Lindi is a coastal town located at the far end of Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is 450 kilometers south of Dar es Salaam and 105 kilometers north of Mtwara, the southernmost coastal town in Tanzania, and gives its name to the surrounding Lindi Region, one of the most sparsely populated areas of the country. The town population was 41,549 as of the 2002 national census.
Lindi is located at the mouth of the Lukuledi River. Its port facilities are still rudimentary, allowing one or two small cargo and passenger boats at a time, and cannot accommodate ocean-going ships. The region was once an important sisal-producing plantation area, especially in Kikwetu, surrounding the Lindi airstrip, 25 kilometers north of town. Around 2012 Lindi was finally linked to Dar es Salaam by a continuous tarmac road, making Lindi accessible throughout the rainy season.
An older tarmac road connects Lindi town to Mtwara, passing through Mikindani, formerly an important Arab business settlement for traders sailing along the east coast from Muscat, Oman, Malindi or Mombasa to Sofala.
Lindi is a cosmopolitan town with Arab and Indian merchants owning the bulk of businesses, and Islam is the predominant religion. The town has a market, a bus station, a post office, an airstrip (currently not in use by commercial airlines), primary and secondary schools, several banks (two with ATMs), an Internet cafe and many guesthouses. The locals, known as Swahilis, are mainly engaged in fishing in Lindi Bay and some farming on the outskirts of the town. Employment opportunities are very limited, as Lindi lacks any kind of major industry. The only major investor is Aqeel Traders, which established here sawmills, which economically help Lindi region people by employing a massive number of them. From the coast, the land rises sharply to the escarpment hills of Mtanda, once a residential area for colonial civil servants, with views of Lindi Bay. During the colonial era, a transfer to Lindi amounted to a re-appraisal or demotion.
Lindi Town has a range of bars and restaurants to visit-these include Himo One, Fishermen’s (nicknamed ‘Whities’), Kidia Royal and The Hills (open after 6pm). Popular bars include Santorini’s and Magresa on the coast, The Police Mess, Falling Mangroves Bar and Mangroove Bar. Peace Beach is a hotel nearby Santorini’s which is currently being renovated and is said to have a swimming pool.
Nearby attractions, include some nice beaches, such as that at Mitema, north of the town, and Mchinga, even further north of the town. Mitema can be accessed by bajaji (3-wheeler auto-rickshaw), but Mchinga requires a dala dala (taxi or local bus) from nearby the main Halotel building. Passenger boats can also be taken to access beaches on the other side of the peninsula.
