Mafia Island (its Swahili name is Choleshamba) is located 21 km from the Rufiji River Delta, approximately 150 km south of Dar. The island is known for the tranquillity of its stay and the exceptional quality of the diving it allows. This includes marlin, kingfish, barracuda, shark, snapper, mackerel, sailfish, wahoo, and large rock rock. An exceptional animal, dugong, marine mammal, inhabits the waters of the Mafia Strait (between the island and mainland); it is very difficult to observe. During the northeast monsoon (kaskazi, December to March), sea turtles come to lay their eggs on the eastern islets. Chole Bay, in the shape of a horseshoe and surrounded by beautiful beaches, has deep and rich waters.All along the island, from Tutia to the south in Bweni in the north, runs a nearly uninterrupted coral barrier. The place is known to all major world divers. The island was once a stop for Arab navigators coming from or destined to Kilwa, where many caravans from inside the continent arrived. It was prosperous from the th to the th century, in Shiraz. A mosque of the th century was discovered on Ras Kisimani; Its decoration included, as in Kilwa, fragments of Chinese and Islamic porcelain. On the island of Juani were discovered the remains of Kua, a large city abandoned in the th century, after an invasion. On some of the island's palm trees, there are still traces of the short but violent battles of the First World War between Germans and English. Today, the island's development is lagging behind that of the rest of the country. Administratively, Mafia Island is only a district of the province of the coast, represented by a few members in Parliament. The island does not belong to the archipelago of Zanzibar and therefore does not enjoy substantial aid like its neighbours.Development is coming. Electricity is now present in the capital of the district and in Utende, the high place of tourism. The Internet is developing, as are mobile phone networks. But much remains to be done… Roads and running water are the most lacking infrastructures. Kilindoni also has a small hospital. In order to reach the continent by boat, the inhabitants often take great risks by assembling themselves in makeshift boats. Unfortunately, capsizing cases are not excluded or rare. Apart from fishing, the inhabitants are living in coconut and cajou.Of course, luxury hotels have all the comforts. You will be offered diving, fishing at sea, doing sailing, and also visiting the villages of the island, meeting fishermen, visiting the island of Jibondo see the production of dhow, go watching birds… The best season to go to Mafia is probably September to March. For those who want to know more, the website www.mafiaisland.com is a real mine of information.

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