Mafia Island - Chole Mjini ***

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Mafia Island - Chole Mjini ***

On the tiny island of Chole in the Mafia archipelago, within Tanzania's first Marine Park, you will find Chole Mjini. It is set amongst lush vegetation, overgrown orchards and mangrove forest. Named after the ruins of a once thriving trading centre between the Sultanates of Kilwa and Zanzibar and hidden among them, you will discover unique accommodation in six magnificent tree houses and one luxurious house at ground-level. Set among ancient Baobab trees and orientated to catch the cool sea breezes, each has a splendid view to the north of all of Chole Bay and the forests beyond.

The accommodation imparts a sense of rugged adventure combined with casual luxury that is part Swiss Family Robinson, Tarzan and Indiana Jones. Each tree house has at least one double bed, made-up of fine Egyptian cottons and protected by a huge walk-in mosquito net. Each tree house has a shower with both hot and cold water and peat toilets situated either at the base of your tree or a few feet away. The "ground house" has an en-suite bathroom with a sunken Persian bath and flush toilet and a large private garden especially for those who cannot or do not want to live in a tree.

There is no electricity on Chole Mjini so, whilst you can expect ice-cold drinks and get your camera batteries charged, there is no television, no air-conditioning and no fax or email facilities available to guests. Meals are served in the dining area overlooking the trees and garden. The accent is on fresh seafood, fruit and vegetables, including many traditional and local dishes. There is a delightful upstairs bar with sweeping views of the bay, where sodas, beer, wine, and wide range of spirits are available. The downstairs lounge area has a wide range of games, magazines, reference books and novels for the use of guests.

Activities

Water Sports
Snorkelling, Wind-surfing, and SCUBA diving. Swimming from Chole is possible for 6 hours a day centred around high tide.

Scuba
Chole Mjini has a well equipped SCUBA diving facility and an experienced PADI diving instructor with extensive local knowledge. Introductory, novice, open water, speciality and advanced courses are available. In 1995, the Mafia Island Marine Park was formed to protect the archipelagos' coral reefs and the diving is spectacular. SCUBA diving is possible throughout the year but is best from November through April. Within the bay, the shallow reefs are perfect for snorkelling or learning to dive. Whilst outside the bay, its entrance is guarded by a long coral wall, attracting more experienced divers. Here are more than 50 genera of coral, including giant table corals, huge stands of blue-tipped stag-horn corals. Also there are over 400 species of fish and you'll always see something exciting, from rainbow-coloured clown fish to octopus, rays and the odd gigantic Grouper or large Potato Cod. Sharks and dolphins are found in the deeper waters and at night turtles crawl onto remote beaches to nest. Mafia offers probably the best all-round diving experience in East Africa, with protected shallow coral gardens and reefs inside Chole Bay for beginners and novices as well as deep water diving, sheer walls and exhilarating drift dives for the advanced and expert divers.

Fishing
Mafia is world-renowned for it's game fishing. However, most of the good fishing sites are now protected within the core zone of the Marine Park and because of this and additional licensing fees, Chole Mjini is not well-equipped for fishing and no longer caters for fishing enthusiasts. A few rods without end-tackle (so bring your own) are available.

Excursions
Daily Dhow trips can be arranged to the sandbanks and smaller islands for exploring, birding, swimming and sunbathing. Hikes can be arranged, along the village trails and also further a-field to the nearby island of Juani to explore the forests and ruins of ancient Kua with or without a guide.

Wildlife
Chole is a sanctuary for the Madagascan Fruit Bat, a large, fruit-eating bat also known as the 'Flying Fox'. These can be seen resting in the trees during the day and active in the early evening. If you rise early you may also see Vervet Monkeys, Genet and very rarely, civet. Giant Nile Monitors patrol the hotel grounds all day and they are often seen from the tree houses. Blue Duikers may be seen in the forest undergrowth.

Village Tours
Chole is a small island of one village. Chole Mjini has been actively involved in establishing and running many projects that assist the community such as the hospital, primary school, kindergarten, market, bursary and loan schemes, and other development projects which are partially funded by our guests through the village levy included in your accommodation tariff. The community welcomes and extends a warm hospitality to you and there is much of interest in the village. Chole is famous for it's boats and in the boat yard you can see dhows being built as they have been for centuries. Another renowned local craft is mat weaving and a large variety of items for sale can be found at the market. Please remember to act modestly and dress appropriately when in the village in order not to offend your hosts and thus make the most of the rare opportunity to visit a traditional Swahili village, still unspoiled by the "march of progress".

Activity costs
Diving - approximately USD40 per dive; equipment rental is additional. Multiple dive packages are on offer at special prices. Private excursion rates are a minimum of USD20 per person.

Please note:

Visa, Master card and Amex are all accepted but there is a surcharge of 6%.
In respect of the local culture no pork products are served here.
The hotel is equipped with basic medical care (i.e. drips etc) but you are advised to bring your own first aid equipment.
There are venomous snakes in this area but they are not normally seen in the vicinity of the lodge.
Prices include the Marine Park fee & Village Levy of USD 20 per person per day.
Inclusive basis includes: all meals, drinking water, laundry, levy and park fees and shared excursions (as arranged and announced by the management).

Itinerary Chole Mjini: 7 nights

DAY 1: Fly from Johannesburg to Dar Es Salaam with Air Tanzania. Daily flights with Coastal Air (duration of the flight 40 minutes). Proceed through customs and immigration and check in for your flight to Mafia Island. Transfer by car & boat to Chole Mjini where you will be staying for 7 nights on an inclusive basis.
DAY 8: Transfer to the airport and check in for your return flight to Dar Es Salaam. Check in for your international flight to Johannesburg with Air Tanzania.

Price includes:

International flights (departure from Johannesburg), domestic flights from Dar Es Salaam to Mafia Island with Coastal Air, 7 nights hotel accommodation on full board basis, drinking water, laundry, levy and park fees, shared excursions and all airport-hotel transfers.