Excursions

Mafia Island is a true remnant of the old swahili coast, a place unspoilt, unaffected by commercialism and timeless. The archipelago offers a wide variety of adventures to suit all tastes. You can be as adventurous or as laidback as you like whilst exploring all that the islands have to offer. Local people go about their traditional activities seemingly detached from the outside world. The main activity is fishing which is combined with the cultivation of staple foods and weaving of mats and baskets. 

The first rule of Mafia is that the sun and the moon govern everything. Their gravitational pull creates differences in the height of the ocean at varying times of the day, known to us, as tides. The tides depict when the women of Chole will go harvest the seaweed, when Mafian children will go hunt in the rock pools and when we will go explore Chole bay. 

All snorkelling equipment can be provided at our centre. We stock a wide range of masks and fins to ensure that each individual that joins us finds a comfortable fit. We kindly request those of you who will be joining us for an adventure to meet at the centre 15 minutes before the departure time and to feel free to pop over anytime for a cup of tea and a flip through our fish books. 

All of our excursions are guided and run off traditional dhows in an effort to blend in as much as possible with the unaltered, seafarers of Mafia. This signature boat of the archipelago has been uniquely transformed to offer you the highest level of safety and comfort possible while still experiencing a true Swahili island adventure. 

All of our excursions are designed to showcase Mafia in its true, natural beauty. We don’t believe in staging scenes or interfering with the natural environment. What you see is what we see, an unfiltered, unedited, first hand glance into Mafia; a sleepy set of islands that are bursting with colours, sights and sounds.  

Click below to learn more about the excursions on offer!