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Butiama Beach Lodge, Mafia Island | Timbuktu Travel
Mafia Island

Butiama Beach Lodge

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
We're one of the World's Best Tour Operators!
Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024

About Butiama Beach Lodge

A peaceful tropical island, with kaleidoscopic reefs and giant whale sharks
Time seems to have stood still on Mafia Island, part of a scattered archipelago 160 km south of busy Zanzibar . One of the safest places in the Indian Ocean, this is what Zanzibar was like 30 years ago. Butiama Beach Lodge lies on the island's unspoilt west coast, tucked in a tropical palm grove on a long sandy beach with not another resort, shouting vendor or tourist in sight. All you hear is the whoosh of the ocean and the calls of aquatic birds. Explore the coast in a dhow, see giant whale sharks and watch the scuttling crabs.
Mafia Island , Tanzania
From $230 per person/per night
Beach
7 Rooms
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Property details

The property

The atmosphere is relaxed. Days start in the thatched, open-sided dining area with a full and fabulous breakfast. At lunch, choose something light at the wave-lapped Chiringuito beach bar and restaurant. Three-course dinners are served in the main dining area or by lamplight on the beach. There's a large communal seating area with deep-cushioned sofas; it's a lovely place to relax at night, when the stars and oil lamps provide the only lighting. The main area has wi-fi.

The rooms

Walkways link the 10 bungalows (including two family bungalows) that lie just 50 metres from the beach. Each is designed with nothing but your comfort in mind. The furniture is hand-crafted from retired dhows, the bed has crisp linen and mosquito nets, the cushions and throws are stitched from kikois – local hand-woven sarongs. The en-suite bathroom has a walk-in shower and colourful soaps handmade from coconut oil, and the veranda has a hammock and comfy seating. There's no aircon, but a yacht fan provides a breeze.

Activities

Explore the beachfront and mangroves in a kayak; sail to nearby islands and sand banks in a dhow; snorkel the reef to see its multi-hued corals, 460-plus species of fish and various species of turtles; scuba dive, go fishing or swim with the world’s largest fish; or look for the resident animals and birdlife. Take a Land Rover excursion to explore Mafia’s kilometres of pristine beaches (watch out for sand flies). Return to a massage and a sunset view.
Trips

Mafia Island Tours & Trips

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Remote bush & beach in southern Tanzania
Tanzania

Remote bush & beach in southern Tanzania

11 nights from $6.6K per person

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How to book Butiama Beach Lodge

How do I book Butiama Beach Lodge?

Butiama Beach Lodge can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made Tanzania trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended Tanzania trips featuring Butiama Beach Lodge or get advice and suggestions from one of our Tanzania specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.

How much does it cost to stay at Butiama Beach Lodge?

Stays at Butiama Beach Lodge start from around $230 per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.

Butiama Beach Lodge

Tanzania

Mafia Island

A barefoot beach break with some of the world’s best diving and a good selection of eco-chic lodges.