Airlines -- Local contacts for the main international airlines that service Dar: Precision Air, Nyerere/Pugu Road (tel. 022/212-1718); British Airways, Mövenpick Royal Palm Hotel, Ohio Street (tel. 022/211-3820 through -3822); Swiss, Luther House, Sokoine Drive (tel. 022/211-8870 through -8872); Kenya Airways (tel. 022/211-9376); KLM (tel. 022/211-3336 or -3337); Emirates, Haidry Plaza Complex, Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road (tel. 022/21-6100 through -6102); and South African Airways (tel. 022/211-7044 or -7047). Domestic airlines: Coastal Aviation (tel. 022/211-7959, -7960, 075-432-4044; or, at Dar es Salaam Airport, tel. 022/284-2700, -2701, -71-332-5673); Indigo Aviation, 6 Chole Road, Masaki (tel. 022/260-0780 or 078-477-7779; www.indigoair.co.tz); ZanAir (tel. 022/212-4553 or, in Zanzibar, tel. 024/223-3670).

Area Code -- The dialing code for Dar es Salaam is tel. 022. The international dialing code for Tanzania is tel. 255.

ATMs -- There are plenty of bank machines where you can withdraw cash using your credit card. Make sure you are carrying a Visa or MasterCard (with Visa the most widely accepted), as American Express and Diners Club are mostly meaningless here. Bank machines are usually located in or near most upmarket hotels and shopping centers, as well as at the airport, so you can draw cash the moment you have cleared immigration.

Banks -- Banking hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am to 3pm and Saturday 9:30am to noon, while some banks (such as Barclays Bank at The Slipway shopping center on the Msasani Peninsula) stay open until 6pm on weekdays and 3pm on Saturday. You'll have little trouble finding a bank in the city center. There's a convenient branch of Standard Chartered Bank adjacent the Southern Sun hotel on Garden Avenue.

Bookstores -- A Novel Idea is a small chain of book shops carrying a decent range of English titles, including books on Tanzania and African-interest literature and coffee table glossies. There are branches at The Slipway and at the Sea Cliff Shopping Centre on the Msasani Peninsula, and there's a branch on Ohio Street in the city center, next to the Steers fast food joint.

Car Hires -- Just Rent A Car, Oyster Bay Shopping Centre, Ghuba Street, Oyster Bay (tel. 022/260-1683, 0784/88-3366, or 0715/88-3366; jrc_tz@yahoo.com), rents a range of vehicles from their small office in the shopping center just behind the Oyster Bay Hotel. Xcar Rent a Car, Old Bagamoyo Road, adjacent Shoppers Plaza, Mikocheni (tel. 022/277-1126; www.xcarrentals.com), rents vehicles from as little as $45 per day; Lucky Rent-A-Car, Skymark Shopping Mall, Morogoro Road (tel. 022/213-5843), is theoretically even cheaper. Travelmate also arranges car hire.

Courier Services -- The best solution for getting goods sent home is to contact TNT International Express (tel. 022/212-4581) or DHL (tel. 022/286-1000).

Currency Exchange -- You can exchange your foreign notes at the airport; rates are clearly posted. If for some reason you're exchanging large amounts, you'll probably want to do this inside a bank, such as at the Barclay Bank at The Slipway or NBC (National Bank of Commerce) at the Sea Cliff Shopping Centre.

Doctors & Dentists -- Use the recommendations of your host or concierge (it'll usually be a healthcare professional who is well known within the expatriate community); in serious cases, a doctor can usually be summoned directly to your hotel. There's an upmarket dental office in the Mövenpick Royal Palm Hotel.

Drugstores -- As always, it's best to ask your host or concierge for the nearest reliable drugstore (pharmacy). On the Msasani Peninsula, you can use Oysterbay Pharmacy (tel. 022/260-0525 or 078/426-6654); Premier Care (tel. 022/266-8385 or 0784/CLINIC [254642]) is another decent option.

Embassies & Consulates -- U.S. Embassy, Old Bagamoyo Road, Msasani (tel. 022/266-8001); British High Commission, Umoja House, Garden Avenue (tel. 022/211-0101); Canadian High Commission, 38 Mirambo St. (tel. 022/216-3300); Irish Embassy, 353 Toure Dr. (tel. 022/260-2355). Note that Australians will find assistance at the Canadian High Commission.

Emergencies -- For all emergencies, you can call tel. 112 or tel. 999. If you have problems getting through to these public service numbers, you can try for privately managed help: In the event of any kind of emergency (including fire, ambulance services, breakdown recovery, and even air evacuation), contact Knight Support (tel. 078/455-5911 or 075/477-7100).

Hospitals -- Oysterbay Hospital (454 Haile Selassie Rd.; tel. 022/260-0015); Aga Khan Medical Services (tel. 022/211-4096 or 022/211-5151 through -5153).

Internet Access -- Internet is available at most hotels.

Mobile Phones -- For a nominal amount, you can buy a SIM card, which gives you a local phone number, from any of the Tanzanian mobile network companies such as Zain and Vodacom. Scratch cards are used for air time top-up and are widely available.

Police -- Tanzanian police (especially traffic police) are notorious for their capacity to solicit bribes. As a general rule, and to avoid any cultural misunderstandings that might entangle you in an ugly and prolonged situation, use one of the emergency numbers given above. If you need to report an incident to the police, do so through someone at your hotel; alternatively, call tel. 112. Try to avoid getting into any sort of discussion, debate, or argument with anyone in uniform.

Post Office -- Dar's main post office is on Azikiwe Street, but avoid the trip there by asking your concierge to post any articles for you.

Restrooms -- Stick to restrooms in hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. If you're out on the town, be wary of toilets in dingier clubs and bars.

Safety -- There are plenty of reports of after-dark muggings, not to mention daytime snatch-and-grab situations that happen on the beach or just about anywhere. The rule is to be alert, use plenty of common sense, and have your wits about you. You can also avoid being robbed by leaving your valuables at your hotel -- in the safe.

Weather -- Dar es Salaam enjoys an equatorial climate with high humidity. The rainy seasons (Mar-May and Nov-Dec) can bring dramatic torrential downpours, but these are typically short and are followed by brilliant sunshine.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.