The Best Thing To Do In Mafia Island – Tanzania’s Well Kept Secret and Pristine and Unspoiled Beach Escape
Mafia Island is located off the coast of Central Tanzania, about 20 km from the Rufiji River Delta. It is a beautiful island, famous for deep-sea fishing and quite incredible for diving. It offers scuba diving and snorkeling and the entire island is surrounded by unbroken barrier reefs. The island, 50 km in length and 15 km wide, is the largest island of this archipelago, consisting of many smaller islands, atolls, and tides. Here there are no tar roads and the whole island is locked in time-lapse. If you want to escape the disgusting crowds and relax from the hectic world, your Mafia is paradise.
![](https://www.flightlink.co.tz/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Mafia-Island.jpg)
Although the name may sound a bit scary there is no need to worry, because Mafia Island travel has the best activities and tours for the adventures that tourists want.
Mafia Island is an ideal place to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. This island remains pure and untouched without paved roads and a few tourists. It’s like Zanzibar a couple of decades ago. The atmosphere is relaxing and the islanders are very friendly.
Mafia Island travels in Zanzibar for a great beach experience in Tanzania. Although visitors regularly explore the area, it has one of the most interesting marines and coral ecosystems in the world. Traveling to Mafia Island is a perfect beachfront getaway with many fun activities.
![Tanazania Marine](https://live.staticflickr.com/8299/7894604754_91ebcf1bf2_b.jpg)
Things To Know Before Visiting The Mafia Island, Tanzania
Simple life makes travelers return to the past on the Swahili coast. The pace of life is slow. The main source of income is fishery, combined with agriculture and weaving. Pros: You don’t need shoes or watches. Cons: There are no large resorts that have luxurious or luxurious suites or shopping centers.
The mafia is far sleepy and peaceful. Don’t expect a nightlife, craft beer pub or a luxurious cocktail bar. Most tourists stay at the hotel for dinner and cocktails. The all-inclusive boutique hotel is a smart choice as there aren’t many services.
The population of the Mafia Islands is mostly Muslim and some Christians. Tourists should dress appropriately outside the hotel area. Women should cover knees and shoulders.
![Tanazania Marine - Thing To Do In Mafia Island](https://live.staticflickr.com/8036/7894605210_8f7da43dd7_b.jpg)
Here we highlight some of the top things to do in Mafia Island:
While visiting Mafia Island, there are many activities you can join, such as visiting the Mafia Island Marine Park, which houses more than 400 species of fish and other marine life. Visit the Mafia Island Marine Park to see the fish species. And other aquatic animals.
![Thing To Do In Mafia Island](https://live.staticflickr.com/7043/6958172033_75e593b095_b.jpg)
Some of the marine activities that will be included include swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, and deep-sea fishing.
While on land, there is much wildlife such as monkeys, shrubs, hippos and antelope that need to be careful. See a variety of birds, picnic on the white sand beach and watch the beautiful sunset. During the low tides, you can swim and snorkel.
Discover the best things to do in Mafia Island, Tanzania, including Mafia Island Diving, Big Blu Mafia Island Diving Center, Mafia Marine National Park, Kitu Kiblu: Marine Responsibility, African Shark Safari, Yange Yange Safari, Mafia Island.
Anyone who travels to Mafia island of Tanzania will try not to fall in love with this place. Tanzania culture and island life are the perfect combination. Mafia Island has enough visitors to guarantee the convenience of activities and lodges while not being overrun or destroyed by tourism. If you still need more confidence, here are some top things to do in Mafia Island.
![Thing To Do In Mafia Island Beach](https://live.staticflickr.com/2595/4018418554_2eb4d5e499_b.jpg)
Come to Mafia Island, Tanzania and see the beauty hidden in you:
1 Corals, corals, and other corals!
When it comes to biodiversity and marine tourism, Mafia Island has one of the richest collections of marine life, including corals. The Zanzibar Islands are a collection island. But the mafia receives the highest award when it comes to marine biodiversity, making it a great place for divers to explore the underwater world. The booming undersea fishing industry is a testament to the abundance of marine life in the area, and among the things, you’ll see in these waters are cute dugongs and gentle giants – the green sea turtles that are nesting places on the island. Even non-divers can go to the sea because there are many activities to do while on the water. You can be snorkeling or just enjoying the clean and cool water of the mafia.
Almost half of the Mafia coastline is part of the Mafia Island Marine Park, a natural park full of coral reefs, mangroves, and lakes. This is the largest protected area in the Indian Ocean. A coral reef with 50 different corals and over 460 species of fish is a dream for divers and shallow divers. The pure and unbelievable dive spot of the mafia remains a well-kept secret.
![Thing To Do In Mafia Island Corals](https://live.staticflickr.com/3205/2796247475_d419010312_b.jpg)
2 Birds!
Since this island is relatively new to the Tanzania tourist scene, it has never been so popular, making it perfect for tourists who want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life or just relax and rest in a resort or guesthouse on the Mafia Island. Another quiet and interesting thing you can do on the island is to watch the birds, green forest and plains of the underworld. Black nesting for birds, and the best time for bird watching is now a rare and exotic bird out. To feed and play here you will see lovemaking and mating rituals that will scare you. Mafia Island is the birdwatcher’s paradise!
3 Easy life
Mafia Island is the perfect place for those who want peace and quiet, can be your personal getaway when you book a room in one of the hotels, lodges or resorts available on the island. The accommodation is fully equipped with the facilities that tourists require while providing a relaxed atmosphere. Stress and all the worries you will be forgotten when you indulge in the solitude of the mafia island.
![Accommodation](https://live.staticflickr.com/2807/9359305374_80e6b5b6fa_b.jpg)
4 Witness The Turtles Hatching Eggs
When you get to the Mafia Island, tell your lodge that you are intending to see the turtles hatching. They will be told if there is any movement in the nesting area and at the last minute you will be driven there to see the little chicks walking to the sea. Your $10 fee will go to the upcoming Sea Sense who work to protect turtles.
![Turtles](https://live.staticflickr.com/3275/2797082394_e87f023803_z.jpg)
5 Swim With Whales, Sharks
One of the biggest things to do on Mafia Island is swimming with whale sharks. This experience is at the peak of your all-time travel memories. These creatures are large and their gentle nature makes them enjoy swimming too. You can see these giants only a few hundred meters off the coast, near Kilindoni harbor. The best time to observe them:
Humpback whales: August to October
Whaleshark: October to April
![Swim With Whales, Sharks](https://www.theordinaryadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/PC310098-a.jpg)
5 Wander The Kilindoni Market
The capital of the Mafia Islands, Kilindoni is small and offers a warm welcome. There are docks where fishermen and ferries enter and exit the airport from the single runway. On the main road is peace, spread to the market, which sells everything from fruit to football kits. In the evening, the ladies of the table and chairs in the street you can go crazy to try cheap local food.
6 Take A Tour to The Popular Chole Island
Just coming out to the Mafia is the smaller Chole Island. There are only 1,000 people. At this time it seems to stop together on this island without cars. As you walk through the maze of paths that cut into the palm trees, you will see mud huts where people live and the various crafts and trades they make for their living. The island is also a large protected nesting site for the world’s largest flying fox.
![Flying fox](https://live.staticflickr.com/3111/2742565172_5b9904fd67_z.jpg)
7 BBQ Lunch At Marimbani Sandbank
A short boat ride from the Mafia island is the pristine sandy beach, which appears only a few hours a day, also known as Marim Bay. White sand beaches, clear water, and many crabs. This is a paradise and worth going fast or slow so you can have an address for yourself. It is one of my favorite things to do on Mafia Island.
![Marimbani Sandbank](https://www.theordinaryadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/P1090051.jpg)
8 Visit the Mafia Island Lighthouse
At the northernmost point of the island, you will find a preserved lighthouse. Everyone we talk about gives different dates when they were created in order to know what’s right… but it’s old! This is an area of the island that most visitors don’t normally visit. You can reach there by tuk-tuk or by a taxi or you can hire your very own piki-piki (motorbike). There is also an untouched beach in the north of the island where you can go swimming.
![Ras Mkumbi Lighthouse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Ras_Mkumbi_Lighthouse.jpg)
9 Swim In The Hidden Lagoon
Hiding in a marine park, a beautiful lake, this is the best secret of the Mafia island. Swim in a pool full of prone jellyfish and go down into the impossibly blue sea. On a boat ride with and from the lake looking for monkeys in the trees!
![Best Thing To Do In Mafia Island - Swim In The Hidden Lagoon](https://www.theordinaryadventurer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/P1090104.jpg)
10 Life Under The Dazzling Sea
Since most islands are surrounded by mangrove forests, the long beach is not as wide as Zanzibar. But still, beautiful Sparkling marine life is the main feature of the island. This is the place to see humpback whales, turtles and the largest fish in the world. Whale sharks Mafia Island is a unique place for travelers and honeymooners to relax after a safari, Tanzania.
![](https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/img/mmf_whale_shark_653380.jpg)
11 Try the Coconut Beer
Drinking coconut beer is one of the most local things to do in Mafia lsland. Personally, I can’t recommend homebrew for its flavor. But the experience is still worth the cheap ($0.50).
These are just a few examples of things you can do while on the Mafia Island. No boredom exists here and everyone will definitely find things to do on Mafia Island.
Our Verdict On The best things to do in Mafia Island in Tanzania
Mafia Island is one of the best tropical islands we’ve visited – and is the best island in Tanzania. Compared to Zanzibar and Pemba Mafia, they were still off the beaten path. It is a true and peaceful island paradise.
![Thing To Do In Mafia Island](https://live.staticflickr.com/3184/2796252935_cac3056e8f_z.jpg)