ARUSHA CITY GUIDE: PEACE, CULTURE, NATURE

Arusha, Geneva of Africa, noble city of Northern Tanzania.  Can the name of any other city conjure up so many romantic ideas, such rich concepts of peace, culture and nature?

Centered at the mid point of Africa on the Cape-to-Cairo line, Arusha is a sophisticated, lively city, with much to offer to travelers.  Shopping, coffee houses, bazaars, hotels, museums, mosques, churches and then more shopping.

Every Tanzanian city seems to offer a busy avenue or street, but in Arusha the walk along either side of the Sokoine/Uhuru Street, the avenue that divided the industrial and commercial areas, is better than most.  Walk down from the Clock-Tower or ogle the multi-million-shillings shops, which go right down to the TFA Shopping Complex housing Shoprite Supermarket opposite Kilombero market.  Marvel at the cultural Heritage Centre, farther west and see no less than two hundred antique artifacts in the spectacular compels.

Movie buffs may recognize the Arusha declaration monument or “Esami Tower”.  The 1980s Institute tower offer a panoramic view of Arusha while Mount Meru to the north of this city covers the Arusha Momella National Park, which was featured in John Wayne’s famous film Hatari. A taxi owners association offer tours from the centre of the city while tour operators offers longer safari tours as far as Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Parks.

Refreshments are usually offered on board tourist vehicles and occasionally machinga (street hawker) will take advantage of a confined clientele in a traffic jam to seek buyers for cotton handkerchiefs, khangas, radios or a million other goods, even nail cutters and lipsticks, at bargain prices.

Bargain prices are the chief feature of shopping in Arusha, particularly at the city markets that have replaced the government fixed prices of yesteryear.  Haggling over price is considered both a social custom and a business practice.  It pays to be both polite and firm; try not to look bewildered or hassled and accept the offers of Tanzanian tea or soft drinks without feeling pressured into buying.

At the glistening grand bazaars around the Central Bus Station, there are more than 30 hectares of covered shopping, much of it aimed at consumer merchandise.  The Goliondoi Road area past the main Post Office and the Arusha Hotel provides shopping for the tourist trade.  It is said there are a good number of shops here, quality and prices along the alley ways.  Choose from khangas and kikois, jewellery including gold and diamonds, and the famous Tanzanite, copper and glassware, belly dancing costumes, chess sets, and Makonde wood carvings.

While Tanzania manufacturers are generally bang to date with current fashion trends, be careful that your fashion dress or suit is that and that the colour and style you have chosen would not look out of place at home.  Every country or city has its own rogue traders, but don’t make the common mistake of imagining that haggling in itself is an effort to trick you.  It is a sport centred on trade.

Always check the goods including workmanship, and walk away from traders who are rude or will not come down to fair price.  You will meet another around the corner with a grander selling manner, offering the same goods at possibly lower prices.  And please accept Tanzanian hospitality – they like to deal in friendship, offering the buyer Kilimanjaro coffee or Chai Bora or Amani tea and exchanging details about family and lifestyle.

There is so much to see in Arusha: The Arusha Declaration Monument, the largest mosque in Arusha, St. Theresia Catholic Church, East African Community headquarters, for example, Go, too, to the mosques and churches and use the opportunity to see these exceptionally beautiful places of worship (as in many other countries, non Muslims are not allowed to enter mosques).  Visit the church of St. Theresia in Goliondoi area, with its exquisite mosaic windows and ceilings depicting the Glory of GOD.

Another important site that Arusha has to offer is the Arusha International Conference Centre, site for the Rwandan genocide tribunal.  Nearby is the Arusha Boma Natural History Museum, in the same area the Via Via Meeting Place where you can sit in the coffee bar enjoying coffee as you chat with the locals.  The museum has a very good café where a self-service drink will cost about 0.5 Euro (in the waiter-service restaurant it will cost about four times as much).

At evening time Tanzanians and tourists alike flock to the bars, cafes, and restaurants along the Moshi-Nairobi road, the Philips-Kijenge zone, and around the city centre.  As Tanzania is a secular state, there is no religious prohibition on the sale of alcohol.  In general, Tanzania beer and spirits are cheap.  Serengeti or Kilimanjaro lager is a good beer but imported alcohol will be considerably dearer.

Taxi are not metered but are usually very cheap compared to London or Berlin fares.  However as in any other country, watch out for trips that are longer than necessary including waiting charges.  It is sensible to have your destination written on a piece of paper and to negotiate price before hand.

Learn a few words of Kiswahili language, Tanzania’s national language strongly encouraged by the first president (the Late Mwalimu Nyerere, in office 1961-1985) as a little politeness will be very much appreciated.  “Jambo sana” means a very good day to you, “Ahsante sana” means thank you very much, “kwa heri” means good bye while “nipatie chakula or bia” means give me some food or beer.  And when you are done remember to say “tutaonana baadaye” meaning see you soon.

Bring plenty of lower denominations of Tanzania shilling notes and coins (foreign currencies are acceptable almost every where on the tourist trails) for shops and tips.

And when entering Arusha bus station, Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport for the flight home, hire a porter who will lift you heavy cases laden with treasures onto the back of the bus or onto scanning machines for you for a couple of hundred shillings.  Then check in your seat and indulge in more therapy at the excellent groceries around the stations.

And as departing time zeros, board your bus or airplane and wave goodbye to your friends and tour guides remembering to chant out “Ahsante san na kwa heri ya kuonanan” meaning , “Thank you very much, good-bye, and see you again.”