Best Travel Guide To Mafia Island Wildlife and Adventures in Tanzania

Best Travel Guide To Mafia Island Wildlife and Adventures in Tanzania 

With its fine sandy beaches, swaying palms, and lush vegetation, Mafia Island is the ideal spot to relax and unwind after a great African safari.

Location of Mafia Island in Tanzania:

Located 150km (93 mi) south of Zanzibar Island lies the third largest isle in the archipelago, Mafia. Mafia Island is so far removed and has so many smaller satellites of its own that it’s a miniature archipelago in its own right. Mafia Island (Kisiwa cha Mafia) is located in Tanzania. The island is the third largest in Tanzanian ocean territory; it’s a local archipelago and the main island is sometimes called Chole shamba in Swahili.

Rarely visited and much quieter even than Pemba, Mafia, and its surrounding islands are a diver’s paradise. Giant groupers, rays, turtles, and whale sharks all frequent its warm, clear waters.

Overview:

Located off the southern coast of Tanzania, Mafia is a very beautiful island, the center of which is a mix of classic palm plantations and sections of open grassland that are unusually reminiscent of the mainland, much more so than Zanzibar or Pemba.

Unlike other parts of this coast, notably the east coast of Zanzibar, Mafia Island does not generally offer classic white sand beaches, being instead dominated by tidal flats and mangroves.

The island is a tourist destination for many tourists, mainly divers, birdwatchers, and game fishermen, and good for relaxation. Mafia's secluded sandbars, migrating whale sharks, nesting turtles, and laid-back chilling make this island simply awesome.

The island coast is lined with tangled mangroves and a few golden bays, where traditional dhows and kayaks are launched into the turquoise waters. Beach lovers head out by boat to the sandbars, surrounded by gently lapping ocean waves, where they can picnic and swim from pristine, powder-white crescents of sand.

In 1995, the Mafia Island Marine Park was established to protect the archipelago's reefs, one of Tanzania's best areas for diving. The area has rainbow-colored clownfish, octopus, rays, sharks, and dolphins in deeper waters, there is always something unique to see.

The islands’ booming marine life is impressive to watch such as the Juan’s turtle hatchlings scuttle to the sea, whilst sailing or swimming alongside the annual whale shark migration is indeed one of Africa’s greatest wildlife encounters.

The archipelago is very accessible with a small airport and good accommodation including small, high-quality lodges ranging from fairytale tree houses to luxurious private villas ranking some of the best in the Indian Ocean.

Where to stay:

Mafia Island has only a limited range of accommodation options. If your primary interest is diving, then most likely you will want to stay in the Chole Bay area to the south, where the stand-out option is Chole Mjini Lodge, with its quirky treehouses. Other decent options include the dive-oriented Shamba Kilole Lodge and the reliable Kinasi Lodge.

If you are more interested in swimming with whale sharks and/or the cultural aspects of the main town Kilindoni, then you might choose to stay in that part of the island, with Butiama Beach Lodge being the lead option.

Mafia Island is perfect for a getaway.

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