Contrary to what many people may think, Mafia Island is not part of the Zanzibar Archipelago.
Indeed, Mafia island is a small island of Tanzania located in South Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean.
About 50,000 people live on this small wild island of 394 km2.
Why go to Mafia Island?
However, tourist infrastructure slowly begin to develop on the island.
To give you an idea, I went to Mafia this year at the end of May, we were the only tourists on the island during our stay of 10 days. It was indeed the off-peak period and many tourist infrastructures close during the month of May.
We also had a lot of trouble, for example, to find a diving center that accepts to take us to go diving.
If you need a quiet placeaway from the hordes of tourists with wild landscapes and beaches as well as magnificent seabed, I advise you to go for a walk on Mafia Island.
How to get to Zanzibar Mafia?
Sadly, there is still no direct way to reach Mafia Island from Zanzibar.
In order to reach Mafia Island you will therefore need in a first time to reach the Tanzanian mainland.
For this purpose, two possibilities available to you.
Fly to Zanzibar Mafia
Many national airlines connect Zanzibar to the mainland:
- Coastal Aviation
- AuricAir
- Precision Air
- tropical-air
- ZanAir
In order to reach Mafia Island from Zanzibar you will therefore need take a flight to Dar Es Salaam Firstly.
The airport of Zanzibar is located 5 km south of Stone Town.
The 5 airlines mentioned above operate several flights per day between Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam.
Le rate fluctuates between US $ 50 and US $ 150 depending on the period and the flight lasts only 25 minutes.
For the more sensitive, know that the flights connecting Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam are carried out on board small planes of about fifteen places.
If you are lucky you can even perform the flight in place of the co-pilot right next to the pilot.
In both cases you will benefit from a wonderful view above Zanzibar.
Reach Mafia Island by ferry
You can also reach Dar Es Salaam by ferry from Stone Town (Zanzibar).
Several boat companies make the crossing towards Dar Es Salaam but the best known is AZAM-Marine.
Count around US $ 35 per person for the crossing and it lasts .
How to go to Mafia island in Tanzania?
Once on the mainland, you have two ways to get to Mafia Island.
I personally tried both ways, namely the plane to go and the boat to return.
Fly to Mafia Island
I will not lie to you, the easiest way to reach Mafia Island is to take a flight from Dar Es Salaam.
The journey only lasts 30 minutes in a small plane with 15 seats, these are the same type of aircraft as those used to make the connection between Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam.
Auric Air and Coastal Aviation are among the airlines that fly daily between Mafia and Dar Es Salaam.
Le cost one way varies between US $ 30 and US $ 150 depending on the period.
Be aware that by booking a plane ticket on the websites of most airlines, the price indicated does not include luggage (only 10kg of luggage is included with some companies). It will therefore be necessary to think about adding US $ 20 / US $ 30 per additional piece of baggage.
Reach Mafia Island by boat
If you have a tighter budget and what you wish live a real local experience, I advise you to take the boat.
However, it does you really don't have to be in a hurry to choose this means of transport because I assure you that it is a real journey.
I made the boat trip for Mafia's return to Dar Es Salaam.
Know that there is only one boat per day who makes the outward and return trip.
The boat leaves every day at 4 a.m. from the mainland to join Mafia, and for the return the boat leaves at 6 a.m. Mafia. The duration of the crossing is approximately 4 hours in a boat, fishing boat style.
Le price for a crossing is 16 Tsh is around $6.
To go to Mafia from Dar, you will need in a first time to take a bus from one of the Dar Es Salaam bus stations. This bus will drop you off at Nyamisati, a small town in 4 hours south of Dar Es Salaam.
Once you get to Niamisati, you have to take the boat.
Since the boat leaves at 4 a.m., you need "Sleep" in Nyamisati the day before because you will not find a night bus to go from Dar to Nyamisati.
This is a very local and thrifty way of traveling to Mafia.
Many forums do not recommend getting on the boat.
For my part the crossing went very well.
Know that the conditions are rudimentary, Namely some benches so that the men sit down and when there is no more room, the travelers lie on the ground. Everyone lies down and tries to get some sleep.
With a girlfriend, we were the only tourists aboard this boat but everything went very well !
Do not hesitate to try the adventure if it does not scare you!
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