MAFIA ISLAND - TANZANIA

by Paul Giess

Despite its name Mafia Island is not in Southern Italy. It is the southern most of the three islands lying off the coast of Tanzania. To the north, Pemba Island is increasingly widely used by dive operators and Zanzibar is now so frequently visited it has started to acquire a 'Club Med' atmosphere in some resorts. Having visited all three islands on this trip Mafia is by far the most relaxing. However, it is also the most expensive. Unlike Pemba and Zanzibar there is no budget accommodation here but visitors are offered somewhere to stay that is truly unique.

We were given the choice of bungalows just off the beach at the Pole Pole resort or a short boat trip to the neighbouring island of Chole, where six tree houses have been built into the mangroves above the coast. The tree houses proved too much of a lure and so we took the ferry across the bay. It was a wise decision. The site is called Chole Mjini and consists of tree houses set around a large open sided restaurant and bar area. The tree houses themselves were definitely not the type you may have built in the park during your schooldays. Each had a private garden and solar heated shower. Ours had a swing bed whilst others were furnished with four poster beds. Located amongst the mangroves, we were woken each morning by the gentle sound of the sea lapping against the rocks beneath our balcony.
It truly was a unique location and upon returning home I was not surprised to see Chole Mjini listed in The Times travel supplement as one of the world's ten most secluded resorts. There are no snakes on the island and the monitor lizards have not mastered the wooden steps that lead up to the bedroom. So despite the open nature of the tree houses we did not encounter any unwelcome wildlife. The worst we experienced was a mouse that ate our bar of soap whilst we slept. We remembered to keep our toilet bags closed afterwards.
Prior to visiting Tanzania I was made aware of the practice of dynamite fishing where fishermen literally blast fish out of the water. This has caused serious damage to the reefs in the region hence diving in affected regions can be a disappointing experience. Mafia Island has been declared Tanzania's first Marine Park and this protection has saved it from the traditional destructive fishing practices. The bay between Mafia and Chole islands offers sheltered diving amongst unspoilt coral reefs. We were taken to a number of sites by boat, all of them teeming with fish including tuna, barracuda, moray eels and Napoleon wrasse. Even before we dived we encountered turtles and dolphins at the surface.

The flight into Mafia Island gave us a good idea what to expect from the diving before we had even touched ground. There are spectacular views of the coral tables surrounding the islands as the plane begins its descent. On the day that we arrived a pair of whale sharks were sheltering in the harbour and could be clearly seen from the air. The airstrip is typically African with cattle grazing on the runway and women balancing huge baskets of food and clothes, sauntering along in front of the plane as it brakes. The arrival of the daily flight is a major event for the islanders and you can expect plenty of attention before your taxi driver appears from the crowd.
We combined our visit to Mafia with a safari in the Serengeti and a visit to Pemba and Zanzibar Islands, the latter of which also included several dives. Of the two islands Mafia offered the more varied and interesting dive sites. One site, Kinasi Pass was particularly memorable. This site is located at the edge of Chole Bay where the sheltered waters meet the open ocean. It consists of a deep, narrow channel where we encountered reef rays but not the anticipated sight of a sheltering shark. The dive begins on a gently sloping reef, which descends to 15 metres before plummeting vertically down to 30 metres.

We arrived on Mafia in early August. Because the island is located so close to the equator the air and water temperatures remain warm all year long round. We were advised that water visibility is best in the Tanzanian summer (November through to February) but we never experienced anything less than 20 metres. This was a considerable improvement on Zanzibar where the previous week we had dived in bigger groups with visibility down to below 10 metres at times. Both Pole Pole and Chole Mjini are closed from April through to early June when the rainy season brings intense downpours. Diving is possible from both resorts.

This trip would particularly suit a couple or small party. The exclusive nature of the resort is not conducive to large groups. It is an extremely relaxing place for both divers and non-diving partners. There are beautiful sandy beaches in front of the Pole Pole bungalows and good snorkelling sites in the warm shallows at the edges of the bay. For land-lovers there is a maze of footpaths through the forest on the island of Chole and plenty to see. Ruins of both Persian and more modern German buildings are slowly being covered by the exotic tropical vegetation. There are just enough islanders to form two football teams and you may well find a game underway as you pass Chole's sun blasted football pitch. Perhaps the most spectacular sight on land is the colony of huge fruit bats, which hang upside down in tall trees during the day. As dusk descends they take to the wing allowing you to fully realise just how large their wingspan is.
Everywhere you visit you are met by friendly locals. Africans always seem pleased to meet msungus (foreigners) but on Chole the natives cannot do enough for you. It's all down to the unique arrangement between Chole Mjini and Chole village. The South African owners donate $10 per visitor per night to a trust fund, which has over time provided a kindergarten, carpentry workshop, health care and training for kitchen staff and dive guides. Part of the reason our dives were so enjoyable was that we were lead by locals who have lived on the islands all of their lives. Their knowledge of the underwater life was first class, although on one occasion our dive leader misjudged the tide and we found ourselves swimming in to a very strong current which was exhausting. Judging the tide as it moves through the bay seems to be crucial to the quality of the dive experience. To be fair this only happened on one occasion and we still saw plenty of underwater life including a large turtle who made a much more elegant attempt to move against the tide than we could manage.
Overall this was an excellent experience at a site, which is truly different. The accommodation and food were spectacular and the unhurried and relaxing dives were the best we found in the islands off Tanzania.

Costs
We travelled with Baobab Travel who tailor-make packages to African destinations, which include both diving and sightseeing. We combined our dives on both Zanzibar and Mafia with a safari in the Serengeti for £2100
Separate prices can be arranged for diving only packages to Mafia. At LIDS 2002 a seven day trip to Mafia was being offered for £799 Check their web site for latest special offers.

Baobab Travel are not ATOL bonded hence you will need to find your own flight. Baobab find flights for you but you need to make a separate deal with the flight agents once a suitable flight has been found. We travelled with British Airways who regularly fly to Dar es Salaam from Heathrow and Gatwick. Virtually all flights from the UK land in Nairobi first. We were allowed off the plane in Kenya on the way out but not on the way home. We managed to get our flights with BA during a special offer for £465 return (booked 4 months in advance). More typical prices are in the range of £650 -700.
Once in Africa all our internal flights, road connections, accommodation and dives (4 in Zanzibar and 5 in Mafia) were included in the price. We had to pay the taxi from the airstrip on Mafia but all other connections were included in the price. There is an enormous amount of information regarding vaccinations, visa requirements and local customs on both the Baobab web site and in a pre-departure pack, which we received prior to departure.

Baobab - Alternative Roots to Travel.
Old Fallings Hall, Old Fallings Road, Wolverhampton, WV10 8BL (UK)
Phone: UK (+44) 01902 - 562 988, Fax: UK (+44) 01902 - 563 087.
www.baobabtravel.com
Email: info@baobabtravel.com.