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FROM US$2,040-US$2,800

Lemon Grass Beach Holiday

Enjoy undisturbed leisure at the Mafia Archipalego’s lesser-visited Chole and Mafia Islands. Two charming, elegant lodges provide opportunity for total relaxation as well as a range of activities.

Lemon Grass Beach Holiday: Summary

Lemon Grass Beach Holiday in a nutshell

Featuring two simple and elegant lodges on the sleepy islands of Mafia and Chole, this is a fantastic retreat for those seeking a quieter, undisturbed beach holiday.

Mafia Island and Chole Island are two of the five islands that comprise the Mafia Archipelago. Just a short flight from Dar es Salaam, they are both comparatively lesser known and lesser visited than Zanzibar Island, making for a more exclusive holiday.

Beginning on Chole Island’s Chole Mjini Lodge, guests will stay in one of six beautifully built tree-houses that sit atop stilts amongst the beach-side baobab trees. All are uniquely designed and lit at night entirely by solar-charged lanterns. The atmosphere here is charmingly seductive, where historic ruins blend seamlessly with sand pathways and crumbling walls to create an environment befitting Robinson Crusoe.

Just a short 15-minute boat ride away from Chole Island is Mafia Island, where Pole Pole occupies its own stretch of white sandy beach. The seven well-appointed bungalows overlook Chole Bay, where one can eat, snorkel, dive or simply lie back and relax. Similarly charming and just as peaceful, Pole Pole now also offers guests the opportunity to hire their own crewed dhow boat for the day, to sail around and explore as they see fit.

If these leisurely beach and water-based activities don’t appeal, there are also a variety of possible island trips to discover, including visits to historical ruins, local villages and even colonies of fruit bats.

At a glance

Starts: Dar es Salaam International Airport
3 nights Chole Mjini - Mafia Island, Tanzania Full Board
3 nights Pole Pole - Mafia Island, Tanzania Full Board
Ends: Dar es Salaam International Airport

Chole Mjini Lodge

Days 1-4

Chole Mjini is one of the most original small lodges that we know in East Africa. It stands on Chole Island, just off the coast of Mafia Island, which is a peaceful and charming hideaway in an area that sees little tourism. The lodge was built to be environmentally sound, and to give real benefits to the local community. Built among 19th-century ruins, it's all quite Indiana Jones: the ultimate eco-lodge, built before the term became so commonplace.

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Pole Pole

Days 4-7

Pole Pole is a lovely relaxed beach lodge, built in 1998, and set among coconut palms, on a hillside sloping up from the beach, overlooking the sheltered Chole Bay in the Mafia Island Marine Park. The phrase 'pole pole' means 'slowly' in Swahili, and certainly says a lot about the atmosphere here. With only seven thatched bungalows, Pole Pole is intimate, quiet and very welcoming, and offers a wonderful beach retreat.

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Chole Mjini Lodge

Chole Mjini

Mafia Island, Tanzania

Pole Pole

Pole Pole

Mafia Island, Tanzania

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Highlights

Our thoughts on five of the top experiences of this Lemon Grass Beach Holiday.

  • Snorkelling among colourful reef fish
  • Sighting whale sharks during a stay at Chole Mjini
  • Sailing around the islands on a dhow boat
  • Watching the sunset with a drink from your veranda
  • Diving beneath the waves, passing turtles and rays

Activities

Some activities which can be included in the Lemon Grass Beach Holiday: talk to us about those which interest you.

  • Boat trip

  • Cultural excursion

  • Scuba-diving

  • Snorkelling

  • Watersports

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