6-Day Getaway on romantic Mafia Island
€2284 All months, except April and May
Imagine a remote destination where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in a tropical paradise.
Mafia Island, Tanzania, is just such a place. With its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and lush green landscapes, Mafia Island is the perfect setting for a romantic getaway.
Picture yourself waking up to the sound of waves crashing on the shore and the gentle breeze rustling through the palm trees. After a leisurely breakfast, you can spend your day exploring the island’s many natural wonders. Snorkel or dive in the coral reefs teeming with marine life, go for a hike through the rainforest, or simply relax on the beach and soak up the sun.
In the evening, enjoy a romantic dinner at one of the island’s many beachfront restaurants. As you watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean, savor the delicious seafood and each other’s company.
Mafia Island is also home to a variety of cultural attractions, including the ruins of ancient Swahili settlements and the Chole Island Marine Park. If you’re looking for a unique and unforgettable experience, Mafia Island is the perfect place for you.
Here is where the magic is:
Day 1. Arrival to Dar es Salaam. Mafia Island
Arrival to Dar es Salaam no later than 13:00 to catch the domestic flight to Mafia Island. If your flight to Dar es Salaam arrives later, we can arrange an extra night in a hotel in 5-star Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel for you and all the necessary transfers.
Half-hour flight by a small aircraft will take you to Mafia Island. Transfer from Mafia Island Airport to Kinasi Lodge. Enjoy your lodge and the beach for the rest of the day.
- Accommodation: 4 star Kinasi Lodge
- Meal plan: dinner
Day 2. Miewe Island and Marimbani Sandbank
Full day out. Boat ride to Miewe Island and Darusi reef. Snorkeling and picnic lunch on the island. Mafia Island Marine Park is a snorkeler’s paradise with the Coral Gardens.
Boat ride to Marimbani Sandbank for swimming and sunbathing.
- Accommodation: 4* Kinasi Lodge
- Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3. Specialities of Mafia Island: Whale Sharks or Turtle Hatching
Whale Shark snorkeling, the main attraction and pride of Mafia Island, is available seasonally: October-March. We make this a full-day excursion leaving Kinasi after breakfast, and following the latest news on the location of the sharks.
After snorkeling with these magnificent fish you relax on a sandbank with picnic lunch and refreshments. The spotting of wild Whale Sharks is frequent, yet not guaranteed. If you have not been lucky today, and have not met even a single whale shark, we will treat you with another chance the day after tomorrow!
Alternatively, on season July-September we offer another unique experience for our guests: Turtle Hatching. During hatching season you can witness these tiny creatures emerge from their nests in the race for the sea. An early morning walk across the island of Juani brings you to the hatching beaches.
In June, or season when neither Whale Shark nor Turtle Hatching experience promise to see a striking spectacle, we have something else in mind for you: full-day boat safari at Kitutia Reef or Mange Reef with unforgettable snorkeling.
- Accommodation: 4* Kinasi Lodge
- Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4. Mafia Island – cultural activities
Walk with a guide in Utende village and explore the environs, ask questions about daily local life.
Get on a sup-board and explore the mangrove alleyways and forests at your own pace. The beach attendants will provide you with the paddles.
Enjoy the beach, your lodge and the swimming pool.
- Accommodation: 4* Kinasi Lodge
- Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5. Whale Sharks or alternative ocean or island excursions
If you have not been lucky with whale sharks the day before yesterday, today is your chance! We make a second attempt to see these gentle giants and snorkel with them.
If your first Whale Shark snorkeling was successful, we offer you one of the following boat or road trips in Mafia Island, to dive into it deeper:
– Scuba diving (single dive)
– Boat tour: Blue Lagoon, Kua channel and Kua ruins historic tour
– Land Rover trip: discover different parts of Mafia Island, it’s villages and deserted beaches
- Accommodation: 4* Kinasi Lodge
- Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6. Mafia Island – Dar es Salaam
Spend the morning enjoy the lodge, beach and a swimming pool. Or get on a sup-board again and explore the mangrove alleyways and forests at your own pace.
After early lunch, we will provide you a transfer to Mafia Airport, where you will take your afternoon flight to Dar es Salaam.
If your next flight departs late in the evening (from 20:00 and later), you can connect to your flight in Dar es Salaam airport. Otherwise, we can arrange an extra night in 5* Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel for you and an airport transfer the next day.
- Meal plan: breakfast, lunch
Your hotel: Kinasi Lodge, luxury and romance.
Kinasi Lodge is a boutique hotel on Mafia Island, approximately 100 km south of Dar es Salaam.
A short ride across the island from the airport and the main town of Kilindoni, the lodge overlooks Chole Bay in Mafia Island Marine Park.
This intimate and lovely resort, situated in an old cashew and coconut plantation, provides a luxury stay amidst stylish décor and magnificent natural surroundings of the protected marine park.Â
The swimming pool is surrounded by verdant gardens with sunbeds and alfresco lunchtime seating on the pool terrace.
To add refinement there is a wine cellar with a signature wine list and an outdoor pergola cocktail bar, a spa with expert Thai personnel providing aromatherapy, Thai massage and hydrotherapy and a host of leisure time options for those after-work periods.
Everything about this elegant hotel – from design and furnishing to our food & beverage and staff service – is done with a passion for perfection.
What’s included:Â
- Return domestic flights Dar es Salaam – Mafia – Dar es Salaam
- Pickup and assistance in Dar es Salaam airport before flying to Mafia and on return
- All transfers according to the itinerary
- All activities according to the itinerary
- Accommodation in hotels according to the itinerary
- Equipment rentals
- All government taxes and fees
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water
- Services of a professional English-speaking guides and captains during the excursions
- 24/7 information support from your travel manager and safari coordinator
- All reservation, travel consultation & admin fees
What’s not included:Â
- Mafia Island Marine Park fee – $20 per person per day, plus VAT 18%, charged at the gate of the marine park from your credit card
- Extra night in Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel, before and after the tour, if necessary – $242 per person per night, including airport transfers
- Tipping for the driver guide (at your own discretion). Tipping your driver guide is a common practice and shows appreciation for their hard work and dedication
- Visa ($50 on arrival or online at https://visa.immigration.go.tz/) and medical insurance. If necessary, we are happy to guide you also through these processes, and make it as smooth as possible
Tipping your driver guide is a common practice and shows appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
2 people | €1917 |
3 people | €1899 |
4 people | €1890 |
5 people | €1883 |
6 people | €1879 |
Children 0-2 years | free |
Children 3-12 years | Calculated upon request |
Important: Kinasi Lodge is located within Marine Park, and a fee of $20 per person per day (50% for children 3-15 years), plus VAT 18%, is charged by the Mafia Island Marine Park. This fee must be paid at the entry to the gate by the guest’s credit card. This fee can not be prepaid by us on behalf of our guests due to the regulations of the marine park.
*Additional single supplement applies, €201 per single room for entire tour, based on hotel’s policy