Mafia island Top notch Things to do and attractions

ATTRACTIONS COLLECTION MAFIA ISLAND

BATS AT CHOLE ISLAND

Take a stroll to Chole Village during where you can interact with the local Swahili people and peek into their way of living. Watch craftsmen fashioning dhows alongside the relaxed pace of several village activities. On Chole Island is the Popo Park, the site set aside for the preservation of the habitat of fruit bats (aka flying foxes). These beautiful, nocturnal avian creatures have distinctive fox-like faces and russet-colored fur. Watch them take to the air in hundreds as the sun sets over the horizon.

CHOLE MJINI TREE HOUSE

When choosing your Mafia accommodation for your unique, remote beach escapade in East Africa, you could opt to stay on Mafia Island or on the tiny isles of Chole. Each of them have distinct cottages that will allow you to enjoy traditional island living. For instance, located on Chole Island is the mid-range Chole Mjini Lodge that offers you a collection of 7 treehouses that are fashioned around baobab trees, each given names in numerical Kiswahili that are pleasant-sounding to say aloud.

COCONUT PLANTATION

KANGA BEACH

KILINDONI MARKET

Mafia Island’s Kilindoni Town offers a few amenities, such as a bank and post office. It also hosts a local market, for items such as fresh produce and fish or seafood.

A short 30-min drive from Kilindoni is the area of Kisimani, at the south-western edge of the island. At one time, this was a thriving center with a beautiful palace. However, what now remains are only ruins to attest to the established locale that once stood here; some artifacts found in the area have been dated back to 600 B.C. Legend has it that the ruler cut off the hands of the masons and builders so that no one might ever recreate his palace in another location. His actions may have caused the downfall of Kisimani

KINASI PASS

Mafia Island has the distinction of being located in one of the prime spots between the Rufiji Delta on the west and the Indian Ocean on the east. This makes the island the perfect habitat for long, unbroken lines of coral reefs that extend from Kifinge (Forbes Bay) in the north to Tutia in the south. Tepid waters and the shelter of the bay have transformed the area into an unbelievably beautiful world hidden below the vast waters of the ocean.

CHOLE ISLAND

The rich cultural heritage of this remote nook of Africa is reflected on the coastal islands of Tanzania, and as you tour around the island of Mafia, you will see ruins of the olden Kua civilization at Juani Island alongside other kinds of edifices echoing the past such as the lighthouse at Ras Mkumbi in northern Mafia. The sandy beaches of Juani are also the favorite nesting site of green turtles. Enjoy a picnic afternoon on the sandbanks of Funguni and Mange Reef, or take a dhow-building lesson on Chole Island.

KUA CHANNEL -JUANI ISLAND

LAGOON -JUANI ISLAND

LIGHT HOUSE -RASI MKUMBI

On the northern tip of the island of Mafia there is the lighthouse, the path to reach it and return requires at least one day but the scenery you will meet is varied and different.
You stroll among baobab trees and wonderful and quiet beaches, those in the north are less accessible but also the most beautiful.
It is possible to organize a day to the north with picnic and once you get to the lighthouse it is also possible to go up and have a 360 degrees view of the island and the sea

MANGROVE SWAMP NEAR KANGA BEACH

MANGROVES

MLOLA FOREST

RASI KISIMANI BEACH

SAND BANK NEAR CHOLE ISLAND

The sea around mafia is alive with beautiful white sandy beaches and clear water where you can snorkel and have picnics.
A kind of private sea safari in the protected park to discover the life of the wonderful seabed.
Between June and September you can see the baby turtles on the island Juani.

SWIMMING WITH WHALESHARKS

Mafia Island has a rare treat in store for your marine vacation in Tanzania – swimming with whale sharks. They are the largest fish in the oceans of the world and can reach lengths of 12 meters. These spectacular creatures with their distinctive spots and stripes markings seem to favor the areas around the island and are known to be present almost all the year round; though best time to visit is October to March when they are spotted feeding on the higher surface. Most of the individuals are males.

Their favorite food is plankton, and you will be filled with awe as you watch them feeding as you snorkel or dive around them. These gentle giants tend to ignore humans and despite being cousins of orcas, they are completely harmless. As you will learn on your Mafia Island travel, special efforts are being taken to ensure that these animals and their feeding grounds are not disturbed in any way by increased human activities. Care is also taken so that they are not harassed, frightened touched or chased.

If you travel to Mafia between November and April, perhaps the most spectacular of all activities and a great attraction is swimming with whale sharks. These creatures that are huge but gentle visit the waters west of the Mafia every year.
The locals call the whale shark ‘Papa Shilingi’ , papa means shark and shilingi is coins – because the white spots on the body of these huge fish remind of doubloons.
Whale sharks can also measure 12 meters and they live about 60 years, it is considered the largest fish in the world and to swim together with them is a unique experience. Period for this activity: from November to April