Afri Roots

Afri Roots is a tour company based in Maweni on the Kigamboni peninsula, across the harbour from the city centre. It describes itself as 100 per cent African owned and run, with staff from different backgrounds and communities, and it has been running Dar es Salaam city tours for at least a decade alongside safaris for both luxury and budget travellers.

Its city tours are designed to show the "real" Dar es Salaam rather than just the monuments. The flagship is the Dar Reality Cycle, a ride of about five hours through less-visited neighbourhoods, mostly on traffic-free footpaths. Along the way you stop at busy markets, chat with coffee brewers and meet street performers and local artists, while the guides explain living conditions, the informal economy and the city's history, including its role in African liberation movements. The company says the tour is best done by bicycle, as it covers more ground with less impact, but a tuk-tuk (bajaj) version can be arranged on request, and walking options are also offered.

For an evening out, Dar by Night takes you to street restaurants and venues where live bands play local and regional styles, including njenje, Afro-Cuban jazz, taarab and rumba, and introduces coastal ceremonies and traditional coastal food. Hotel transfers are included, and the company can also drop you at the airport afterwards if you are catching a midnight flight, which makes it a good way to use a final evening in the city.

These tours suit curious, reasonably active travellers who want to understand how the city works and meet people along the way, and they are a good counterweight to a hotel-based stay. The cycling tour involves several hours in the heat, so bring a hat, sun cream and water, wear comfortable clothes and closed shoes, and tell the company in advance about your cycling experience. Ask before taking photographs of people.

Details such as start times, prices, meeting points and what is included are arranged directly with the company, so contact Afri Roots by phone, WhatsApp or email well before your visit, especially if you have limited time in the city. Book the cycling tour for early in your stay: the context it gives makes the rest of Dar es Salaam easier to understand.