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Hotel name:
Chumbe Island
Address:
Zanzibar P.O.BOX 3203, ZANZIBAR
Zanzibar P.O.BOX 3203, ZANZIBAR
Chumbe is regarded as one of Africa’s most ecologically
sensitive lodges. Its position within Tanzania’s first designated Marine Park
offers guests world class snorkeling coupled with genuine Zanzibari
hospitality and Robinson Crusoe style accommodation. Previously uninhabited,
Chumbe Island Coral Park was established in 1991 to protect this last pristine
coral island and her surrounding reefs of the Zanzibari Archipelago.
Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd (CHICOP) is a non-profit
organisation rerecognizedy the UN for its leading systems in protecting coral
reefs through sustainable development. Every individual from kitchen hand to
reef guide has input into the lodges day-to-day running. This unique
cooperative results in guests to the island experiencing Zanzibari hospitality
at its most honest and heartfelt. The sense of purpose, belonging and pride
from all the staff resonates throughout each facet of your stay. This is a shining
example of how we, as guests to East Africa, can really make a difference - not
only on a personal level to each individual that makes Chumbe what it is - but
also to the plant and animal life that thrives under the protection of CHICOP.
Chumbe Island Coral Park - The Details
The whole of Chumbe Island is a nature reserve! You can
explore its beauty either under the competent guidance of the park rangers or
at your leisure.
Snorkel through the unique shallow water Reef Sanctuary.
Explore the Forest Reserve and historical monuments.
Take an excursion out SCUBA diving the nearby reefs.
Enjoy a lazy day watching dhows and outrigger boats go by.
There are lots of activities to choose from on and around
Chumbe Island.
Room Descriptions & Facilities:
ECO BUNGALOWS
Accommodation on Chumbe Island is - in many aspects -
something really special. It's what Robinson Crusoe could only have dreamt
about!
The bungalows themselves are so brilliantly designed that
they provide both privacy and a sense of freedom of living in the open. Many of
our clients find these bungalows exceptionally romantic (honeymooners love
them), but any individual with a passion for natural beauty will find these
bungalows captivating beyond measure.
All bungalows overlook the sea and it takes just 30 seconds
to stroll from the comforts of your bungalow hammock to feeling the warm
tropical ocean lapping at your feet. All bungalows are equipped with:
- Double or twin beds in the sleeping area under the palm thatched roof. Self-contained bathrooms with hot & cold shower.
- Large living rooms equipped with handmade furniture and decorated with African art and colourful fabrics... (and very comfortable hammocks).
Resort Service & Facilities:
Below are some of the guest facilities that make Chumbe
Island a globally recognised example of eco-tourism:
Guests are provided with organic soaps produced by a local
women's co-operative.
Non-organic products are avoided (i.e., plastic bags) and any
unavoidable non-organic waste produced by the island is removed and incinerated
in a specialised incinerator constructed by the project on the main island
Unguja.
Drinking water is provided by advanced filters (made in
Switzerland) located on the island. These effectively clean readily available
tap water from Unguja, avoiding the need for mineral water in plastic bottles
(which are still available for purchase, but are not readily encouraged, as
plastic bottles are a problematic environmental hazard recently introduced into
Zanzibar).
The walkways, nature trails and beach areas are not
artificially illuminated at night. This protects feeding and breeding patters
of nocturnal animals, and also helps preserve and view one of the most stunning
attractions of Chumbe Island: the rare giant Coconut Crabs (Birgus latro).
Instead, individual solar powered torches are provided for all guests that
recharge each day for use each night.
Community & Conservation:
Marine Sanctuary
The Chumbe Island Coral Park is a unique privately managed
nature reserve developed and managed by the Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd.
(CHICOP). It is a rare example of a still pristine coral island ecosystem in an
otherwise heavily over fished and over-exploited area.
The reserve includes a reef sanctuary, which has become the
first gazetted marine park in Tanzania, and a forest reserve.
Forest Reserve
Approximately 90% of Chumbe Island is covered by one of the
last remaining pristine 'coral rag' forests in Zanzibar. The Government of
Zanzibar declared it a closed forest in 1994, and the management was entrusted
to Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd.
Chumbe hosts a highly specialized plant community that has
developed to survive without any groundwater, instead depending on capturing
the moisture from the humid air and storing the rainfall during the rainy
seasons. The bedrock of the island is made up of an impressive substrate of
fossilized coral. You can still see the skeletal structures of corals and giant
clams - a gentle reminder of the passage of time. More staggering still is the
coral-rag forest. The density of the forest is spectacular, as adventitious
roots thrust out in all directions and epiphytic species cling to life by
wrapping themselves around all available surfaces. Researchers have taken up to
four hours to transverse the 1 km stretch through the central forest reserve
and the crags and caves hidden underfoot as remnant of the reef structure of
this fossilized coral habitat, makes studying this environment both challenging
and consistently rewarding as new discoveries are constantly uncovered. For
guests the nature trails provided allow for an insight into this otherwise
virtually impenetrable habitat.
Coconut Crab
The rare Robber or Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) - the largest
land crab on earth - is common on Chumbe Island while it is threatened
elsewhere in the Indian Ocean as it is widely eaten and used in fish traps.
With a carapace diameter of up to 45 cm they can climb up to the top of coconut
trees and easily crack coconuts with their powerful claws. These crabs have
evolved to live on land but begin their life in the sea, later adopting shells
as houses for protection until they grow large enough to manage with just their
hardened carapace alone.
Photos:
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| pool side |
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| lounge |
Tanzanian Shilling Exchange Rate
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