Mafia Island

Mafia Island off the coast of Tanzania must be one of the Indian Ocean's best hidden gems.

Understand
With white sandy beaches, dazzling aquamarine waters and refreshingly few tourists, Mafia is often described as Zanzibar 30 years ago: a laid-back eco-alternative with no tarmac roads, few hotels, no shops, no ATMs (credit cards are accepted at the up-market lodges) which is not geared for mainstream tourism. But be warned, if you want fancy shops and a wild night-life, Mafia isn’t for you!

There are six lodges on Mafia, five (Chole Mjini, Kinasi Lodge, Mafia, Pole Pole and Shamba Kilole) clustered closely together within Chole Bay and one, the Ras Mbisi Lodge, on the western side of the island. There is a handful of backpacker ‘hotels’ in Kilindoni, the main town (the port and airstrip are here).

Hopefully Mafia Island will not become the ‘next destination’ but remain an eco-friendly niche. There are about 3,000 to 4,000 over-night stays annually on the island.

Whale sharks and humpback whales can be found in the waters surrounding Mafia Island, as can turtles and reportedly dugongs.

Get in
There are two airlines with regular service from Dar es Salam to Mafia's Kilindoni airport and flights take about 30 minutes.


 * Coastal Aviation - operates two daily flights from Dar es Salam and one "on-demand" from Kilwa, their largest plane is a 13-seated Cessna, flights cost USD110/person.
 * Tropical Air - based in Zanzibar, flights to Mafia originate in Dar es Salaam.

Get around
There are only a few offroad cars owned by the resorts or lodge. You can hire a rickety Land Rover with driver near the market in the center of Kilindoni. It can be really fun to wander about walking and get a bit lost along the main street where you will meet all the locals working, interacting, bicycling, playing, etc. If you are more adventurous you can rent a bike from the place you are staying. The price should be USD8-15/day.

The most fun activity is to take a typical sailing boat (dhow) which also serve as the local bus. They have a wonderful structure, are made of wood and usually full of residents with dresses and pots of different bright colors. Almost all diving centers and lodges will also offer excursions around the Island.

Do
Diving, snorkeling. Some resorts and lodge have dive centers. The only independent one is The Big Blu.



Eat
Almost all resorts and lodges have their own restaurant and usually the prices are full board, so tourists rarely go around to find different places.

Drink
You can find whatever you want but if you look for something typical in Tanzania you can drink the coconut water (madafu) made from real coconuts, the soda called Stoney Tangawizi (with ginger taste) and some Tanzanian good beers such as Kilimanjaro. You can also find wines from South Africa.

Sleep




Go next
Mange is an atoll on the far western edge of the archipelago and lying in the Mafia Channel. It is a stunning place with a sand island – cay – exposed at low tide and an excellent coral reef for snorkelling and good diving on the deeper channel side.

This is a full-day excursion on the dhow “Papara” with picnic lunch and barbecued fish on the beach. A sun shade canopy is erected to protect travelers and cold drinks are included, which is very useful in the hot environment and on the homeward journey when sundowners are "mandatory".