Fast Food in Dar es Salaam

There are couples of fast food restaurants available in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. One of them is Marrybrown restaurant. They serve fried chicken, fish and chips, burger, sandwiches and fried rice. If you missed KFC fried chicken or Mac Donald burger, this is the place to be where you can enjoy the food, environment and feeling comparable to KFC and MacD.

Marrybrown is located in Masaki in peninsular area at the end of Haile Salasie road, less than 1 km from Sea Cliff Hotel. The place used to be a club house then renovated become the biggest fast food facility in town joint with big playing ground for children and big parking space.

Marybrown is a Malaysian grown fast food franchise and the one in Masaki is the first Marrybrown outlet in East Africa. As of today Nov 2009, they have 2 outlets in Tanzania; both are in Dar es Salaam. The first one is in Masaki and the second is in Mlimany City shopping mall.

Adjoining the restaurant is a bakery called “The Loaf”. You can find variety of breads and sandwiches, coconut bun, kaya bun, hot dog bun, cheese stick, sugar doughnut and many more which are not available in other bakeries.

Marrybrown address

Marrybrown order station

Seating area

Free Playgound for customer

Train for your kids to play while you enjoying the fried chicken

Oysterbay Shopping Mall in Oysterbay

Oysterbay Shopping Centre is another one stop shop centre located in Oysterbay Peninsular area. It is about 3 km from Sea Cliff hotel, 1km from Colloseum Hotel, 1 km from Golf Course apartment.

Next to the centre is a private company offices, Sumeria, Ericsson and Heritage Insurans.

Here some pictures around Oysterbay Shopping Mall.

List of shop at Oysterbay shoping centre.

One of the restaurant sign at Oysterbay shopping centre

Main entrance Oysterbay Shopping Centre

Main signboard of Oysterbay shopping centre

Where to spend time with family on the weekend in Dar es Salaam?

Honestly, not so many places available to spend quality time with family on the weekend especially for those with kids.

I can name a few such as MarryBrown in Masaki, the new fast food restaurant in town provides children playground for free to their customer as a business attraction. Good playground facility but always full on the weekend.

Another playground and leisure area is Slip Way. It is about 1.5km up north from MarryBrown. Slip Way is a business complex where you can find Shrijee supermarket, Barclay bank, hotel, Japanese restaurant, to name a few. Behind the complex by the beach is an open area for kids to skate and cycling. There is also a playground where your kids can pla jumping castle, sands and swing with an entrance fee of 2000 tanzania shiling. Don't be surprised if you see a rusted playground facility there.

Jumping castle in the playground area. Entrance fee is 2000TSH per child. The open area is free. Kids can play roller blade, cycling or surfer. But you need to bring your own gear. No equipment for rental available.

Sunset view from Slip Way. Unfortunately I'm not a profesional photographer, only using a Sony pocket camera.

Swimming Club in Dar Es Salaam

Swimming is a good activity in the afternoon for kids after their school in the morning. If your kids know how to swim, they can always jump in the pool at the apartment because most of apartments in Dar es Salaam (in peninsular especially)  have a swimming pool facility. If you want your kids to learn how to swim or improve their skills, there are couple of place available offering swimming lesson.

Here is a list of schools or clubs which offering swimming lesson for children in Dar Es Salam:

• Dar Swim Club - This is one of the best swimming club in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. They have junior and senior swimmers age from 4 years to 16 years old. They are a favorite swimming club in town I would say because you need to book in advance in order to get a place for your kid. You would be lucky if you are accepted right away (maybe someone leaving the country). Most of the times you kids will be in the waiting list, waiting for someone leaving the country or swimmer move to higher group.
• Tallis - school swimming club
• Hopac (Heaven of Peace Acedamy) - School swimming club
• French School - School swimming club

Here are some pictures of recent swimming gala for development group age organized by Dar Swim Club on 14th November 2009.

Dar Swim Club (DSC) team, swimmers under development. Who knows one day they will represent Tanzania in Olympic.

Long distance swimmer catching up few more meters while officials busy observing and make sure swimming rules are followed.

Where to shop for groceries in Dar Es Salaam?

For foreigner like me, going to downtown for grocery is rarely an option because of not familier with the way around, parking space and too woried about security. But if you are an adventures, you can get cheaper price in downtown.

There are several supermarket where I normally go for grocery. Shopper Plaza, Shoprite Supermarket, Village Supermarket and Shrijee Supermarket.

Most of the supermarkets are colocated in shopping mall together with other shop or boutique.

Below are shops or boutique at Mikocheni Shoppers Plaza:

• Shoppers Supermarket
• Subway, An American fastfood chain
• Standard Chartered Bank and ATM Machine
• Yaacob Jewellery where you can get Tanzanite
• Fairy Delights, restaurant. They serve buffet for lunch, 7000TSH per person. 
• Fairy Delights bakery
• Electronics shop selling appliances

On the 1st floor are:

• Bookshop
• Cafe-X, a nice spot for a weekend coffee.
• iStore next to Cafe-X, specilized MAC items.
• Total Looks SPA
• 9 months maternity clothes, a place for expecting mom
• Maya Vintage boutique
• Pharmacy
• Sport Shop
• Photo shop
• Laundry

Picture normally tells everything, so here are some photos of shop at shoppers plaza Mikocheni in Dar Es Salaam.

Shoppers Plaza at Mikocheni

An American fastfood chain, SubWay at Shoppers Plaza, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania