Things to do in Mtwara
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Mtwara
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season and the reliable window, with least rain May to September and the best diving, snorkelling and Msimbati road conditions.
Rains building then falling, peaking around March. Beach, boat and park road trips are a gamble.
Cashew harvest and marketing season: traders fill the town, hotels and transport are busiest and prices rise.
Humpback whales pass offshore and whale watching boat trips have been listed in this window. Sightings are never guaranteed.
What's on
- Cashew marketing season October to January
The town's real annual event in economic terms, when the harvest is traded and Mtwara fills with buyers and transport.
Best things to do in Mtwara
Mikindani Historic Town
A lived in Swahili trading town of coral rag houses and German era buildings around a sheltered bay, best walked with a local guide.
Mikindani Museum
A small museum of family objects and oral history that explains the old town you are walking through in about an hour.
Livingstone House
The reputed Mikindani dwelling of Dr David Livingstone, a short stop on the old town walk tied to the museum story.
Shangani Beach
Mtwara town's own family beach at Shangani, with views to the Msangamkuu Peninsula and no resort facilities.
Msangamkuu Peninsula
A rural peninsula of villages and boat building reached by ferry from the fish market dock, facing back to the port.
Where to stay in Mtwara
Mikindani
character, diving and the bay
Historic old town, the best hotel and the budget dive lodge, and the prettiest evenings on the bay.
Mtwara town
flights, buses and business
Modern business hotels, banks and transport, with Shangani Beach a short drive east.
Think twice about
- Within 20 km of the Mozambique border
Attacks by groups linked with Islamic extremism in Cabo Delgado have spilled across this border strip. Do not go to the Ruvuma estuary or far southern park without current clearance.
- Deserted streets in Mtwara town after dark
Local guidance is consistent: busy places are fine, empty residential streets late at night are not. Take a bajaji or taxi after dark.
- Ruvula Beach and the far southern marine park, independently
Remote, without facilities, and close to the border zone. Visit only on an organised trip cleared that day, and accept a refusal.
Best restaurants in Mtwara
Msemo Southern Cross
The town's reliable sit down seafood dinner, whole grilled fish on a terrace with sunset views over the bay.
The Old Boma at Mikindani
Unhurried hotel dining above Mikindani Bay, with Tanzanian and international dishes served by hospitality trainees.
Ginger & Garlic
A small local restaurant praised for well cooked fish, rice and fresh juices at local prices on Kiango Road.
Dubai Restaurant
A no frills Tanzanian place near the bus stand for pilau, ugali and fish at rock bottom prices.
Korosho Lodge
Tanzanian and Indian food in a quiet courtyard on Tanu Road, a calm middle option between stalls and hotels.
Outdoor things to do in Mtwara
Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park
A large marine park of mangroves, seagrass and reefs south of Mtwara, visited by organised boat or road trips via Msimbati.
Eco2 Diving
The specialist PADI centre for little dived reefs in Mikindani and Mnazi Bays, with courses, snorkelling and kayak hire.
Msimbati Beach
White sand and reef flats at the northern gateway to the marine park, reached by a rough road on an organised trip.
Ruvula Beach
A remote southern park beach for channel snorkelling and camping dive safaris, to visit only on an organised cleared trip.
Best hotels in Mtwara
The Old Boma at Mikindani
A restored German boma above Mikindani Bay run as a training hotel by Trade Aid, with a pool, gardens and bay views.
Tiffany Diamond Hotels - Mtwara
The modern business hotel in town, with air conditioned rooms, a pool, a gym and a restaurant, built for work travel.
Luwa Evergreen Hotel
A clean, functional mid range town hotel with a pool and restaurant, serving the same business and conference trade.
Ten Degrees South
The budget lodge and dive base in Mikindani, with a shaded bar, a sundowner platform and rooms for all budgets.
Southern Cross Hotel
The long standing seafront hotel at Shangani, with simple rooms and beach bungalows and the Msemo restaurant terrace.
Is Mtwara expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TZS 60,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TZS 150,000 a person |
| Splurge | TZS 350,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mnazi Bay-Ruvuma Estuary Marine Park: a few days ahead
- Eco2 Diving: weeks ahead
- Msimbati Beach: a few days ahead
- Ruvula Beach: weeks ahead
- The Old Boma at Mikindani: weeks ahead
- Ten Degrees South: a few days ahead
- The Old Boma at Mikindani: a few days ahead
- Book the few good rooms, Eco2 Diving boat days and organised marine park trips days ahead, and weeks ahead in the dry season.
- Confirm marine park fees, boat supplements and how far south a park trip goes before you pay.
Is Mtwara safe?
- The border strip within 20 km of Mozambique carries the highest risk in this region. Do not travel south toward the border without current local clearance.
- This is a malarial coast: prophylaxis, nets and covering up at dusk.
- Do not photograph the port, gas installations, checkpoints or security forces.
Mtwara travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Expecting a resort town. Mtwara is a working cashew and gas port with a small visitor trade, limited choice and slow service.
- Planning a dive and beach trip in the main rains from January to April, when roads, boats and visibility all suffer.
- Treating the southern marine park like the northern Tanzanian coast. Its far end reaches a live border warning zone.
Getting around Mtwara: public transport and more
- Fly to Mtwara Airport from Dar es Salaam or allow a full day for the paved road, now under eight hours in good conditions.
- Use bajaji, pikipiki and taxis in town, agree the fare first, and ride rather than walk after dark.
- Mikindani and Mtwara town are about 10 km apart, a short taxi or bajaji ride.
Who Mtwara suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Mtwara your trip
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