Review of Mafia Island and Pole Pole Resort

We stayed at Pole Pole Resort in January, 2009 for five nights and had a fantastic time. The service and food at Pole Pole were both outstanding and the managers and staff were extremely helpful during our entire stay. Pole Pole is an eco-resort inside Mafia Island Marine Park. The rooms were very quiet and comfortable and local materials were used in the construction of the lodge.

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Mafia Island does not have a single paved road and this island is recommended for those who want to avoid the crowds of Unguja. We recommend a stay of at least five nights at Pole Pole in order to properly relax. There are two flights a day to and from Mafia and a visit can be combined with a safari or Kilimanjaro climb. There are other hotels located inside Mafia Island Marine Park although we thought Pole Pole looked the best after seeing a couple of the other properties.

Activities in Mafia

Whale Sharks: Stacy Readal went swimming with the whale sharks. This was an exhilarating activity! We hopped in and out of the boat several times to follow different individuals. We finally found a whale shark that was riding the current and thus easy to follow. I swam above the whale shark for about 10 minutes and dove down several times to get closer looks at its mouth and body. The whale shark was about 1 meter under the surface and thus easy to see even though the water was cloudy.

The whale shark is the largest living fish species and the largest individual recorded had a length of 12.65 meters. The whale shark feeds mainly on plankton. It is found near Mafia Island as there is a plentiful source of food from the Rufiji River which empties into the Indian Ocean on mainland Tanzania directly east of Mafia.

This activity is recommended for strong swimmers only as the water can be choppy and the boat often ventures far from the swimmers. We went with a guide but I wouldn't advise this activity for people who are uncomfortable in the water.

Mangrove Trails: There are walking trails through the mangrove forests on either side of Pole Pole. During one walk we passed a freshwater pump that villagers from smaller islands use as their water source. They line up with their boats and wait their turn to fill their water containers and sail back to their home island.

Snorkelling: Stacy Readal took a boat ride and went snorkelling offshore in Pole Pole. The corals were pretty pristine and the snorkelling was the best I had seen since Chumbe Island off the coast of Unguja. Pole Pole Resort is in a marine park and thus the surrounding waters are protected from harmful fishing methods.

Swimming: The best swimming was offshore as the water close to Pole Pole was a bit cloudy. However, there is a beach right in front of Pole Pole and we did swim there many times during our stay.

Diving: Diving in Mafia is supposed to be excellent although we did not go.