Tanzania Dive Holiday Information

Tanzania Above The Water

Although Tanzania is a safari destination without equal, containing many world-class national parks and game reserves, there is much more. Relax on tropical beaches, climb the snowcapped peak of Mt Kilimanjaro or just admire Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. Tanzania is a winning combination. You can fly straight from a safari camp in the morning and reach the shores of the Indian Ocean in time for an afternoon dip. A perfect destination for a romantic honeymoon, an adventure holiday or just to dive or relax.

Selous Game Reserve

The game reserves in southern Tanzania are immense and remote with few settlements. Offering some of Africa’s finest virgin bush, unchanged through centuries, and rivers, swamps, woodlands and savannah inhabited by well over a million wild animals, being traversed by the world’s greatest remaining herds of buffalo, elephant, hippo and Sable antelope. The Selous Game Reserve, founded in 1905, is the largest protected wilderness reserve on the continent, one of only three World Heritage Sites in Tanzania. The area is home to hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, baboon, leopard, lion, rhino, eland, sable and roan, to mention just a few of the species. Whether it is by boat, viewing game in and around the river, in 4-wheel drive open-sided vehicles, or walking through the bush along elephant trails, a visit to the Selous brings one as close to the natural world as possible.

Rufiji River Camp

Rufiji River Camp is located in one of the most photogenic and wildlife-rich areas of the Selous Game Reserve. Rufiji River Camp is a tented camp situated in the northeastern part of the Selous on a high bank, overlooking the mighty Rufiji River and the plain beyond. The camp accommodates guests in twenty very comfortable tents, each with twin-beds, mosquito nets, fully equipped private bathroom and verandah offering magnificent views.

Selous Safari Camp

On the banks of Lake Tagalala, Selous Safari Camp occupies a prime position at the centre of a unique riverine and lake complexclose to the Rufiji River. Each of the twelve safari tents is on its own raised timber platform offering great views of the lake. The camp has a swimming pool, togther with dining, bar and lounge areas. Explore from here on foot, by boat and in 4-wheel drives.

Saadani National Park

Saadani is East Africa’s only National Park with ocean frontage, and, therefore, the only location which genuinely offers beautiful beaches and safari in a single location. Geographically the closest National Park to Dar es Salaam, Saadani is the only place one can see wildlife and bird life interacting on the coast. There are at least 24 species of large mammals found here including the only permanent elephant population in the area. The beach areas are breeding grounds for the green turtle. The sheer variety of game and scenery is a highlight in itself.

Saadani Safari Lodge

Avoid the crowds and drive or fly to this undiscovered ocean front national park. A ‘tent with a view’ offers a peaceful retreat from which to explore Tanzania’s only coastal wildlife reserve. The eight en-suite, bandas are elegantly perched on stilts and individually spaced out along the pristine Indian Ocean beach. All offer total privacy with hammocks on large balconies overlooking the sea.

Mafia Island

Within East Africa’s largest protected area, Mafia Island Marine Park, Chole Bay’s clear waters offer wonderful snorkelling, sailing and swimming. Outside the bay are some of the richest reefs in the world, with unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals and diverse tropical fish.

With over 400 marine species identified, this is the meeting place for large oceanic fish, as well as those common to coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. Almost all of Mafia’s best diving is at less than 30 metres, with an unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals and fabulous shallow reefs, bommies, channels, walls and caves, drift and night dives. Among the grasses of the Majira Channel, you may find the amazing mermaid-like dugong. Giant sea turtles lay eggs on the beaches of small islands to the east of Mafia, while the fascinating giant Madagascan fruit bat remains an alluring and unusual visitor’s attraction.

Mafia island is a real sleepy backwater and remnant of the old Swahili coast, retaining a traditional, unspoilt friendly culture reminiscent of the Zanzibar of thirty years ago.

Pole Pole

Pole Pole is a luxury bungalow resort with tropical gardens and spectacular coastal views. Ten elegant and spacious, en-suite bungalows are raised on stilts, with a private verandah overlooking a stretch of sandy beach. Gourmet meals are served in the dining/bar lounge and combine traditional cuisine with a touch of Italian class. Pole Pole offers daily excursions, including trips in traditional sailing dhows. Diving takes place from the sister property Mafia Island Lodge, a short ride away. Pole Pole also has a spa overlooking the beach.

Mafia Island Lodge

Amidst tall palms on a sandy beach in Chole Bay, in the heart of the marine park, are forty comfortable ensuite, air-conditioned rooms with their own verandahs overlooking the bay. The main lodge has a relaxing atmosphere with a large open restaurant, bar with pool table and lounge area. Activities and facilities include: table tennis, volleyball, snorkelling, sailing and a fully equipped PADI dive centre, and there is an internet cafe, gift shop, laundry service, telephone and fax. Spend time walking or biking on the nature trails or sea kayaking. Excursions include the Chole island ruins, dating back to the 15th century and the first Arab settlers, or take a day trip to the northern part of Mafia where you will experience the full diversity of the island’s fauna and flora, as well as some of Mafia’s most pristine and beautiful beaches. .

Kinasi Lodge

Kinasi is a small, private lodge beautifully furnished with hand-crafted furniture and situated in a coconut and cashew plantation overlooking Chole Bay. There is a friendly, informal atmosphere with a minimum of commercialism, but with the only swimming pool on Mafia Island.

Each of the fourteen, en-suite cottages boasts a large covered verandah, offering beautiful views over the bay. Designed for through-ventilation and coolness in all seasons, the cottages have king-size beds within walkin mosquito nets. There is also a fan mounted within the net, above the bed.

The swimming pool has a pool bar, which serves drinks, lunch and complimentary afternoon tea. There is a cocktail bar, comfortable sitting areas, and a restaurant. The brand new spa offers massage, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and beauty treatments. Activities are individually organised each day for the guests, which range from picnic excursions by boat or by road around the island, as well as visits to historical sites and the local town and villages.

Water sports are also available and the diving and snorkelling are exceptional. Kinasi Lodge has its own well equipped dive centre and can offer sites for all levels of experience.

Zanzibar

Historic Zanzibar’s rich cultural heritage is much in evidence. Its cultural heart is the old city, Stone Town, largely unchanged in 200 years, and characterised by a labyrinth of narrow streets, bazaars and grand Arab houses. Elsewhere are ruined palaces, the famous Persian baths and caves where slaves were once imprisoned.

Zanzibar is a flat, palm-clad coral atoll surrounded by a coral reef structure that ensures abundant marine life. Good visibility (20 – 60 metres) and year-round average water temperatures of 27C ensures an enjoyable diving experience. Shallow coral reefs, sloping banks and vertical drop-offs with hard and soft corals and over 350 species of Indo-Pacific marine fauna await you and offer an ideal opportunity to learn to dive or to upgrade your diving qualification. Leven Banks, is popular with advanced divers, lying as it does off the north coast near the deep water of the Pemba Channel. Here in strong currents you will find big schools of tuna, trevally, king fish, barracudas, wrasses, big moray eels and large schools of reef fish. The east coast is the oceanic coast of Zanzibar, where untouched reefs face open ocean, offering a huge variety of marine life and the possibility of encounters with big oceanic fish. Whale sharks migrate through Zanzibar’s waters from August to September and February to March, whilst August also sees the migration of humpback and sperm whales.

Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel

Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel, located on the northern tip of Zanzibar where the best diving in the country can be found, is a unique beach hotel built from natural materials on an expanse of beach wilderness. All 54 en-suite rooms are tastefully decorated in local style with four-poster beds, ceiling fans, mosquito nets and balconies. Choose from garden view lodge rooms to superior chalet rooms with air-conditioning and ocean views. Activities include water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkelling, volleyball, fishing and day trips around the island. The proximity and variety of the surrounding reefs make Ras Nungwi the perfect diving destination, and the hotel has an on-site, fully equipped dive centre.

Breezes Beach Club & Spa Zanzibar

Breezes is a beautiful, 70-room, resort situated on the southeast coast of the island with endless white beaches, shady palm trees and the blue ocean. This family-run resort has all the comforts of a luxurious beach hotel with a unique charm, great attention to detail and tasteful decor. You’ll find all the expected beach resort facilities to keep any hint of boredom at bay – an excellent dive centre with British instructors, water sports equipment, large swimming pool, fitness centre (with a gym, aerobics classes, African dance classes and massage rooms), Frangipani spa and even a floodlit tennis court.

The en-suite rooms are situated a short distance from the beach and offer air-conditioning, a mini-bar fridge and a safe. Telephones, the Internet and a television are available at the main lodge only.

The Palms

The ultimate ‘get-away’ retreat for the discerning traveller, The Palms has received many awards and plaudits. An atmosphere of relaxed, understated elegance pervades: six meticulously designed villas each have their own banda (beach hut), fronting the pristine white beach. Facilities are beautifully appointed, and include swimming pool, dining room, pool bar, Sanctuary Spa and internet facilities – nearby is a fitness centre, floodlit tennis court, marine activities centre and a PADI dive centre. Note, the minimum age requirement is sixteen years.

Fumba Beach Lodge

Fumba Beach Lodge is a luxurious and peaceful hideaway, situated on beautiful and secluded beaches, in 16 hectares of exquisite wilderness. There are 26 rooms, scattered throughout the extended grounds to ensure privacy; 20 spacious, deluxe, en-suite rooms with private terrace and stunning ocean view; four luxury suites with private roof terrace, open air shower and sumptuous bath overlooking the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean and, for the ultimate in extravagance, two unique, romantic lodgings cradled in a magnificent baobab tree. The restaurant offers local specialities, whilst the unique beach bar, constructed from an authentic Zanzibari dhow, sits beneath an enormous baobab on a seaside cliff. Fumba is an ideal base to explore Zanzibar’s underwater paradise, with a number of stunning dive sites within the Menai Bay Conservation Area directly accessible from Fumba Beach Lodge.

Stone Town

Stone Town with its mix of bazaars, mosques, palaces, forts, fruit markets and winding streets, make this the historic heart of Zanzibar. The traditional atmosphere with its unique mix of cultures is almost everywhere. Besides the sightseeing which is highly recommended there is the diving with some excellent dive sites especially on a couple of wrecks not far from town.

Tembo House

Tembo House is a small hotel situated on the seafront in the centre of Stone Town, and the ideal location for relaxing after a day’s sightseeing. Spacious, en-suite rooms are beautifully decorated, with oriental and traditional Zanzibar ornaments, have air-conditioning, mini-bar and TV. Facilities include a swimming pool and the Bahari Restaurant.

Serena Inn

Serena Inn has impressive architecture that recalls the island’s former grandeur. Converted, with great charm, from two historic seafront buildings in Stone Town, Serena has comfortable rooms, each with its own spectacular sea view, and decor that reflects the island’s rich Arab influence. There is a relaxing swimming pool area overlooking the Indian Ocean, good restaurants and a relaxed feel.

Pemba Island

Visit Pemba now – whilst new dive sites are still being discovered and the island is still untouched by any large commercial tourism! Spectacular wall diving, the variety of sites, big marine-life and excellent visibility makes Pemba some of the best diving location in East Africa. Characterised by a mix of drift and pinnacle diving, majestic clear blue water drop-offs and pristine, shallow reefs of lush hard and soft coral gardens, the sea is alive with schools of pelagic marine life.

Fundu Lagoon

Fundu Lagoon is a superb, award-winning beach lodge accessible only by boat, with almost three miles of white sandy beach. The epitome of a bare foot paradise, a remote and peaceful location. Sixteen rooms, consisting of designer tents, are set under makuti (thatch) roofs on wooden decks all with en-suite facilities, fans & mosquito nets. All the rooms have amazing views; some are situated along the beach front, with the remainder on the hillside having a spectacular outlook. An amazing jetty stretches way out into the sea with the jetty bar situated about a third of the way along. A treatment room offers a variety of therapies or, for the more active, there is a PADI dive centre. For the non-diver other water sports include windsurfing, water-skiing and canoe safaris into the mangrove swamps.

Manta Reef Lodge

Manta Reef Lodge is one of the oldest on the volcanic island of Pemba. Pretty much off the beaten track the drive to this stunning, friendly hideaway is outstanding. There is accommodation for up to 25 guests in spacious garden rooms and sea front villas – all with large beds, mosquito nets, en-suite bathrooms, terraces and stunning sea views. The lodge is centred round a large open plan relaxation area and there is a pool used for introductory diving lessons and for cooling off! Most meals are served on the verandah of the main building and, tides permitting, sometimes right on the beach. The on-site dive centre offers advanced and novice divers safe, professional instruction. They offer daily two tank dives and regular three-tank dives, with picnic lunches eaten on private remote beaches in between dives. On the eastern side of the island there are 40 kilometres of unexplored reef where hammerheads, white-tip and black-tip reef sharks are often seen.

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