Mafia Island

After the safari, we continued to Mafia Island by Cessna 208 (max. 13 passengers). In the capital Kilindoni, 37% of Mafia's population of 25,000 residents live. The airport building is very small (about the size of the sports hut in Rittersdorf), but it is quick and uncomplicated in processing.

On the small island, roughly the size of Lake Constance, there are only a few paved roads. The last 300 meters to our accommodation is a 2m wide sandy path. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed with a fresh coconut and could enjoy it while watching the sunset right by the beach.

Overall, the island is not overrun by tourists due to the small airport. The locals are very nice and communicative but not intrusive.

The beaches and the sea are quite clean, only the rivers flowing into the sea have a somewhat strong odor. This is due to the sewage system being overwhelmed by increasing tourism. However, there are plans in place to find a good balance.

Our accommodation, the Juani Beach Bungalows, is located directly by the sea. Our dining table was set up romantically on the beach a few meters from the water. The sand is very fine, soft, and light-colored, and the water is clear. During a canoe tour along the coast, we could enjoy the view of the beautiful beach with palm trees.

In the following days, we wanted to get into the water.

Although it wasn’t the peak season for whale sharks, we wanted to try our luck with a tour to swim with these impressive creatures.

However, when you are supposed to jump into the water several kilometers offshore with somewhat stronger waves, you naturally have some respect. Since we didn’t spot any whale sharks, we didn’t have to overcome that fear. (The photo is a sample photo showing what we missed.)

The next day, we went diving in Chole Bay. Here we could experience a colorful, healthy reef. From clownfish, pufferfish to parrotfish and moray eels, we saw all the well-known sea creatures. Many thanks to Mafia Island Diving for the great support and wonderful experience!

Before heading to our last major destination, Zanzibar, we went snorkeling once more. Our first stop was again at the reef. Unfortunately, the water was too choppy, so we couldn’t see any turtles. However, today we were allowed to take our camera, and we tried to capture the underwater world.

The second stop: the Blue Lagoon. A small saltwater lake in the middle of an island. Very idyllic and stunningly beautiful. Even the jellyfish drifting upside down in the water here are harmless. However, there are so-called “sugar flies” that sting you in the water if you stay in one spot too long. They are likely harmless but annoying and painful.

After that, we continued to Zanzibar.

Conclusion: We enjoyed the time away from mass tourism despite the changeable weather. Hopefully, Mafia Island finds a good balance between tourism and nature conservation to preserve the paradise for people and animals for as long as possible.

Highlight: 6 chapatis from an older lady at a semi-official sales point for the equivalent of 17 cents each, which were extremely delicious.

By the way: The name “Mafia Island” has nothing to do with the Italian Mafia. It probably comes from the Swahili word creation “mahali pa afya,” which means “healthy dwelling,” or from the Arabic word “morfiyeh,” which means “group” or “archipelago.”