An intimate eco-Lodge overlooking Chole Bay within Mafia Island Marine Park
Open-plan lounge and dining area with bar, gift shop, spa, and swimming pool
Nine units, including three family suites, each accommodating four guests, all with beautiful ocean views
Sandbank excursions, diving, snorkelling, seasonal whale watching, swimming with whale sharks, dhow trips, and island visits
During August and September, humpback whales migrate from colder climes to warmer Indian Ocean waters. Spend a few hours observing these magnificent creatures before sitting down to a delicious fish barbecue lunch.
A sensational, one-of-a-kind experience in which guests can enjoy close encounters with these magnificent and inquisitive gentle giants, who sometimes measure up to 20 meters.
Moonlight cruises are offered periodically so guests can marvel at the starlit night skies. Alternatively, sunset cruises depart at 17:30 on a traditional dhow sailing boat.
From the east-facing beach of Juani, guests witness the extraordinary natural spectacle of turtle hatching. Starting with a dhow trip, an exquisite nature walk across the island provides the perfect prelude to the sight of baby turtles making their way towards the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
On the moving day between the two camps, guests travel the distance by vehicle, on foot, by mokoro, or a combination of all three. This full-day wilderness exploration includes a picnic lunch enjoyed outside while the team sets up camp in the next location.
Day trips can be arranged to some of the archipelago’s most beautiful islands, including Bwejuu, with its spectacular powder-white sand, and the historical Chole Island.
These include Fisherman Island, the ruins of the ancient city of Kua, Ras Mkumbi lighthouse on the northern tip of Mafia, and the island’s capital, Kilindoni.
In partnership with Mafia Island , longer visits to Pole Pole Bungalows allow for a full range of PADI courses, using comfortable dive boats and expert guiding, ensuring a superb underwater experience.
Pole Pole Bungalows is located on Mafia Island, a 35-minute flight from Dar es Salaam and 45 minutes from Zanzibar or Nyerere National Park (formerly known as Selous Game Reserve). The only way to reach the island is by light aircraft, and there are no boat services to Mafia Island. The lodge is 12 kilometers (a 20- to 30-minute drive) from the airport.
Pole Pole’s communal area is styled like the guest suites.
The spacious open-plan lounge and dining area features wicker seating around coffee tables and a well-stocked bar. Dining is enjoyed indoors and outdoors, with set menus that offer guests various options, often fresh fish and seafood-focused in keeping with the lodge’s oceanfront setting. A smaller dining area called the duara, meaning ‘circle’ in Kiswahili, is used for special dinners. The Alasiri Spa is located in the garden, close to the swimming pool, or guests can enjoy in-suite massages. A locally sourced coconut deck surrounds the palm-shaded swimming pool with a dedicated pool bar.
Pole Pole Bungalows offers nine guest accommodations.
Five of these are hillside Bahari Bungalows, each suitable for two guests, and two Asali Family Bungalows, also elevated, are ideal for families or groups of four. Beachfront units include the Alasiri Family Suite, also suitable for four, and the two-person Alfajiri Suite. Both feature their own private plunge pool. Constructed out of timber and thatch, each of the rustic accommodations is similar in style, favouring dark wood, wicker armchairs, Swahili carvings, and brightly-colored kitenge fabrics against cool white walls and sheer drapes. Furniture is simple and includes double or twin beds, a writing desk and chair, and a large storage unit. There’s a fan above the bed or beds, as well as air-conditioning, and en-suite facilities comprise a flush toilet, bidet, twin washbasins, and shower. At the rear of each bungalow, double doors lead onto a private veranda, complete with a Zanzibari bed, chairs, a table, and an armchair. The Asali suites benefit from an additional room with a massage bed, separated from the bedroom by a bathroom and a short corridor. This room can also be used as a second bedroom for a maximum of two persons, providing an excellent option for a small group or family.
Pole Pole Bungalows is a small, privately owned hillside eco-lodge overlooking Chole Bay within Mafia Island Marine Park. It’s laidback and rustic in style, with coconut palms surrounding the nine accommodations, two of which occupy a beachfront position.…
