The Most Underrated City in Tanzania that you should travel to

Destanations When thinking about the most popular places to travel in Tanzania many people think about iconic locations such as Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, and the Serengeti. These places are renowned and recognized by many world travelers for their beauty and cultural importance. Although I would advise any tourist to go to these locations it’s obvious that international tourism has diluted the cultural experience in these locations, while drastically increasing the cost. In these kinds of locations Tanzanian culture is commercialized and attempts to sell it to foreigners for a premium price. In this article, I am going to explain why an off-the-beaten path traveler should consider to traveling to my favorite city in all of Africa, Bagamoyo. 

Me with the Friendly locals of Bagamoyo

About Bagamoyo

Bagamoyo is a town with a rich history that could be an article on its own article. What is important to know is that it is north of Dar es Salaam, and just adjacent to Zanzibar across from the Indian ocean. To a great extent Bagamoyo has the best of the Zanzibar archipelago: such as old architecture, deep culture, and cuisine. It also has the best aspects of mainland Tanzania such as: affordable goods and services, accessible transportation, friendlier locals, and a more open and easygoing mentality from the locals.

Local people

In places like Moshi and Zanzibar where tourism is the main source of income for a good portion of the populations, people are always thinking about how they can profit from foreigners. This can be great because Tanzanians have opened amazing (Yet expensive) businesses that serve international travelers. The bad side of this is that young people from across the country travel to try to hustle in the places. The problem is they have no plan. For example, in Moshi while taking a brisk walk so many young people try to approach me to sell paintings, bracelets, marijuana, and just trying so hard to befriend me so they can have financial gain. I understand and respect their hustle, but the streets swarming with these young people can hinder your enjoyment. That is not to say Bagamoyo has no tourism industry, on the contrary, it accommodates domestic and international tourism alike. Although not as economically prosperous as Zanzibar it is nice to be in a town that does not depend on international tourism.

Easygooing mentality 

The Town of Bagamoyo is relaxed, like typical Swahili culture the people don't rush as people in America do. The locals here will show interest in what you do beyond just wanting to use you to promote their business, although that certainly does exist even in Bagamoyo.

Affordability 

Activities