Reviews of Pole Pole
(94%) From 93 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Great choice for last stop
Pole Pole was not as laid back as I expected but that was in part because it was nearly empty.
On my five nights there I was the only guest on two and one of 3-5 on others. The staff were great , Paula and Mleica in particular. The free excursions were good, sunset cruise in a dhow and a trip to Chole Island also by dhow
I also made 5 scuba dives with the adjacent dive centre Mafia Diving out on the reefs . All were excellent on pristine coral with much to see. Transport again by outboard and sail in a dhow
If I hadn’t done the diving I think I would have been disappointed by the Pole Pole beach and large tides which render the beach submerged for much of the day
My hut was great No5, clean, good fan and excellent bathroom and also near the pool and massage areas which I used. I would return but probably choose a busier time for as a solo traveller company and atmosphere in the evening is importent
Peaceful Retreat
Pole Pole is a very relaxing, peaceful place to stay. They have a spa and massage room, which was very good too.
The rooms are built from wood and palm leaves and blend into the scenery, so it is almost hidden . A real hideaway. I loved the sundowner trip on the old wooden Dhow....very special to see the sunset from a boat. The staff were very helpful too. If I had to make a very small complaint.....my lodge seemed to have a family of resident squirrels which I could hear running around in the roof all night. Actually, it was quite sweet to see them, but they were very noisy at night.
A lovely place to stay right by the sea.
Fantastic resort
Pole Pole is a beautiful hotel. The bungalows are clean and comfortable with a verandah that overlooks the sea. We loved the swimming pool and the bar area. The food was of an extremely high standard. The staff were charming, helpful and very friendly. The Swedish massage, Emerald Cruise and snorkelling trips were excellent.
Species seen.
Zebra fish, Parrot fish, Unicorn fish, Angel fish and various other fish and jellyfish during the snorkelling.
Birds included Black Kites, African Paradise Flycatchers, Southern Flycatchers, Pied Kingfisher and African Fish Eagle.
Pole Pole review
We enjoyed our time here. Fortunately we were in bungalow with a permanent foundation ( I think #6), I am not sure we would have been happy with the thatched ones as it appeared they did not have proper windows and natural light. The beach was small and not conducive to swimming as it was basically a reclaimed mangrove area.
Read more about the whole beach holidayGreat relaxation at Pole Pole
Beautiful facility with excellent food with an Italian influence. Manager Alex was very good as were the well trained staff. The rooms were very good only let down by mosquitos getting inside the bednetting and getting extensively bitten. Could be cured by earlier lowering of the nets before dusk I think.
The grounds were excellent but swimming in the sea not really viable due to lack of depth.
Representative from the local dive centre visited every evening at 7 pm to advise on potential activities in the following day. We went to see turtles hatching on another island and also visited two villages on tours, just ourselves and a guide... most interesting.
Pole Pole review
A comfortable, boutique type hotel with a lovely swimming pool and lots of small places to sit and read or watch the sea or simply integrate all the sounds and sights of our safari.
The food was plentiful and what was really good was the system of choosing what you wanted to eat for lunch and dinner at breakfast time as it meant you were not automatically served four courses if you only wanted two. The english of the staff is a bit patchy and I had made the mistake of saying that I would eat fish. At home I stick to a predominantly vegetarian diet but will eat fish if it makes someone's life easier. The staff at pole pole interpreted this as being that I would eat fish for every course, other then dessert, at lunch and dinner each day. When I said I didn't want to eat fish every day and could I see a vegetarian menu they said there wasn't one. I did speak to the customer relations manager to say I didn't think they had understood that I wanted to eat vegetarian food and could he just make sure that the restaurant staff knew, but again this was lost in translation and there was no supper for me the first evening. I stuck to my guns and they gave me some curried vegetables but thereafter I was offered vegetarian food.
Against this, however, they were incredibly helpful and went out and bought flipflops for my husband as he had forgotten to bring his - so I am sure the mix up was a language issue.
There is good diving as it is set in the Marine Park and is a good base if you don't want to be surrounded by too many people.
The best service Ever!
Excellent service, super friendly helpful staff. Daily excursions were great. The food was excellent. We were extremely happy with this choice!!
Read more about the whole beach holidayPOle POle
Be aware they try to give you a lot of food. Pasta course as well as starter and main and dessert. Ask for less courses and half portions. They are responsive and I think give you about what you ate the day before on subsequent days so do let them know if you are starving (unlikely!)
It is really very hot there. Fans do help but it is hot at night without air con.
The whale shark tour is marvellous. Whilst we were there two Americans refused to sign the liability waiver and were refused access to the tour. It was illegible but our view on these things is that you have to decide for yourself if the trip is something you want to do and if you are happy with the activities planned. Those waivers are not worth the paper they are written on! There was some bad feeling I think about the South African chap who owns outfit and a nearby hotel.
Snorkelling is really very very good.
A great end to an amazing honeymoon
Having been off grid for the rest of our honeymoon we had mixed emotions about moving onto Pole Pole for the last part of our trip but Pole Pole has a good balance between rustic charm and modern convenience. The staff were attentive and professional and made every effort to make our stay a memorable one.
The food was to a very high standard and we were treated to a private meal as we were on our honeymoon as well as very relaxing massages in the spa.
A number of activities were included in our stay here including a very good snorkeling trip with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. The resort is very small so it was easy to find a spot to relax by ourselves to enjoy the tropical island breeze.
We would definitely recommend Pole Pole to those who want to escape modern life but still expect some creature comforts.
Great place to chill out
Pole Pole was a wonderful spot to chill out for a few days - the lodge is simple and rustic, with a small but very pleasant beach in front, excellent food (highlights included ceviche and a traditional Tanzanian dinner) and friendly staff.
Any time in the room was mostly spent on the wonderful veranda, which boasted a mosquito-netted day bed and lovely views of the lush gardens and the sea. Bathrooms are rather dated, however, and detracted from the overall quality, which is a shame.
I loved having tea delivered to our room each morning before breakfast, and in the evenings, the bar whipped up some seriously good cocktails, too. There's wifi by the pool, which mostly worked well.
The dive shop - a high-quality operation - is just a ten-minute walk long the beach and diving was very good, with some very impressive coral reefs.
