Dar es Salaam General Shopping

General Shopping

For kangas (or khangas), colorful, sarong-like pieces of cloth with Swahili sayings along the bottom, try Kariakoo market or the cloth market on the streets around it. The market has moved a bit recently, but check around south end of Jamhuri st., where there are many textile shops. Here you can also buy kitenge, twice the length of kangas and usually cut in half to form a complete outfit, for around TSH 4000 each. Try asking in here if you want something like a dress made to measure. Kariakoo is also a good place for fresh food, unless you want more "hygienic," packaged Western-style food, in which case there are several supermarkets (such as Shoprite) in the centre of town. Carvings and other touristy souvenirs can be found all over the place. Remember to haggle unless you want to be ripped off. There is a fantastic craft market in Mwenge, the Mwenge Carvers' Market. Here you can watch many of the artists make the crafts that are sold throughout the country (although some crafts sold in Tanzania are imported from Kenya). Prices range from expensive to extremely cheap. There are many stalls selling similar things, and if you are savvy, you might be able to pit the vendors against each other. The perk of the Mwenge market is the sheer volume of crafts to choose from. If you like the style of something at a specific store (they tend to carry items made by one or two artists), and you have some time, you can meet the artist and have them custom make something for you. The market closes at dusk. Shopping around this time gets you the best deals. There is a smaller market at Slipway, which is the best place to get Tinga Tinga paintings and large batiks.