Ask an expatriate or traveller who has spent time in Dar es Salaam about the city and the response will often be prefaced by a wry but well-meaning smile. For there is something about Dar which inspires amused affection.

Dar is quite young, which might explain its often frustrating, endearingly bumbling naiveté. It was founded in the 1860s by Sultan Majid, ruler of Zanzibar. Majid died before his dream was complete, and almost immediately his "Haven of Peace" succumbed to decay and desecration. Seven years after his death the town "teemed with snakes, scorpions, centipedes, mosquitoes and other pests". These "pests" still exist and Dar, like most cities, has other, more pressing problems. But by and large, these are not as bad as they are elsewhere, and rarely cause the visitor any direct concern. And Dar itself, in its ingenuous way, somehow rises above them.

It is rising above itself, also. Gleaming new buildings are thrusting above its old, low-rise colonial "quarters". They look down upon leafy avenues, off which, among a profusion of bougainvillea and frangipani, bungalows borrowed from the British Raj stand aloof, as if waiting to be properly introduced. These reminders of the Raj have learned to live, it seems, with their double-storied German-built neighbours, and of course are well away from the clutter of "between-the-wars" apartment blocks, small businesses, temples, mosques and tea-houses which make up the fascinatingly functional "Indian" sector. They are even further from "the natives", whose simple Swahili-style houses are to be found along the grid-iron streets of Kariakoo, or other high-density suburbs.

Slowly these old demarcations are breaking down as "indigenous" Africans and "working class" Asians somehow make enough money to move into more select suburbs. And where money cannot ensure mobility, enterprise does, as a profusion of shops and bars made from shipping containers flourish along the roadside verges, even those in the more "elite" areas. These makeshift dukas are well-patronised, as imported "luxury" foodstuffs are increasingly to be found among the local produce, the plastic buckets and the bars of soap. The way to the heart of a cosmopolitan, if not quite classless, society, is through its stomach.

It is this cosmopolitan, generally tolerant and friendly nature, together with its unpretentious nature and its enviable location, which gives the city its unique character. Perhaps the best way for a visitor to experience this is to stroll along Samora Avenue, the town's principal thoroughfare. Walk between the Clock Tower and Dar's familiar Askari Monument, and through the adjacent Asian quarter which lies behind. Many representatives of Tanzania's 120 ethnic groups, as well as its various Asian and expatriate communities, might be seen in the course of such a morning, though this won't always be obvious.

But the most pleasant way to see Dar is to drive along its glorious seafront on a fine late afternoon. The best views of the harbour are from the roof of the Kilimanjaro or New Africa Hotels, but a short taxi journey along Sokoine Drive, from the Lutheran Church to the old German railway station, would take in some interesting buildings. The church itself, with its pretty Bavarian cascades of red-tiled roofs, dates from German times. Close by is the Toyota Building and the old post office, also German. Further on, with its tall spire, is St Joseph's Cathedral, and beyond it the Old Boma and the City Hall, two of the few buildings that date back to Sultan Majid's time.

A much longer drive in the opposite direction takes one from the heart of Dar to the head of Msasani Peninsula, without losing sight of the sea for more than a few minutes. It is a most enjoyable trip, affording good views of the harbour and the various seascapes beyond. In its early stages, along Kivokoni Front, the route passes the old Dar es Salaam Club (where Evelyn Waugh once sipped sundowners on the small terrace) and soon afterwards some sadly dilapidated German administrative buildings, before taking a little detour alongside the State House grounds.

The detour emerges by the fish market, a sprawling collection of stalls and humanity by the narrow harbour entrance, where fishing dhows might be seen swaying in the wash of a passing container ship. From here, Ocean Road runs northwards past the half-hidden State House. This was built by the Germans in Islamic style, before being shelled, and later reconstructed, by the British. By the German hospital, another fine building, the shoreline opposite opens up into a sweeping bay, lined with casuarinas. If it is a weekend the foreshore will be knotted with celebrating wedding parties in full dress, posing against the sea for photographs, whilst serenaded by brass bands.

Beyond Selander Bridge the route continues along Kenyatta Drive, official home to many high-ranking embassies. Here, on a pretty promontory by a bend in the road, the old, unfathomable Africa goes about its business, oblivious of the exclusive diplomatic enclave just across the tarmac. A baobab stands on the promontory, its lower branches hung with strips of cloth and its massive trunk marked by hundreds of nails, the manifestations of petitions to the Gods. Or rather one God, for the petitioners are Muslims, seeking divine favours. Goats are often sacrificed at the base of the tree.

A little further north, by palm-fringed Oyster Bay, one of Dar's most popular resorts, the old Africa is also, at times, in evidence. Not only at sea, where fishermen in dhows and dugouts live as their forefathers lived, but also on land. Just over twenty years ago a lioness with cubs wandered through here and in the late 1980s a hippo was seen grazing by the Police Officers' Mess. Should a lion stray through nowadays, it might get an unwelcome surprise, for young Maasai "warriors", who used to spear lions to prove their manhood, are commonly seen here, wearing their traditional red shukas. They are employed as watchmen, or askaris.

Beyond Oyster Bay, the road-sometimes obstructed by cows or goats (which must make the Maasai feel more at home)-travels along low cliffs to the Sea Cliff Hotel, at the point of the peninsula. The hotel is an ideal place for a sundowner. But for those who want to see the sun go down, and to enjoy a drink and a simple meal at the same time, a drive around the headland brings you eventually to the Slipway.

This little shopping plaza, situated on Msasani Bay, is one of Dar's favourite hangouts. A microcosm of middle-class Dar, the Slipway's clientele are an absorbing mix of nationalities and cultures. Muslim women in purdah, sometimes, if they are Arab, even veiled, can be seen promenading alongside Italian expatriates. A bewhiskered and beturbaned Sikh might be sitting at the next table to an African computer technician. A blonde-haired Scandinavian child might be roller-blading across the piazza with a Hindu companion. And out in the bay a fisherman, silhouetted by the setting sun, might be tying up his dhow.

It is as good a place as any to end a visit to Dar es Salaam, and to raise a glass to Sultan Majid for having had the vision to initiate this engagingly unsophisticated city by the sea.

Dar es Salaam factfile

Ten Really Fun Things to Do in Dar

1) Take a stroll around the town centre. Dress modestly and don't photograph people without asking.

2) See the sunset (and the passers-by) while enjoying a drink or a meal at the Slipway. There are three restaurants and a small seafront bar serving pizzas.

3) Take a slow drive along the seafront in the late afternoon.

4) Enjoy some excellent seafood. Restaurants can be inconsistent but the Sheraton, Sea Cliff and Oyster Bay are best in terms of location. Good value can usually be had at smaller places such as Smokies' Tavern, La Crevette or Barbecue Village.

5) Take a trip out to the Mwenge Handicraft Market, by Dar University, to buy or admire the ebony sculptures made by the world-renowned Makonde carvers.

6) Visit Kariakoo, the "African" shopping centre and market area. Go by day and don't carry too many valuables.

7) Go to the beach-there are several beach hotels about 24km north of Dar, and a more secluded resort, Ras Kutani, about one hour's drive to the south.

8) Night life in Dar is fairly tame by international standards but, if you enjoy gambling or African music and dancing, there are a few nightclubs and casinos. Don't expect Los Angeles or Sun City.

9) Visit the Shoppers' Plaza. Once again, don't get too excited-"Shoppers" hasn't got much to offer except a supermarket and a few shops, but you can mingle with the better-off residents and enjoy superb Indian vegetarian food at the little Namaste Café.

10) Food seems to be high on this list, and why not? Enjoy an Indian meal at the Sheraton, the Alcove or the Open House. Better still, get yourself invited home by a "local Asian".

Accommodation
The Sea Cliff hotel is a new and extensive spread on Msarani Peninsula, with great view of the sea. The Sheraton is probably the best city hotel, followed by the recently refurbished New Africa. There are a host of medium-priced and cheap establishments and guest houses.

Graham Mercer docked in Dar es Salaam with the Royal Navy in the 1960s, and has made it his home since.

Published in Travel Africa Edition Eleven: Spring 2000 Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)