Why visit Kilwa Masoko
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 6 places to eat and 12 places to stay in and around town.
Weather in Kilwa Masoko
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Kilwa Masoko
Kilwa Masoko or Masoko is an administrative ward in Kilwa District of Lindi Region in Tanzania.
From the Wikipedia article Kilwa Masoko, Lindi (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Jimbizi beach
Beach · 0.7 km
Clean sand beach, showers available at some of the beach ressorts
Restaurants and cafes6
Kwamiwa
Restaurant · 0.6 km
Delicious local food, quiet place. - 3000 tzs for ugari samaki (July 2016)
Where to stay12
Laumbe Lodge
Motel and hotel
Self Contained (12.000 or 15.000 TZS) and Ordinary Rooms (9.000 TZS), very clean, running water available. (July 2016)
History
For over a millennium the Kilwa Masoko area was originally inhabited by the Mwera people. However, in the 10th to 16th century the area was part of the Swahili city states that spanned along the East African coast based at the prosperous Swahili city of Kilwa Kisiwani across the Kilwa sound. The name Masoko means "markets" in the Swahili language. The town of Kilwa Masoko as we know today was established as the seat for Kilwa district after the British in 1918 and they built a deep water port at the site for their vessels. When Tanganyika became independent in 1961, the government chose to keep Kilwa Masoko as the district seat. In 2008, the town got its own government from a ward to a township authority.
From the History section of Kilwa Masoko, Lindi on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Kilwa Masoko
Geography
The town of Kilwa Masoko is located at the tip of the Kilwa Peninsula 300 km south of Dar es Salaam. Across east from the Kilwa sound is the Island of Kilwa Kisiwani. To the south of the peninsula is the Mavuji River.
Economy
The economy of Kilwa Masoko is primarily based on government administration and Cultural tourism. On nearby Kilwa Kisiwani island there are ancient Swahili ruins which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, and is only accessible by boat through from the port of Kilwa Masoko. Other economic activities include fishing and small scale urban agriculture within the town. The town hosts a few number of hotels for guests and tourists.
From the Wikipedia article Kilwa Masoko, Lindi, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Kilwa Masoko
32 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kilwa Masoko Airport (KIY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 km away.
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mavuji River estuary in Kilwa Masoko, Kilwa DC, Lindi Region, Mnazini, CC BY 4.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.