Basecamp Mafía Island

Mafia Island Basecamp has a wonderful ocean view, beautiful property, and spacious updated rooms. The rooms are very comfortable with double shower, air conditioner, hairdryer, and in room tea/coffee. The staff is friendly and very accommodating! I enjoyed the food (large portions and tasty), the only thing I would add is regular coffee (rather than cappuccino/latte) and pina coladas (there are other cocktails offered but with all the coconuts around I was craving a pina colada). The beach bar is exceptional for a nice Indian Ocean breeze. The pool is absolutely amazing! Saltwater and not brutally cold like some, yet still so refreshing! I didn’t try scuba or whale shark swimming, but the lodge was happy to arrange these things as well as other tours if I needed. The massage also was excellent. I believe this property is the best one if truly want to be right on the ocean! I would come back!

This rating is tricky. I did extensive research and initially wanted to stay at Pole Pole or Kinasi Lodge, but both were sold out. Basecamp had recently undergone a management change and renovations, which came with mixed reviews — and I now understand why. I think this property with a few months of work, will be amazing. Some specifics: Service: The management team (Iris and Abdullah) are excellent. Prior to arriving, I was on whatapp with Iris and she is super responsive and helpful. Once onsite, we were in the hands of Abdullah, who always made sure we had what we need - from checking in early to organising excursions, he was great. Kitchen/Dining: This is the biggest area of opportunity (and critical, as you will pretty much eat all your meals at the hotel). The kitchen often ran out of key ingredients - for example, they had a drink menu of 6 cocktails, and one night they were out of 5 out of 6 of them! Additionally, we were hungry between excursions but the kitchen was unable to handle their 'bites' menu between lunch and dinner. Rooms: Beautiful, with some still being renovated (so be sure to ask if you booked a renovated room). Our family room with a sea view was stunning. We ran into a couple issues with all the outlets not working, which maintenance fixed. Same with the safe. We had two instances of no hot water in the shower, but maintenance was able to fix them. We did also lose power a couple times which tripped the circuit and required a reboot in the middle of the night to re-start the AC. Amenities: Nice pool, beachfront location, and reliable WiFi in common areas. So overall, nice resort with a few 'growing pains' to work out to go from 4 to 5 stars!

Myself a a friend spent three nights at Mafia Island Lodge, and loves our time there. The location is wonderful, with a view of palm trees down to the beach, and a 2 minute walk to Big Blu where all the excursions leave from. We stayed in the superior rooms which were comfortable, clean and light. Great airconditioning (essential in Mafia in Feb!) and a little private patio with views over the garden. The staff absolutely make this place. Iris the hotel manager is welcoming and warm, and all her staff, from the waiters to the Masai guards, are delightful and professional. Food was great, we went for the full board option. We especially appreciated our delicious packed lunches when out on excursions that were all in containers and with mental cutlery - no single use plastic or styrofoam, hooray! Looking forward to seeing the results of the renovations and hope to return again. Thank you, Asante Sana!

Stayed here in 2020 and 2021, it used to be good and convenient, now they are under new ownership and the lodge has lost all its charm. The rooms are of a decent size and the ñocation is convenient. However, they are cutting down trees (which for a Marine reserve park just blows my mind)… they are creating a negative environment and getting into fights with the community. Not a nice environment for holidays. I would avoid. Many great options around with a more sustainable practice.

We spent a fantastic 11 days here. Each day was amazing. Located at the beach with beautiful garden and just a few meters from diving center. Incredible Staff and kitchen. I can only say that Mafia Island Lodge Team with Iris is a symbol of kindness and helpfulness.

Where can I begin…. For starters the lodge is absolutely beautiful, upon arrival we were blown away by the size of the dining/lounge area that looks straight out into the ocean. We were greeted by the friendliest staff I’ve come in contact with in a long time. Smiling faces that were extremely helpful with everything we needed, whether it was a ride to town or help deciding excursions and planning out our stay. The management was also wonderful. Always available and quick to help. We stayed here for 8 days but I would have stayed for much longer if I didn’t have to get back home for work. Me and my girlfriend will for sure be returning. If you plan on coming to mafia island, do yourself a favor and stay with Mafia island lodge!