Chumbe Island Resort

The accommodation is partially exposed to the elements and bungalows nearer to the sea can get slippery as the mist creeps in. It is simple but clean. The real lure of this resort is the unique opportunity to break away from western expectations and ‘touristy’ holiday packages—no phones, no TV’s, no loud music. Chumbe Island is not a recommended choice for young singles and families with young children or teenagers.

The Bungalows are all located near to the coast and comprise of a double or twin room under a palm thatched canopy, private bathrooms with showers and a living room area. The décor is traditional African. The Chumbe Island Coral Park experience is all-inclusive (excluding alcoholic drinks) with all food, soft drinks, excursions, boat transfers and snorkelling paid for in the package.

One of the major attractions of Chumbe Island Coral Park to the conscientious Zanzibar tourist is its eco-friendly infrastructure. Each bungalow collects it’ own rain water supply which is hand pumped by members of the Chumbe team through solar powered heating systems. Drinking water is filtered through a highly developed system. The lighting system is entirely solar, and the bungalows are designed to self-air-condition. One slight discomfort are the composting toilets. Though the experience is billed as “just the same as using a regular toilet” this is not quite the case. But the ethical argument for this sewage system (or lack thereof) is undeniably strong. Overall the toilets are also effective -there are no hygiene risks and the composting method works to prevent unpleasant smells etc.

Chumbe organically and locally sources its goods and supplies (where possible). Animals’ natural feeding patterns are closely guarded.

Staff are friendly and informal. As they are very much part of the entire Chumbe project they are invested in the services offered by the resort. The food offered at Chumbe is a mix of traditional Swahili and European and is of excellent standard. Alcoholic drinks are very reasonably priced.

Activities on Chumbe Island

Though Chumbe is primarily a place to go to relax there are a number of activities on offer at the resort which former guests highly recommend. These include:

• Snorkelling: expertly guided with plenty of provision made for weaker swimmers, but with timings configured to co-suit day visitors rather than just island residents
• Nature trails: at low tide one can walk all round the island
• Forest trails: the island’s forest reserves are accessible via a series of trails.
• Chumbe Lighthouse: 131 steps up, the Chumbe lighthouse provides breathtaking views over Zanzibar and Tanzania
• Scuba Diving: though this is not permitted on the Chumbe reef it is possible to organise excursions to neighbouring reefs for an additional cost if you wish to scuba dive.