Mafia Island

Mafia Island is Tanzania's remote tropical paradise island renowned worldwide for its incredible diving. The Mafia Island Marine Park makes up a large portion of the island and surrounding waters, helping protecting the coral beds and fish. If you visit from October to March, you will have an opportunity to swim with whale sharks as they feed on the surface of the shallow waters on the western side of the island. This proposed itinerary focuses on whale watching and snorkeling, but if you are interesting in activities such as kite surfing, wind surfing, or diving, we would be happy to arrange that.

Tour Itinerary

Flight to Mafia Island

We will pick you up from your hotel in Dar es Salaam and take you to the airport for the 30 minute flight to Mafia Island. The small plane will give you an excellent view of the coast and the island as you arrive. From the airport we will head to the nearby Juani Beach Bungalows where we will be staying in Kilindoni.

Whale Watching

In the morning we will head out for whale watching. Between July and October we will be looking for humpback whales, while from November to February we will be spotting Whale Sharks. In the afternoon, we will return back to shore and go for a walk around the town of Kilindoni.

Turtle Hatching and Snorkeling

If visiting between March and July, we will have an opportunity to watch the turtles hatching on the beaches in the marine reserve. If you are visiting outside of these months, we can replace this activity with a trip to Fisherman's Island. At all times of the year we are able to snorkel in either Chole Bay or Blue Lagoon, but the timing is dependent on tides.

Return Flight

On our last day you will have choice of either spending time relaxing on the beach or visiting the Kilindoni Market for any last souvenir purchases. After this we will take you to the airport where you will fly back to Dar es Salaam. We can assist you in transferring you to your hotel on arrival.

Trip Cost - $1099

As part of our planning process, we help customize the sample trip itinerary to suit your respective interests and needs.

Mkalimu's trip cost estimates are inclusive of accommodation, transportation, entrance fees, and guiding services. They do not include food costs and gratuities. We price our trips based on the use of public transport or private taxis, and modest but well-maintained hotels with AC rooms and mosquito nets. We are more than happy to quote prices on request for trip options that involve higher end accommodation and private vehicles.