Mafia is a relatively undiscovered and undeveloped part of the archipelago and sees very few visitors compared to Zanzibar, in the thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands that visit Zanzibar each year. The island is surrounded by one of the world’s richest marine habitats in the world and is mostly dedicated as marine national parks, for conservation, due to the pristine nature of the coral and marine life. The island also has an interesting history dating back to at least the 8^th century where Mafia played an important role in trade between the Far East and Africa.

With such pristine waters and diverse marine life, diving and snorkelling serve as the key attraction of visiting Mafia with the annual migration of whale sharks visiting the coastline being a particular highlight. It is worth noting that the beaches, while still lovely, and would put most in the UK to shame, these are not the picture-perfect beaches you would see in Zanzibar, and the standard of accommodation is a little lower. But, if diving is your thing and you can forego some of the luxuries then, Mafia will absolutely not disappoint.