Enjoy Mafias rich coral with a snorkelling excursion. With an experienced guide, you will travel by dhow to one of the many locations available for snorkelling in the area. Your guide will give you a short introduction to using the equipment (if you are new to snorkelling), then take you into the water to show you the many different species that the park has to offer. You will be amazed by the vast array of colours, shapes, and sizes! You might spot octopus, moray eels, turtles, and seahorse.
Afterwards you head towards a secluded sand bank (which only appears for a few hours each day) for a local BBQ lunch. In the afternoon you bring a visit to the neighbouring Chole Island where you will get to see how the locals live on a short tour through the village. On this tour you can explore the ruins that have been overtaken by nature and see the Arabic and German influences, including a prison and customs house.
Your guide will take you for a walk across the island through the small villages and varied vegetation (including baobab trees) and show you where traditional Swahili dhows are built by skilled craftsmen using hand tools. Chole also acts as a sanctuary for the Flying Foxes (Fruit Bats) which your guide will help you to see sleeping in the trees during the day.
This tour takes about 8 hours.
Highlights
- Travel by dhow to the protected marine park
- Swim and snorkel among Mafia’s reefs with the most colourful sea creatures
- Taste mouth-watering local specialities and fish from the BBQ
- Experience Chole Island’s nature, culture, and history: Arabic ruins, traditional villages, handmade dhow boats, fruit bats hanging in the trees