The quintessential Indian Ocean tropical paradise, Mafia Island is part of a protected marine park, with superb diving opportunities, as well as spotless beaches and timeless villages, this really is the perfect island retreat.
An unbroken reef runs the length of the island, providing fabulous dive sites of immense beauty, bommies, channels, walls and caverns, drift and night dives; this is a world class diving destination. Over 400 species of fish live within the park amongst an unparalleled variety of hard and soft corals, and large predatory fish and turtles are common, making for exciting dives.
Mafia Island Marine Reserve is the biggest and most significant reserve of its type in East Africa, sheltering many rare species, such as Green and Hawksbill turtles. A 200m deep trough is home to tuna and marlin, while local fishermen recently found a dugong (sea cow) caught in their nets, allowing for the possibility of seeing these extremely rare creatures.
Mafia's main town is Kilondoni, and much like the rest of the island, the place feels timeless and unspoilt- there are no telephones, and very few cars, and the local people are content to fish and farm in this idyllic location.
The beaches are relaxed and secluded, and there are plenty of sandbanks that can be reached by boat for a truly private experience. Tropical vegetation mixes with fruit trees, baobabs and mangroves for a real fusion of Africa and the tropics.
Blighted by poverty and social immobility, the Tanzanian community of Dar es Salaam is in need of help and support. By volunteering at this project, you will help provide children, youths and adults with the educational and life skills needed to avoid falling into the poverty trap.
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Join this trip and feel a real sense of achievement as you reach the peak and witness spectacular views over Tanzania and Kenya.
Francis Hughes found a new lease of life on his tailor made South American gap year! From the Galapagos to the awe inspiring sight of Machu Picchu, read his story here.
Gap Year for Grown Ups have many Career Break Voluntary Projects in Africa for grown up gappers. Because Gap Year for Grown Ups is the leading authority and only specialist source of ideas and options for grown up gap years, it has the widest range of volunteering programmes in Africa. These include animal/wildlife conservation, teaching English in Africa, community volunteering in Africa and Voluntary work with children in Africa.
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