Magical Mafia Sailing Safari

Magical Mafia Sailing Adventure

4 nights / 5 days -  Magical Mafia

6 nights / 7 days - Mafia to Zanzibar

7 nights / 8 days - Mafia to Songo Songo to Kilwa Kisiwana

The East African Coast is one of the greatest melting pots of culture on earth—African, Arab and European influences come together into a giant aromatic, colorful stew. Nowhere is this more prevalent than the secluded and magical marine destinations of Tanzania’s Mafia Island and the Southern Archipelago. Sailing on Butterfly. 

There you find the very origins of the immensely rich Swahili culture. Kilwa Kisiwani (Isle of the Fish) was once the centre of greatest empires in East Africa. From the 9th Century all the way up until the 19th Century, it was a wealthy and powerful port, reaching its peak around the late-Middle Ages. At its height, the empire stretched from Kenya to Mozambique, and Kilwa Kisiwani’s prosperity was crucial to the development of all of Swahili civilization as we know it today.

Against this ancient backdrop you will discover the hidden gems of the surrounding seas. Sailing on your own exclusive boat, far from the crowds, with your own exclusive marine guide, life will magically slow down, allowing you time to reconnect to true beauty. You will connect with the flow of the sea, explore and learn about its marine life and ecosystems, and explore lesser-known destinations steeped in history.

These customized safaris are designed to showcase the best of these unique string of islands. Your days will be charged with adventure, and your evenings filled with blissful sunsets, fresh seafood and a drink of your choice. You will dive and/or snorkel the protected reefs around Mafia Island and Chole Bay. There you may bump into large potato cod, watch beautiful manta rays, swim with whale sharks, watch sea turtles hatch and head out to sea and enjoy a variety of reef fish and hard corals.

Along the way you will visit the Songo Songo Archipelago, which is made up of a collection of five tiny islands surrounded by reefs, with a band of fringe reef that protects the islands from the open ocean, stretching approximately 40kms. These idyllic islands are little lost paradises with white sandy beaches, palm trees, marine birds, nesting and feeding sea turtles and home to a resident pod of dolphins.

There is also the opportunity to do some night diving, and see the sleeping parrotfish and beautiful ‘Spanish dancer’. You can explore the sand banks, and their beautiful coral reefs either by boat, kayak or stand-up paddle board. The best time to swim with the gorgeous gentle giants – the whale sharks is between October and February, and to watch the migrating humpbacks is between June and September. Sea turtles can be sighted in the bay, channel and open ocean, and trips can be organized to watch their hatchlings go to sea between months of April and September. Dolphins are a regular visitor, and you can watch the flying Comorian Fox every evening.

You will be cared for by an amazing crew who cater to your every need and leave you with a magical feeling of peace, adventure and increased awareness of this gorgeous part of Southern Tanzania.

When to go: Jan – Dec

Best times:

Jun – Sep: Migrating Humpback Whales

Oct – Feb: Whale Sharks

Apr/May – September: Nesting Sea Turtles
* Contact us for itineraries and rates (blue escapes). Trips can be joined or chartered.