Before joining the dusty Big Red Truck (BiRT) in Namibia, I decided to take a few days to relax on the remote Mafia Island, off the coast of Tanzania just south of Zanzibar. It is situated in a marine park, so the diving is fantastic and there are less tourists than the neighbouring Zanzibar up north. It was just what I needed after a whirlwind final week in the UK trying to get everything ready. Of all things, I forgot to bring sandals. Nice.
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Getting there was quite the adventure. My flight went through Dubai, where I was treated to a 7 hour layover. I highly recommend the ‘Quiet Lounge’ for those of us who aren’t gold-star members in an elite mileage program. Sleep was the mode du jour. Finally, an airport that caters to napping! The shopping was great as well, of course, it being Dubai. I treated myself to a digital point-and-shoot camera. Overall, one of my favourite airports to date. (For other good sleeping-in-airport information, I recommend The Budget Traveller’s Guide to Sleeping in Airports. A must try!)
My flight from Dar Es Salaam to Mafia Island was a little more adventurous. You know you are out of the usual airport scene when the safety instructions consist of the pilot shouting over his shoulder to tell you where your lifejacket is. Even better, when you get to sit in the co-pilot seat! Now, THAT is an upgrade. We landed on a tiny strip of dirt barely wide enough for a car, after which I was shepherded into a giant jeep which crossed Mafia island. I felt like a superstar – every child who caught site of the car jumped up and down squealing with joy and waving.
An amazing view from the plane. Below is a Dhow.
That strip of dirt is Mafia Island's runway
Upgraded to Co-Pilot on the return flight
There are only a handful of hotels on the island: Pole Pole (about US$200/night and the token “fancy hotel”), Mafia Island Lodge (about US$100/night, but beware there are quite a few add-ons, so ask before agreeing to anything), and Chole Mjini Eco Lodge (on another island just across the bay). The latter consists of tree houses, which sounds like fun, but overall I think I made the right choice. Being alone, it was easier to meet people at Mafia Island Lodge and the owners of Chole didn’t seem so nice, according to other guests.
The lodge is basic and comfortable. I’m not quite sure what the difference is between the ‘superior’ rooms and the ‘standard’ rooms, though. It seems the standard rooms have much better views of the bay, which is what I imagined the superior rooms to have. My ‘superior’ view consisted mainly of trees, but I didn’t mind as I was hardly ever in the room. The showers have pretty low water pressure. When the lodge was full, there was but a trickle coming out of the showerhead at peak shower time. The best part is the staff – they are so incredibly friendly and interact a lot with the guests. I had free Kiswahili lessons during my entire stay.
Mafia Island Lodge
Diving: the first day was what I would consider average coral reef diving. The visibility wasn’t spectacular; there was quite a bit of sand floating around. I learned later that this was due to diving during low tide. Day 2 was much better – we went farther out, and during high tide. I do recommend it as a good place to dive, just make sure to get out of the bay itself. I met some other tourists who had been diving off of Pemba Island further north, and they had some amazing photos from underwater. Next time, I’d like to check that out.
The dive crew. I was the only client. :) These guys were a lot of fun!
Fishing boats on Mafia Island
All in all it was a very relaxing few days and I’m happy to have had time there before heading out to meet BiRT. I am a believer in soft landings for budget travellers. Organise a nice hotel for the first day or two, and then go for the hostels and budget lodgings. It’s a good way to get your travelling feet under you, to get used to the climate, the lingo, the money, and generally living out of a backpack. In other words, you can relax a little and drift into it.
For the full set of potos, click here.
This article originally appeared on MSN UK Travel.
