ that fall during the April/May period, and secondly, ‘the short rains’ which fall during the months of October and November

Accommodation: Campsite: Bagamoyo Travellers Lodge or similar.
Facilities: Shared Ablutions Please visit the website of the accommodation provider for a full list of the facilities offered.
Route: Mikumi to Bagamoyo ±290 km

2020 Itinerary Change: Meals are included in the 2020 itinerary (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner). The 3-Day Zanzibar Excursion begins on this day in 2020. The route changes to Mikumi via Dar es salaam to Zanzibar by Ferry. Accommodation for 2020 will be at Ocean View Hotel.