Pemba & Mafia Islands — Simba Pride Safaris

the quietislands

Two islands for travellers who found Zanzibar too busy. Pemba is green, hilly and ringed by some of the best wall diving in East Africa. Mafia is a marine park where whale sharks gather each season and the pace never rises above a slow walk.

Oct to Marwhale sharks

3 to 4nights

30 to 35 minflights

Marine parkMafia Island

Overview

Wildlife highlights

Whale shark
Manta
Turtle
Pemba flying fox
Reef sharks
Dugong (rare)

Whale sharks

Swim beside giants

From October to March the largest fish in the sea feed off Mafia's west coast.

Diving

Walls and reefs

Pemba's drop-offs and Mafia's protected reefs, both with turtles, rays and big schools.

Quiet

Nothing much happens

No nightlife, few cars, Swahili villages and empty sand. That is the point.

Season calendar

What happens when. Use it to pick your month, then ask us to confirm conditions before you book.

Whale sharks at MafiaJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Best diving visibilityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Turtle hatching, MafiaJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

RainyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Areas & highlights

Mafia Island Marine Park

Chole Bay and the reefs, the whale-shark coast at Kilindoni.

Best: Oct to Mar

Chole Island

Ruins, fruit bats and boatbuilders, a short dhow ride across the bay.

Best: any month

Pemba's north

Ngezi forest and the dive lodges around Kigomasha.

Best: Sep to Mar

Misali Island

A protected islet off Pemba's west coast for snorkelling and picnics.

Best: Jun to Mar

Things to do

Whale sharks at MafiaSnorkel beside them Oct to Mar off Kilindoni.
DivingPemba's walls and Mafia's marine park reefs, both among the best in East Africa.
Dhow tripsSandbank picnics and island hopping.
Village visitsSwahili fishing villages and clove plantations on Pemba.
Chole IslandRuins and fruit bats a short boat ride from Mafia.

Where to stay

Mid-rangeSmall eco-lodges and dive camps. US$150 to 250 p.p.

LuxuryPrivate-island lodges and treehouses. US$450 and up.

By area

Mafia: a handful of eco-lodges and dive camps around Chole Bay.
Pemba: two or three lodges in the north, one of them a famous underwater room.
Budget: village guesthouses on both islands, simple and welcoming.

Indicative per-person high-season rates. We hold provisional space at a shortlist of lodges in each tier and book the one that fits your route.

Getting there & around

By air

Pemba is 30 minutes from Zanzibar, Mafia is 35 minutes from Dar es Salaam.

Tip

Mafia pairs naturally with Nyerere, Pemba with Zanzibar.

Trips that include Pemba & Mafia

6 days · 6 daysMafia Island Whale SharksFrom $1,480 p.p.

Best time to visit

Best months

JFMAMJJASOND

Oct to MarWhale-shark season on Mafia, calm seas, best visibility.

Jun to SepCooler trade winds, turtle hatching, good for Pemba diving.

Apr to MayLong rains, lodges close.

NovShort rains but whale sharks already arriving.

Practical notes

Flights: Mafia from Dar (35 min), Pemba from Zanzibar (30 min). Small planes, 15 kg bags.
Diving: bring certification cards. Courses available at both islands.
Cash: few ATMs. Bring what you need.
Malaria: take prophylaxis.
Expectations: the beaches are smaller than Zanzibar's. You come for the water.

Pemba & Mafia questions

Which island is right for me?

Mafia for whale sharks and marine life, Pemba for diving and total quiet. Neither has nightlife.

Are the beaches like Zanzibar's?

Fewer and smaller. You come for the water, not the sand.

Which island?