Pole Pole

Pole Pole (meaning "slowly slowly" in Swahili) is located in the Chole Bay area, near Utende village on the southeast coast of the Mafia Island Marine Park. It lies on the beach, within a tropical garden, overlooking a spectacular view of the Mafia Archipelago and the Indian Ocean.

Seven 'luxury bungalow suites', elegant and spacious, are set among the coconut palms overlooking the bay.  Raised on stilts, each unit has a private veranda with a Zanzibari bed for those essential afternoon siestas.  The rooms are furnished with carved and antique pieces. 

Pole Pole can always be recommended to people interested in diving as the facilities and the Marine Park are fantastic for snorkelling and scuba diving.  Other activities include excursions on foot, by boat or 4x4, local village visits and use of the small massage centre.

Possibly its only drawback is the lack of a pool - which does matter when the tide is way out. There are also much more amazing beaches on Mafia, which you can visit by dhow.