Yes, there are
hippos here.
Add an inland wildlife outing with a local guide.
$35per person
Afro tour rate
Inclusions confirmed for your dates. Sightings are not guaranteed.Afro tour rate
Mafia Island, Tanzania · Locally owned
Find your next
island adventure.
Stays, whale shark safaris, flights and unforgettable island days. Plan it all with Afro.
Zanzibar → Mafia whale shark day trip · from $550 ↗
YOUR MAFIA ISLAND BOOKING DESK
Find it. Price it. Make it yours.
Compare your options and build your whole island trip right here.
✓ Instant planning prices✓ Customise before requesting✓ One itemised trip total
1 Search & compare→2 Customise & total→3 Send your request
YOUR BOOKING, ALL IN ONE PLACE
Fine-tune your trip.
Choose room details or activity quantities, add more options and review your total before sending.
1. Choose & customise
2. Your trip & total
Continue to booking request ↓YOUR LOCAL AFRO TEAM
3. Send your complete trip to Afro
This is a design preview. Booking requests are not connected here. Please contact Afro by WhatsApp or email. We review rooms, flight seats and tour capacity, then confirm your price and payment link. No payment is collected here.
After Afro confirms: online payment options with WeTravel ↗. A WeTravel payment is managed separately; it is not automatically synchronised to this dashboard.
Prices use Afro’s supplied planning catalogue through 2030. Unpriced services use labelled provisional budgets. Room availability, flight seats, departure times and final prices require confirmation. No payment is collected here.
A glimpse of island life
Explore all photos ↗Let the pictures take you there.
Lagoons, quiet sandbanks and a different side of Mafia Island.
Your holiday, your way
Make more of your Mafia escape.
Start with a beach stay, a day on the ocean or a complete flight-inclusive adventure.
STAY WITH AFRO
Wake up on island time.
Afro Beach Safari · B&B from $30 for one guest.
Explore stays ↗
ONE-DAY ISLAND ESCAPE
Zanzibar to whale sharks.
Return flights, transfers, safari and lunch from $550.
See the all-inclusive trip ↗
Indicative prices, subject to availability and final quotation.
Find your island moment
Things to do on Mafia Island.
Choose an adventure, compare what’s included and ask our local team to make it happen.
Planning prices in USD · Final price and availability confirmed for your dates
♡ Save experiences on this device to compare later.
Fly in. Dive into the moment. Fly back.
Zanzibar to Mafia Island.
A whale shark adventure in one day.
A complete island escape arranged by Afro, from your Zanzibar hotel pickup to your return transfer.
ONE DAY · RETURN FLIGHTS · LOCAL GUIDESBig ocean moments.
One unforgettable day.
One unforgettable day.
ALL-INCLUSIVE PLANNING PACKAGEWhale shark day trip
Whale shark day trip
from Zanzibar by flight
Leave Zanzibar in the morning, meet our local team on Mafia Island, and head to sea for a respectful whale shark snorkelling experience. Enjoy lunch before your return flight.
From $550per person · indicative package price
✓ Return flights✓ Zanzibar hotel transfers✓ Mafia airport transfers✓ Whale shark boat safari✓ Snorkelling equipment✓ Local guide & briefing✓ Breakfast / refreshments✓ Lunch & drinking water✓ Applicable tour fees
Full itinerary & everything included ↗Flights, routing and departure times depend on availability. Direct departures require sufficient passengers; a connection via Dar may be offered. Sightings are never guaranteed.
01 · EARLY MORNING
Zanzibar pickup & flight
Your hotel transfer and flight are arranged for the confirmed departure.
02 · MAFIA ISLAND
Meet the ocean giants
Meet Afro, receive your briefing and head out with local spotters.
03 · AFTERNOON
Lunch & fly back
Enjoy your meal, return to the airport and transfer back to your Zanzibar hotel.
Where to stay on Mafia Island
Start with Afro. Stay a little longer.
Beach simplicity now, with more mid-range and luxury stays coming to the collection.
Our first featured stay · Kilindoni
Afro Beach Safari
Also known as Afro Beach Bungalows. A relaxed, budget-friendly island base with beach sunsets, a restaurant and local hospitality.
View rooms, meal plans & rates ↗Indicative room rate
$502 guests · per room / night · breakfast
Explore 11 Mafia Island accommodationsBrowse five properties per page, with Afro Beach Safari first. Additional rates and property photos will be added as confirmed.
Browse all accommodation ↗Where you feel at home
Your stay. Your island rhythm.
01 / SIMPLE & LOCALBudget beach
A comfortable
Make room
Budget beach
bungalows.
Start with Afro Beach Safari. Explore room and meal-plan choices for an easy island base.
Explore budget stays ↗02 / COMFORT & CHOICEA comfortable
island retreat.
Tell us the facilities, location and nightly budget that matter to you.
Explore mid-range stays ↗03 / SPACE & SLOW DAYSMake room
for a little luxury.
Find a distinctive lodge or a more private setting, with a tailored quotation.
Explore luxury stays ↗Travel styles are a planning guide, not official star ratings. Facilities and availability are confirmed individually.
Your journey starts here
Flights to Mafia Island.
Compare route options, then request the fare for your dates. Prices below are Afro planning estimates, not live airline offers.
| Route to Mafia (MFA) | Indicative one-way / person | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam → Mafia | From $170 | |
| Zanzibar → Mafia, via Dar | From $200 | |
| Arusha / Kilimanjaro → Mafia, via Dar | From $360 | |
| Direct Zanzibar charter / seat | Quotation required |
Looking for a cheaper flight?
Share a flexible date range and your full route. We can compare travel days and connections when preparing your quote.
Fares, taxes, baggage, routing and schedules must be reconfirmed. No “lowest fare” guarantee. Do not rely on a connection until it is ticketed.
Cheap flights: planning tips ↗Flights, ferry & airport transfers ↗
The mainland sea connection
Reach Mafia by ferry.
Plan the road to Nyamisati, the crossing to Kilindoni and your island transfer with one local contact.
NYAMISATI························KILINDONI
Mainland Tanzania ↔ Mafia Island
The sea route links Nyamisati on the mainland with Kilindoni. MV Kilindoni serves this route; the operator must confirm the vessel and sailing for your travel date.
Ferry schedules, fares and service status are not live here. Request the current departure, check-in requirements and fare before making onward plans.
Good to know before you sail
Plan the whole journey.
- Allow road travel time from Dar es Salaam to Nyamisati.
- Confirm the sailing day and check-in time with the operator.
- Ask about adult, child, luggage and vehicle charges.
- Arrange your pickup at Kilindoni on arrival.
Ferry fare: current quotation required. No seat is held by submitting an enquiry.
Ferry information & booking requests ↗One island. So much to discover.
Find your kind of Mafia.
From ocean encounters to inland wildlife, let our local team help you choose the days you will remember.
Beyond the postcard
Get to know our island.
A local guide to Mafia’s places, people and natural world, with practical advice for your first visit.
The destination
Why Mafia Island?
Slow island days, marine adventures and a living Swahili coastline.
Explore the island ↗Stories in stone
History & heritage
From medieval Kua to Chole’s island heritage and everyday coastal culture.
Read the history ↗Gentle ocean giants
Whale sharks
Understand the encounter, seasonality and respectful time in the water.
Meet the whale sharks ↗Community & ocean
Conservation
Responsible tourism and our collaboration with WATONET Tanzania.
Discover our approach ↗Our diving partner · Mafia Island Diving
Below the surface,
a different world.
Explore Chole Bay’s coral reefs, shore-diving macro life and seasonal sites beyond the bay. Dive plans follow tides, conditions and your experience.
Afro planning rate: double-tank trip from $105 per diver. Equipment from $25/day; marine-park entry additional. Confirm the final supplier price and inclusions.
A sense of place
Explore the Mafia Island map.
Choose a place to move the map, discover what’s nearby and plan an experience.
Live Google Maps · Pan, zoom and choose a place below. Markers are approximate.
Map data credited within Google Maps. Select a place to focus the map and view local trip information.Culture, community & ocean
Make time for island celebrations.
Afro’s annual event calendar. Programmes, venues and ticket availability are confirmed for each edition.
30 AUG · ANNUAL
Whale Shark Day
Ukili Waves whale shark celebrations: ocean awareness, community connection and a shared love for Mafia’s marine life.
SEPTEMBER · ANNUAL
Mafia Island Festival
A month to celebrate island culture. Exact dates and the programme will be announced by the organisers.
27–28 NOV · ANNUAL
Ukili Waves
Culture, creativity and community. The 2026 event listing identifies Afro Beach Ground as the venue.
View 2026 tickets on WeTravel ↗Annual dates supplied by Afro. Confirm each year’s edition before booking transport. See the event guide ↗
Travel that connects
Our island.
Our shared responsibility.
Afro works with WATONET Tanzania to connect responsible tourism, whale shark awareness and community-led conservation.
Choose local guides, follow the wildlife briefing, reduce waste and respect fishing communities and protected areas.
Afro × WATONET ↗Before you book
Good questions. Clear answers.
Can I book and pay online?
Use Afro’s WeTravel profile for listed trips and its available reservation/payment options. Use Build & book your trip to save a booking request with Afro. Quick enquiries use your messaging or email app. Requests do not reserve space or take payment; Afro confirms the final price and availability.
Are the displayed prices and availability live?
No. These are indicative planning rates. Your final quote confirms the date, guest details, inclusions, fees, availability and cancellation terms.
Can children and non-swimmers join a whale shark trip?
Tell us children’s ages, swimming ability and whether anyone wants to observe from the boat. The team will discuss suitability, safety arrangements and any child rate before confirmation.
Can you guarantee whale shark sightings?
No. Whale sharks are wild animals and sightings depend on natural conditions. More time on the island can allow another attempt, but no number of trips guarantees a sighting.
Can you help combine flights, accommodation and tours?
Yes. Request a custom package and share your route, dates and preferences. We will prepare a coordinated itinerary and full quotation.
Your local team is one message away
Let’s turn your island ideas
into a journey.
Plan your Mafia Island holiday
Explore practical local guides, compare experiences and choose the right base for your visit.
Islands, Beaches & Attractions ↗Mafia Island Hippo Tour ↗Mafia Island Photo Gallery ↗Things to Do on Mafia Island ↗Swimming with Whale Sharks ↗Mafia Island Hotels & Where to Stay ↗Mafia Island Flights & Travel ↗Mafia Island Diving ↗Mafia Island Packages & Holidays ↗Best Time to Visit Mafia Island ↗Mafia Island History ↗Whale Shark Conservation ↗Mafia Island Marine Park ↗Chole Bay & Utende ↗Kilindoni Travel Guide ↗