Responsible Tourism

At Chole Mjini, the experience doesn’t end at the treehouses or along the shoreline. Just beyond the island, beneath the surface of the Mafia Island Marine Park, lies a world that continues to surprise even the most seasoned travellers. The reefs here remain in the jewel of the East African coast: Alive with colour, movement, and diversity. Snorkelling and diving offer breath-taking encounters with tropical fish and, coral gardens, even if you’ve...

"Many people visit Mafia purely for its diving, which is considered by some to be the best anywhere in East Africa. It’s easy to dive two sites outside the bay on a single outing and the hour-long trip out and back again can also be great for sunbathing, sailing and dolphin-spotting," writes Jean de Villiers.

Dhow: A two-masted Arab sailing vessel. This simple boat is what drew Anne and Jean de Villiers to Chole Island, and once they laid their eyes on this remote and unspoilt place, they instantly fell in love with what they saw.