Tips on Dar es Salaam Warnings or Dangers – Stay Safe!

Dar es Salaam Warnings and Dangers

Dar es Salaam is a seaport city located on the coast of the Indian Ocean in Tanzania. Like any other seaport city, travelers should be award of Dar es Salaam’s warnings and dangers.

Resort Area Dangers in Dar es Salaam

The area of exclusive hotels is known as “Slipway”. It is considered a more isolated resort area but still sees incidents of theft.  One way the thieves operate is from their vehicles. They pull up beside an unsuspecting tourist on foot and snag their bag before speeding up and driving off. For this reason, it’s best to keep bags secure enough so any would-be-thieves don’t target you. The beach along these resort hotels can also be quite dangerous. Groups of young men will sit on the beach and wait rob tourists. Sometimes they carry knives or sticks to intimate tourists.

Dangers of Private Taxis in Dar es Salaam

Robberies have been known to occur during private taxi rides. These are typically done at night down quiet back streets. In some instances, tourists have been forced to give up their pin numbers. Tip: Never take a taxi with the drivers “friends” in the car. This should be a red flag that something is wrong.  Also, If you’re taking a taxi to the beach hotel zone from the bus station, the taxi drivers charge around 20 to 20,000 TSH. If they offer lower than this, move on.

Dangers of Exchanging Money on the Street In Dar es Salaam

To change your money to TSH, do it at a reputable bank and never on the street. First off, exchanging money on the black market  is illegal and second, the person doing the exchanging will most likely rip you off. A trick they pull is to put one large bill on top of many smaller bills and roll it into a ball secured with an elastic banks. They are counting you to stick the money in your pocket without realizing until later that you’ve been ripped off.

Editor’s note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about warnings and dangers in Dar es Salaam.