Destination guide
Mafia Island
Whale sharks, Tanzania's first marine park and a diver's slow paradise
How to get there
Getting to Mafia Island
However you're arriving — from overseas, from another part of Tanzania, or just moving around once you're here.
Flying in from abroad
International visitors
There are no long-haul flights to Mafia; foreigners route via Dar es Salaam (DAR) or Zanzibar (ZNZ) and connect to Mafia Airport (MFA) at Kilindoni on a light aircraft.
From elsewhere in Tanzania
Upcountry & other cities
Coastal, Auric and other operators fly light aircraft from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar into Mafia Airport (MFA); there is also a slow local ferry and dhow service from Nyamisati on the mainland.
Getting around locally
Once you're in the region
Taxis and a few vehicles connect Kilindoni with the Chole Bay lodges; boats and dhows handle transfers within the marine park, to Chole and Juani islands, and to the whale-shark grounds.
Want the door-to-door leg handled? Travel with a driver who knows the roads.
Book a driver