Mafia Island
Description: Secluded and seductive Mafia – a green wedge of land surrounded by turquoise waters, pristine islets and glinting white sandbanks – remained off the beaten track for years, undiscovered by all except deep-sea fishing aficionados and a trickle of visitors. That’s changing fast – the island’s tourist accommodation has grown from one hotel to over half a dozen in just a few years. For now, though, Mafia remains free of the mass tourism that threatens to overwhelm Zanzibar.
Among Mafia’s attractions are its tranquil pace, stuning underwater life, upmarket lodges, a strong traditional culture and a long and fascinating history. Whale sharks visit mafia between November and February.
Accommodations
$$$
Kinasi Lodge
La Lua Cheia Castaway Beach Camp
Ras Mbisi
Shamba Kilole Eco-Lodge
“We absolutely loved our experiences with Access 2 Tanzania. We booked our trip to Tanzania only a month before departure and were very happy to find out that November was the low season and that the lodging was still available. Karen was very responsive in getting the dates and bookings to us for review and took the time to talk to us over the phone a couple of times to ensure that we understood the details of our trip. The other highlight of our trip was the guides at Access 2 Tanzania. All of the guides that we had were great. However, our primary guide, Raymond, was the best guide that we have ever had on a trip anywhere and we have traveled a lot around the world. We felt incredibly safe while we were with Raymond. He was also very knowledgeable about Tanzania and the wildlife. He knew exactly where to take us to see the most wildlife and had an incredible eye for spotting the wildlife. He was able to spot wildlife that we could not see with binoculars using his own eyes.”