Best hotels in Mafia Island

A charmingly rustic eco-lodge (built before the term became a catchphrase), Chole Mjini is one Tanzania's most original small lodges. It lies on Chole Island, near Mafia Island, and is a peaceful and charming hideaway in an area off the tourist highway. Despite the isolation, though, there's a wonderful community atmosphere, some fascinating historical sites nearby and that blue, blue sea to explore. The rooms are charming, but don't expect much in the way of mod cons – the toilets are long-drops – but if you have a yearning for a Robinson Crusoe-esque experience, you're in the right place.

In Swahili Pole Pole means 'slowly, slowly' a very apt description for this picturesque quaint lodge built up on the hillside set amidst palm trees sloping down to a small sandy shore lined with mangroves. The lodge has a distinct unpretentious and laid back atmosphere that has garnered it a lot of accolades as one of the best luxury eco resorts in the world. Let your phone battery die and disconnect from the outside world. The service is discreet and thoughtful with heavily Italian-influenced cuisine with a Tanzanian flair. Relax with the tides—the perfect compliment to any bush safari.

If you’re looking for absolute solitude, then it doesn’t get much better than your very own private island. Enter Thanda Island, an exquisite and totally private piece of paradise that is Tanzania’s newest exclusive-use resort. Cocooned in eight hectares of squeaky-white sand and tropical forest, the stylish Cape-Cod-meets-Tanzania style villa sleeps only 10, so even if you do bring the family, there’s lots of space for everyone. And there are plenty of activities to keep them all entertained too with windsurfing, parasailing, scuba-diving, boating and snorkelling in the surrounding Shungi Mbili Marine Reserve all on offer… Leaving you free to enjoy a little of that peace and quiet!

Shamba Kilole sits amidst a five hectares plot that rises above the shores and mangroves of this spectacular island Archipelago. Mafia is the largest of the islands, often not the easiest or cheapest to get to, but well worth the adventure once you arrive. Home to some of the best diving in Tanzania along with once in a lifetime whale shark and manta ray sightings as well as Flying foxes and ancient ruins that are dotted amongst the villages. Breathe easy at Shamba Kilole, leave the bright lights and city bustle for spacious views over Kilole Bay and beyond.

Fanjove Island lies 140km south of Dar es Salaam, in the Indian Ocean's Songo Songo Archipelago. A tropical paradise with the kind of bleached sand you dream of burying your toes in, the island is half a mile long and just a couple of hundred meters wide, surrounded by coral reef and turquoise waters. There's lots to see and do, when you're not chilling to the max. Getting here is half the fun: take a 20 minute flight in a small plane to Songo Songo Island, then ride a dhow (traditional Tanzanian fishing boat) or a speedboat for 5 miles to Fanjove. The lodge itself is simple; it's luxury is in its tranquility and exclusivity as a remote, private island hideaway.

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 Lodge is a rustic beach resort on the jewel-like Mafia Island, off the north coast of Tanzania. The island falls within a protected marine reserve, with the Rufiji River Delta to the west, in a spectacular Indian Ocean setting renowned for fantastic scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. Accommodation is comfortable and charmingly simple, with a number of thatched bungalow-style rooms beneath coconut palms, overlooking a wide stretch of golden beach. It has a friendly feel and much slower pace of life than many of the larger tourist destinations; a great choice for a carefree beach getaway.

Located on Mafia Island in glorious Zanzibar, Kinasi Lodge is every bit the tropical paradise. Great personal touches from staff and management see to the hospitality side of things, while the opportunity to enjoy ocean bliss, like snorkelling, sailing and picnicking on a sandbank (to name just a few of the activities available) offer something for everyone. Adorable thatched cottages and tastefully decorated rooms blend luxury and comfortable with relaxed charm. So, kick off your shoes and enjoy the slower pace of beach life. We bet you'll join the list of return guests – the people in the know!