Mafia Island on a Budget: What a Trip Really Costs

Mafia Island is often described as a luxury destination, because the best-known lodges charge several hundred dollars a night. But the whale sharks, the reefs and the sandbanks cost the same whichever bed you sleep in. This guide lays out what a trip really costs, using actual prices, so you can plan a budget that works.

Getting to Mafia Island

You have two choices from Dar es Salaam, and the gap between them is the biggest saving available on the whole trip.

• By air: Coastal Aviation and Auric Air fly daily and the flight takes 30 to 45 minutes. One-way fares usually fall between $100 and $175 depending on the date and how early you book, so allow $200 to $350 return.


• By ferry: take a bus from Dar es Salaam to Nyamisati (3 to 4 hours), then the public ferry to Kilindoni (2 to 3 hours). The ferry runs once a day and the ticket is around TSh 16,000, well under $10. Fares change, so check before you travel.

The ferry costs a small fraction of the flight but takes most of a day. If you have the time, it is the cheapest way to reach the island. Our full guide: Getting to Mafia Island from Dar es Salaam.

Where You Sleep

Accommodation is where budgets are made or broken. At Mafia Dream Hotel in Kilindoni, rooms start at:

• Garden View Single: $65 a night


• Pool View Single: $75 a night


• Garden View Double: $80 a night


• Pool View Double: $90 a night

Every room has air conditioning and a private bathroom, and the price includes a full breakfast and use of the swimming pool. Children under 12 stay free when sharing their parents' room. See our affordable hotel page for what is included, or Rates for the price on your dates.

The Marine Park Fee

Every visitor to the Mafia Island Marine Park pays $23.60 per person per day. Many travellers only learn about it on arrival. When you book activities through us, the fee is already inside the price, so there is nothing to add.

Activities

These are per-person prices, with boat, guide, equipment and the marine park fee included:

• Whale shark excursion: $150


• Scuba diving: $120


• Fishing trip: $100


• Sandbank trip: $80


• Snorkeling: $60

We also arrange dolphin watching, sunset dhow cruises, turtle watching, village walks and island tours. Whale shark season runs from October to March. If that is why you are coming, plan the excursion for your first full day, so you have a spare day if the sea is rough. Current prices are always on our Activities page.

The Cheapest Way: a Package

Our packages bundle the room, breakfast, return airport transfers and the activities at one fixed price, and they cost less than booking each part separately.

• 3-Day Whale Shark Escape (2 nights and a whale shark excursion): from $255 for one guest, or $415 for two sharing a double room.


• 4-Day Reef & Relax (3 nights, a guided dive and a reef snorkel): from $340 for one guest, or $540 for two.


• 5-Day Ultimate Mafia Island (4 nights with whale sharks, a guided dive, a reef snorkel and a sandbank trip): from $605 for one guest, or $1,025 for two.

The price for two is the total for both guests. See what each one includes on the Packages page.

Building Your Own 3 Nights

If you would rather choose as you go, here is what three nights with whale sharks and a snorkeling trip costs at the individual prices:

• Two people sharing a Garden View Double: 3 nights with breakfast ($240), whale shark excursion for two ($300) and snorkeling for two ($120). Total $660, or $330 per person.


• One person in a Garden View Single: 3 nights with breakfast ($195), whale shark excursion ($150) and snorkeling ($60). Total $405.

Add your travel to the island and your lunches and dinners on top. Flying, a couple should allow roughly another $400 to $700 between them; by ferry, far less.

Five Ways to Spend Less

• Take the ferry one way. Arrive by ferry and fly out, or the reverse, and you halve the transport bill without losing two days.


• Stay in Kilindoni. The airport is 5 minutes away and the ferry lands here, so transfers are short and cheap.


• Book a package. The room, transfers and activities together cost less than the parts.


• Book direct. You pay at the hotel on arrival, in USD, TZS or by bank transfer, with no deposit and no card.


• Check the offers. Special Offers sometimes include free airport transfers.

The Short Answer

A 3-day whale shark trip costs $415 for two people, about $208 each, with the room, breakfast, airport transfers and the excursion included. For a couple, that is close to what a single night costs at some of the island's lodges. To check dates, book online or message us on WhatsApp at +255 787 579 033.