Best diving and snorkelling retreats in Tanzania
Offshore from Tanzania's coast and islands are some first-class sites for snorkelling and diving - and between the keen divers in Expert Africa's team, we've dived quite a lot of these. Call us and we'll always be happy to discuss the options from our personal experience.
We have a separate web-page with comments on Diving & snorkelling around Zanzibar (which includes Mnemba Island and Chumbe Island) - but away from this two other islands are particularly well-known for their pristine coral reefs:
North of Zanzibar, Pemba Island has some excellent dives, although because of its currents, which are sometimes quite strong, we recommend it for more experienced divers.
South of Zanzibar, Mafia Island is a lovely quiet spot, with a lagoon which suits learners and newly-qualified divers, and more challenging wall dives outside the lagoon where big fish make for very exciting dives.
Both islands have only a few lodges. Below are some ideas for where to stay when you are diving or snorkelling in these areas. Read more by clicking on the lodge names - and if you like what you see, then add it to your list of favourites…
4 of our favourite diving and snorkelling retreats in Tanzania
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Chole Mjini Lodge
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92% (13 reviews)
Scuba diving in Mafia Island Marine Park is superb, and if you come here in January or February, you might get the chance to swim with whale sharks. More about Chole Mjini Lodge -
Fundu Lagoon
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80% (3 reviews)
The diving around Pemba is arguably some of the best diving off the coast of Tanzania. The Pemba Channel has some extremely challenging drift dives and is a great place to see some of the larger pelagic fish. The reefs around Mesali Island, just off Pemba, are also fantastic ... More about Fundu Lagoon -
Kinasi Lodge
|80% (10 reviews)
Within the Mafia Island Marine Park – Kinasi offers great diving and snorkelling. Snorkelling trips inside Chole Bay usually cost $25, and take you out to a quiet and sheltered reef with an abundance of coral and fish. Diving can either be inside or outside of the ... More about Kinasi Lodge -
Pole Pole
|94% (57 reviews)
As with all of the lodges on Mafia, Pole Pole offers fantastic diving in the Mafia Island Marine Park. This is some of the best diving on the East African coast. When we were last there, diving cost $40 for a single dive and $300 for a 10-dive package (plus $20 a day equipment-hire fee)... More about Pole Pole
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