Mafia archipelago

Mafia Island
 
The Mafia archipelago forms part of the coral reef protecting the coast of Tanzania. It is situated about 130 km south of Dar es-Salaam and about 25 km from the mainland, looking towards the huge Rufiji river delta which shaped the island and influenced its ecosystem by supplying nutritional substances at the base of a complex food-chain. The archipelago is formed of a number of larger islands and small uninhabited coral atolls.   While Zanzibar has become a popular tourist destination, Mafia Island is still relatively unknown. Previously poor communications with the mainland and being much lesser known than Zanzibar have kept Mafia 'original'. It boasts truly superb white sandy beaches, is home to Tanzania's first Marine Park and offers one of the world's best dive locations.

History

Mafia Island's history goes back to the 8th century. For centuries, the island was a trading stop for Shirazi merchants traveling up towards Persia and under the rule of the Omani sultanate in Zanzibar, vast coconut and cashew plantations flourished. On the tiny island of Chole Mjini, just offshore in Chole Bay, once stood a settlement that constituted one of the most important towns controlling trade from the silver mines of Eastern Zimbabwe, which reached the town via the old ports of Kilwa and Michangani.

Under a treaty of 1890, Germany took control of Mafia and constructed the buildings still evident on Chole. Germany paid Sultan Sayyid Ali bin Said al-Said of Oman 4 million for both the island and part of the mainland coast. In January 1915, Mafia was taken by British troops as a base for the air and sea assault on the light cruiser Königsberg.

Today, all that remain of the island’s prestigious past are the coral ruins on Chole Mjini, the small island just off shore from Mafia where the Arab landowners lived a sumptuous life removed from their plantations and slaves. 

People & Culture

The population of Mafia was 45,000 at the last census in 2002; they live in fishing and farming villages and small homesteads all over the main island, and the large islets of Jibondo, Juani and Chole.
 
The Wambwera were the first people to settle Mafia, originated from the Rufiji Delta. They are dark colored and are similar in dress and mode of life from the coasts Swahilis. They are peaceable and contented people, and delight in agriculture and cattle tending. The main inhabitants of Chole are the Shatri and they also live at Kipingwi and Kipandeni. They call themselves Sharifu and derive their descent from Hadhramout (Yemen). Their emigration took place several centuries ago and they are a mixture of Arab and Negro types.
 
In addition to the above mentioned old settlers, the slave population plays a great part. Large proportions of these settlers came originally from the Rufiji District and belong to the tribes of the south. A number of Muscat Arabs also settled on the island, as well as Suri fishermen from the Persian Gulf, while Swahili from Malindi have settled on the south coast near ChemChem.
 
The farmers on Mafia are smallholders, growing plots of cassava, rice, pigeon pea, pineapples, pawpaws and beans; it is typical to also find cashew, coconut and mango trees on each household's land. Large areas of the island are planted to coconuts, mostly by pre-World War II German settlers and descendents of Arab and Shirazi pioneers. Farmed areas are usually surrounded by woodland, grassland or coconut plantations.

 

Flora & Fauna;

On land, the rich variety of vegetation is dominated by large palm groves. In some areas you will find baobab trees dotting the typical African savannah. The mangroves play an extremely important role by preventing coastal erosion. There are also fruit trees in many areas, mainly mango and cashew trees.
 
The archipelago's wildlife is extremely varied: monkeys, squirrels, small antelopes, wild pigs, lemurs, as well as a colony of flying foxes, several species of bush babies, a type of pygmy shrew and a monitor lizard known as kenge can be found here. In a series of reed-lined lakes in central Mafia live a small colony of dwarf hippopotamuses, which may have crossed from the mainland or were washed to the island by floods of the Rufiji River system. There are countless types of birds and falcons and fish eagles build their nests on both the small and larger islands.

Mafia Island's marine ecosystem was given international recognition in July 1995, through designation as a Marine Park, backed by the WWF. Due to its position alongside the barrier, the island is the meeting place of large oceanic fish and the vast variety of fish common to the Indian Ocean coral reefs. There are over 400 species of fish in the park. The Park is a paradise for both expert scuba divers as well as those wishing to snorkel or sail in the native local boats from island to island. 

Superb White Sandy Beaches bordering World’s Best Diving & Fishing Locations, Diving and snorkeling in the Mafia Island Marine Park is utterly amazing and you can be almost guaranteed of a good dive experience with amazing coral and sea life!

The opportunities for scuba diving in the waters of the Mafia archipelago are world-class and virtually limitless. The islands are surrounded by reefs teeming with marine life, and the whole area was designated a marine park by the Tanzania government to minimize the impact of destructive fishing practices such as dynamiting. To date over 50 genera of corals, more than 460 species of fish and five different species of turtles have been recorded in the waters around Mafia’s Chole Bay. Mafia’s reefs offer dozens of wonderful dive sites, some of them hardly explored, showcasing a huge variety of fish and coral species, both hard and soft. Drop-offs, bommies, channels, walls and caves, drift and night dives are all possible.

While fishing is not possible inside the Marine Park, excellent sport fishing is to be had in the wider ocean waters surrounding Mafia. These are thought by many to be the best game fishing grounds in East Africa, with catches of Sailfish, Blue, Black and Striped Marlin, Barracuda, Wahoo, Kingfish, Giant Trevalley, Yellowfin and Dog-Tooth Tuna, Dorado, Five-Fingered Jack and Rainbow Runner, Red Snapper and Rock Cod all caught here.

The deep sea crescent off Mafia and the Songo Songo Archipelago is potentially one of the most exciting game fishing areas in the world, with expanses of virtually unfished waters that offer a keen challenge to sport fishermen. Isolated islets and beaches, lagoons, coves, channels and an endless range of secluded white sandy beaches provide many private swimming and picnicking hideaways. Chole Bay is perfect for windsurfing and laser sailing.

top ^

Tropical Climate ::

Temperatures;
In Mafia temperatures are mild, even in the hot season the temperature rarely exceeds 30°C, though humidity level is high.

Seasons

June:
Cool and dry
July:
Cool but windy
August-October:
Cool, dry season with pleasant temperatures and excellent weather
November:
Short rains, but often unreliable running into December
December-March:
Hot season, mainly dry with showers and increasing Humidity
April-May:
Long rains, very wet with heavy downpours lasting all day

Getting to Mafia Island

Coastal Aviation, ZanAir, and Precision Air have scheduled flights from Dar es Salaam to Mafia Island every day and are offering onward connecting flights with Arusha, Zanzibar and Pemba.

HIGHLIGHTS
* Dive and snorkel into Paradise. Discover Tanzania’s first Marine Park
* Picknick on Superb White Sandy Beaches and dream away
* Meet the Village Communities
* Get into the 12th-15th Centuries and visit Kua Ruins
* Sail with a Dhow into history
* Follow Nature Trails on both Land and Sea

 

Accommodation ::

Kinasi Island Lodge;
Kinasi is a small, private lodge situated in a coconut and cashew plantation facing Chole Bay on Mafia Island. It provides a high standard of accommodation in only twelve bungalows, each with a large verandah and en suite bathroom. The bungalows have been constructed in rendered concrete block, with palm-leaf (makuti) roofs, and concrete foundations and floors.

Mafia Island Lodge;
The Mafia Island Lodge stands amidst tall palms on a sandy beach on Chole Bay, in the heart of the Mafia Island Marine Park near Utende Village on the south coast of Mafia. The lodge is built on the best location on Mafia Island, and was the original and first accommodation on Mafia Island. Mafia Island Lodge has become the apex of providing superb diving experiences at reasonable costs and attracting international divers from all around the world to the unexplored waters of Mafia Island and surrounding reefs.

Polepole Bungalow Resort;
The Pole Pole (the Kiswahili words of "take it easy") Bungalow Resort located on the shores of Mafia Island Marine Park is a new kind of accommodation. It is set in a shady, breezy spot facing a sea of the deepest blue and looking over at the islands of Chole, Juani and Jibondo.

Chole Mjini Eco-Lodge, Chole;
Chole Mjini Eco-Lodge is located across from Mafia Island and set on a tiny islet called Chole. Chole is a historical Mecca having architectural ruins built by Shirazis from Persia, Khoja Ismaili Asians, Omani Arabs, and some with German modifications. The island is far from modernity as life is on any "semi-isolated" island but this remote Islet gives visiting guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in a world not seen before. Chole Mjini Eco-Lodge is built a few steps from the historical ruins. The accommodation is built literally inside baobab trees and resonates a true ecological perspective.

top ^