
Safari Jones'
Kilwa Tip
" Stay in Kilwa Masoko and organise day trips to Kilwa Kisiwani & Kivinje. Also spend time wandering around Kilwa town center"

The Three Kilwas -
Masoko, Kivinje & Kisiwani
Kilwa Masoko
Kilwa Masoko is the current major town of Kilwa district and includes all the hotels in the area as well as a bustling market, beautiful beaches, small fishing communities and is the gateway to the ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani.
The hotels in Masoko are spread along the coastline but there is a group close to town on JImbiza beach and the newer hotels are on the beautiful Masoko Pwani.

Masoko town has a variety of small shops stocking most equipment you need for your stay. There are a variety of pharmacies and there is one bank with an atm in Masoko town on the port road.

Kilwa Kisiwani

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kilwa Kisiwani is a world renowned archaeological site that chronicles the emergence of the Swahili culture in East Africa.
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The island is covered in small fishing villages and while on a day trip you will pass through them. The villagers are friendly and with the advent of mass tourism they are sure to benefit more in the future.

As the whole island is a registered UNESCO site, we ask all guests to respect the culture and history of the island, ensuring that all litter is taken with them and that guests dress in an appropriate and respectful manner.
Kilwa Kivinje
​Located about 30km North of Kilwa Masoko, Kilwa Kivinje was in its heyday during the 18th and 19th centuries during the slave trade, but which remained district headquarters during the German colonial times.​

There is an old 4 storey high German boma (administrative centre) on the sheltered and still busy port. On the road out of town is Tanzania's small and dilapidated monument to the Maji Maji rebellion victims,a total of 300,000 people killed during an uprising against colonial powers.

Kivinje is now a small but picturesque town and houses the district's main hospital, Kivinje is a great day trip from Kilwa Masoko.

Kilwa Weather
The Tanzanian coast has a tropical climate - meaning it's usually pretty hot, sunny and humid all year round with temperatures averaging between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Weather along the coast is now moving away from the classic two rainy seasons in a year to a more uni-modal system, with rains stretching fro December to April.
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There are however distinct patches within this season: try to avoid the coastal region during the long rains of March to April (when a number of lodges close) but there is less to worry about with the times of lower rainfall.

Note that the rainy seasons aren't entirely calendar-driven: Tanzania's tropical coastal climate could throw up a rainstorm at any time of year.