Ras Mkumbi lighthouse - Situated on the west point of Mafia island, the lighthouse can be reached by a three-hour car-journey taking you right across the island and its changing landscape. Wide stretches of savannah studded by baobab trees, small seaside villages, bush populated by monkeys and birds climax in a unique view of the open sea. You can go right to the top of the lighthouse, which is still operating, for an all-round view.

During the less dry seasons, the trip to the lighthouse or Chuwia can also include a short visit to places inhabited by a colony of hippopotamuses which are so small that they are known as "dwarf hippos". Their unexplained presence on the island is said by some to date back to distant times when the conformation of the Rufiji river delta and the tides made it possible for them to cross the strip of sea separating Mafia from the mainland. Others claim that their arrival is due to a light-hearted or utilitarian gesture (availability of a fresh meat supply) on the part of the Portuguese who were frequent visitors to these coasts several centuries ago. When the small pools where they live dry up the hippopotamuses move to a zone where you need a stroke of luck to find them.

Chuwia - An hour by jeep along a track passing through one of the most characteristic landscapes of the island and an easy trek though a stretch of virgin forest take you to one of Chole Bay's most inaccessible beaches. You will be able to admire wildlife and vegetation untouched by human settlement and cultivation. Visit the photo gallery for more images of these incredible places.