When people think of Tanzanian beaches, more times then not, their mind slips to Zanzibar and its endless, powder white coastline. A handful of wide-eyed wanderers will think of Mafia..Mafia Island is a sleepy island located south of Zanzibar, where days are spent exploring exposed sand bars, fishing and diving. Scuba is seriously good here, especially in whale shark season.
Yes, Mafia. Not home to a ravenous bunch of Italian mobsters but an idyllic set of islands, so off the beaten track, more than half the world have no idea it exists. Picture this: a sleepy archipelago, riddled with sandbanks, islets, coastal forests, mangrove forests, inland lagoons and kilometers of pristine coral reef. Now, add a sprinkle of culture, a dash of history and a whole lot of sunshine and there you have it – Mafia Island.
Located 150 kilometers south of Zanzibar, Mafia is Tanzania’s best-kept secret. Easily accessible, via a 30-minute flight from Dar es Salaam, this little archipelago is the ultimate tropical getaway. ‘Mafia’ probably derives from the Arabic word “Morifyeh” meaning archipelago, a very fitting name for this collection of tropical jewels!
The locals appreciate their unpretentious life of fishing, farming and weaving baskets and mats, and actually make efforts to keep the outside capitalist world at a distance. Mafia is covered with lush tropical vegetation and abounds with fruit trees, baobabs, palms and mangroves.
This remarkable natural world in turn hosts distinct creatures such as varied avian life from butterflies to birds including fruit bats, monkeys, small antelopes, wild boar, bushbabies and interestingly, hippos. Rich with the marine treasures of the Indian Ocean, you must also visit one of finest marine parks of Tanzania while on your diving or snorkeling trip in Africa, the Mafia Island Marine Park, that spreads over an area of 822 square kilometers (317 square miles).
