Suite
The larger of the two bungalow types, ensuite with an indoor shower, a safe, fans and mosquito nets, and a verandah looking into the garden. Sold as a single, a double, a twin or with a third bed.
Lodges & partnersMafia Island
Eco Shamba Kilole Lodge
Six thatched bungalows in a five hectare garden above Kilole Bay, inside the Mafia Island Marine Park, with the dive centre a short transfer away in Utende.
From $170 per person per night
01 / 06
- Tier
- Comfort
- Location
- Mafia Island
About
About Eco Shamba Kilole Lodge.
Eco Shamba Kilole Lodge sits on the southern end of Mafia Island, above Kilole Bay and inside the Mafia Island Marine Park. Six bungalows of stone, concrete and thatch stand well apart from one another in five hectares of old garden, about twenty to twenty five metres between neighbours, with the water a short walk and a shorter boat ride away. Kilindoni, the island main town and its airstrip, is fourteen kilometres away by road.
The marine park is the reason most guests come. Chole Bay is a deep protected anchorage ringed by islets and sandbanks, and the park as a whole protects mangrove, seagrass and reef holding more than four hundred species of fish, along with turtles and the dugong that graze the seagrass meadows. From October to March whale sharks gather off Kilindoni on the western side of the island, with November and December the strongest months, and the lodge runs a boat out to snorkel with them. The dive centre sits a short transfer away in Utende and works the reefs of the bay, with PADI courses from a first supervised dive up to Divemaster.
The rooms are three Suites and three Chalets, each ensuite with an indoor shower, a safe, fans and mosquito nets, and a verandah facing into the trees. There is no air conditioning anywhere on the property and no private pools. There is one swimming pool for the lodge, a restaurant with an outdoor dining area, and wireless internet in the restaurant rather than in the rooms. Two of the bungalows convert to twins and any of them can take a third bed, which makes the place workable for a family of three, and one is configured for two adults with two children.
It suits divers and snorkellers first, then anyone who wants a quiet week of reading, swimming and boat trips with good food at the end of the day. It is not a polished resort and does not pretend to be one. Guests who need air conditioning, room service or a babysitter should look elsewhere on the island.
Getting there is a short flight rather than a long drive. Light aircraft run from Dar es Salaam to Mafia in about thirty minutes, several times a day. A Zanzibar service of about forty five minutes appears on some schedules and is worth confirming with the airline, because it does not run every day. The lodge is twenty five minutes from the airstrip by road, a transfer the supplier charges for separately. The season runs from 1 June through to just after Easter, and the property then closes until the end of May for the long rains.
Signature experiences
Why guests choose it.
Whale sharks off Kilindoni
From October into March the whale sharks gather on the western side of the island to feed. The lodge runs a boat across for a snorkel alongside them, with November and December the most reliable months.
Diving the Chole Bay reefs
The dive centre in Utende, a short transfer from the lodge, works the reefs inside the marine park. Single dives, night dives and packages of six, eight or ten dives are all published.
Chole Island half day
A short boat crossing to the old trading island, where ruins stand among the baobabs and a colony of flying foxes hangs in the canopy. Walked rather than driven, at a pace that suits the heat.
Kua Lagoon and the Kua ruins
A boat trip to Juani for the lagoon and the ruined settlement at Kua, one of the quieter pieces of history on the archipelago.
Sandbank picnics
Marimbani, Miewe and, in the calm season, Mange. A boat, a sandbank that appears with the tide, snorkelling off the edge of it and lunch on the sand.
Gallery
A closer look.
Room types
Where you will sleep.
Chalet
A stone and thatch bungalow among the trees, ensuite, with fans, mosquito nets, a safe and a verandah. Simpler than the Suite and the same short walk from the pool and the dining terrace.
At a glance
The essentials, in brief.
Amenities
- Swimming Pool
- Ensuite Stone And Thatch Bungalows
- Private Verandah
- Indoor Shower
- In Room Safe
- Room Fans
- Mosquito Nets
- Restaurant With Outdoor Dining Terrace
- Wireless Internet In The Restaurant
- Laundry Service
- Dive centre a short transfer away in Utende
- Snorkelling And Boat Excursions
- Five hectare garden with mature trees
- Special Diets Catered For
- Credit Cards Accepted
Best for
- Diving
- Snorkelling
- Beach After Safari
- Couples
- Families
- Quiet Weeks
Wildlife and nature
- Whale sharks off Kilindoni from October to March, peaking in November and December
- More than four hundred species of reef fish inside the marine park
- Green and hawksbill turtles, with a hatchery on Juani
- Dugong grazing the seagrass meadows of the park
- Flying fox colony and good birding on Chole Island
Best time to visit
When to go.
- January: best
- February: best
- March: best
- April: closed
- May: closed
- June: not a best month
- July: not a best month
- August: not a best month
- September: best
- October: best
- November: best
- December: best
Best monthsClosed
Best months: September to March. Closed in April to May.
Location & access
Getting there.
Location
Mafia Island
Arriving by air
About four hours door to door: roughly one hour thirty in the air from Kilimanjaro to Dar es Salaam, a connection on the ground, then about thirty minutes by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam to Mafia Airport at Kilindoni, and twenty five minutes by road to the lodge. A Zanzibar to Mafia service of about forty five minutes appears on some schedules and should be confirmed with the airline.
By road
There is no road route from Kilimanjaro. Guests coming off the northern safari circuit connect through Dar es Salaam and fly on to Mafia, then take a road transfer of about twenty five minutes over the fourteen kilometres from Kilindoni airstrip to the lodge.
On the map
Where it sits.
7.978° S, 39.740° E
What's included
What the rate covers.
Included
- Half board, breakfast and dinner daily
- Hot Drinks, Tea And Coffee
- Drinking Water
- Local shuttle to and from the boat excursion boarding area
Not included
- Mafia Island Marine Park fees, USD 23.60 per person per day and USD 11.80 per day for children under 16
- Tourism levy of 1 percent of the rate per night
- Soft Drinks And Other Beverages
- Excursions And Boat Trips
- Diving, dive courses and equipment rental
- Laundry
- Road transfer to and from Kilindoni airport, USD 20 per person each way
- Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult (children 3 to 17 half price, under 3 free), compulsory from 1 October 2026 and bought online before travel
Frequently asked
Questions, answered.
How many rooms does Eco Shamba Kilole Lodge have?
Six in total, three Suites and three Chalets, each a separate ensuite bungalow of stone and thatch. The lodge takes a maximum of eighteen guests, so it stays quiet even when full.
When is the lodge open?
The season runs from 1 June through to just after Easter, and the lodge then closes until the end of May for the long rains. The published seasons are 1 June to 19 December, a high season from 20 December to 6 January, then January through to just after Easter.
How do guests reach the lodge?
By light aircraft to Mafia Airport at Kilindoni, about thirty minutes from Dar es Salaam with several flights a day, or about forty five minutes direct from Zanzibar. There is no direct flight from Arusha or Kilimanjaro, so guests coming off a northern safari connect through Dar es Salaam. The lodge is fourteen kilometres from the airstrip and arranges the road transfer for a fee.
Are families with children welcome?
Yes. The lodge accepts guests of all ages and asks that children are well behaved. Any bungalow takes a third bed and one is set up for two adults with two children. There is no babysitting service and no children club.
What is included in the rate?
Half board, so breakfast and dinner each day, along with hot drinks, drinking water and the local shuttle to and from the boat excursion landing. Lunch, drinks, diving, excursions and laundry are charged separately, as are the marine park fees.
What are the marine park fees?
The Mafia Island Marine Park charges USD 23.60 per adult per day and USD 11.80 per day for children under sixteen. The lodge sits inside the park, so the fee applies for every day of the stay and is collected on top of the room rate.
When is the best time to visit?
October to March is the strongest window. Whale sharks gather off the island from October into March with November and December the peak, and the sea is generally calmest from September through March. May is the wettest month and the lodge is closed for all of it, while April is open only as far as Easter.
Is there diving for beginners?
Yes. The dive centre runs a supervised first dive for people who have never dived, and full PADI certification from Scuba Diver and Open Water up to Divemaster. Snorkelling trips in Chole Bay run for guests who would rather stay on the surface.
Do I need travel insurance to visit?
Yes. From 1 October 2026 visitors entering mainland Tanzania must hold the government inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult and valid for up to 92 days, covering emergency medical care, evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Children aged 3 to 17 pay half and infants under 3 are free. It is bought online before you fly or on arrival, and residents of Tanzania and of East African and SADC countries are exempt. If you land in Zanzibar first, the Zanzibar policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of our quote.
What's nearby
Worth the short trip.
Chole Island
Ten minutes by boat across the bay. Ruins, baobabs and a flying fox colony, walked on foot.
Juani Island and Kua
A boat trip south to the lagoon, the Kua ruins and the turtle hatchery run with Sea Sense.
Jibondo Island
A fishing and boat building island a boat ride away, with a character quite unlike Chole.
Kanga Beach and the lighthouse
A full day by vehicle to the north of the island, with a picnic lunch on the beach.
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