Mafia islands
Why go?
No, the name does not come from some violently protective early
Sicilian settlers, but from the Arabic word for archipelago,
morfiyeh. In fact, there's only one big island
(plus a couple of tiny outliers) in this group 160km south of
Zanzibar and 20km east of the Rufiji river delta on the Tanzanian
mainland. They have always been an important stopover on the Arabia
– Mozambique trade route, and dhows continue to ply the seas
to Dar, which is about 10 hours away by jahazi.
The main island is about 50 by 15 km in area, and has a
population of around 40,000, most of them in tiny hamlets lining
the coast. Its main town is Kilindoni, home to the island’s
fish factory, its single bank and post office, its Catholic church
and largest mosque, as well as the grass airstrip and tiny airport
(endearingly, there's a sign marking the "waving goodbye area").
There are two roads on the island – neither of them surfaced
– one of which runs north-south up the west coast, and the
other of which crosses to the village of Utende on the east side. A
grand total of 50 or so vehicles jostle for space on these
highways. All in all, there’s a wonderful feeling of
remoteness and simplicity, as if it’s been forgotten by the
rest of the world - so far, at least.
The coastline is largely mangrove-lined and, while it lacks
the endless white-sand beaches of Zanzibar, there are some lovely,
remote coves. Didimizi, 4km south of Utende, is the most
accessible, while Dindini can be reached by boat from Utende in an
hour or so. You can also rent windsurfers, or try your hand at
sailing a dhow or traditional ngalawa.
There are 10 outlying islands in total, if you include the coral
reefs, plus numerous sandbanks which emerge at low tide. One of the
larger islands, Jibondo, has some wonderful rock formations
among its pristine beaches. Neighbouring Juani boasts the
remains of the Shirazi capital, Kua, which was destroyed by
Madagascan cannibals in the 1820’s. The creeper-entwined
columns and blue-white pottery shards make for an atmospheric
exploration on this (amazingly) fresh-water-free island.