THE MANTA RESORT

pemba, tanzania

The Personalities

Diving and Snorkel Enthusiasts, types who would like to try something different and divert from the beaten path.

Moments

Communal dining with fellow travellers and tiki lovers. See the tide come and go while sipping a “Lemongrass Ginger Sling”. Watch the stars atop you own private island, while at the Underwater Room. 

Best Visiting Months

High Season is July to February. Low season is March to June. Enjoy 20% OFF all rates during the low season, if you are ok with the possibility of heavy rain.

Cost

Why stay

The Manta Resort, situated on Pemba Island in Tanzania, is renowned for its unique and luxurious accommodations, especially its iconic underwater room. This one-of-a-kind lodging offers guests the extraordinary experience of sleeping surrounded by the vibrant marine life of the Indian Ocean. Above the water, the room features a comfortable lounge area and a rooftop deck perfect for sunbathing or stargazing. The resort ensures a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, making it an ideal destination for those seeking a truly unique vacation.

In addition to the underwater room, the Manta Resort offers a variety of other accommodation options, including seafront villas and garden rooms. Each room is designed to provide maximum comfort and privacy, with elegant decor that reflects the natural beauty of the island. The resort’s facilities include a spa, where guests can indulge in a range of treatments, a beachfront restaurant serving fresh, local cuisine, and an infinity pool with stunning ocean views

Why wander

Pemba is one of the top diving/snorkeling destinations in the world - with one of the healthiest coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and the water temperature averaging at 26ºC. It is the perfect place to start your adventure. At low tide, you can snorkel right off the resort in the house “Lagoon”. If you want to explore the island by foot, enjoy guided tours that range from walks to local villages to getting to know the ancient Ngezi Forest.

Indulge in

Mama's banana bread for breakfast. Freshly made juices from locally grown fruit and coconut milk. Seafood caught and prepared before your eyes for dinner. Do not skip Banofie pie for dessert!

Getting There

The most frequent fly route is Zanzibar – Pemba. From the Pemba airport, the Hotel arranges a taxi transfer. Travelling within the hotel ground will require a snorkel, a mask and some fins.  

*Images property of THE MANTA RESORT

Pole Pole Bugalows

mafia, tanzania

PERSONALITIES

Divers. Honeymooners. Castaways. Tiki Lovers.

MOMENTS

Being greeted with a fresh coconut water. Unlimited marine world. Room service ’sun downer’ to enjoy on the verandah while watching the sunset. Sleeping at the sound of the waves. 

BEST VISITING MONTHS

Best time to visit is June to October and December to February.
Best time for diving is September to March. 

COST

WHY STAY

Pole Pole Bugalows is located on the southeast coast of the Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania. Sitting right on the beach and surrounded by a garden of coconut palms, this quickly paints a perfect picture for any Tiki lover. 

There are seven luxury bungalow suites to choose from, all of which have spectacular views of the Chole Island and Indian Ocean. Relax on the large private verandas, complete with day-beds and coffee tables and let the time stand still.

WHY WANDER

Mafia Island is a Marine Park and is well known in the diving community as one of the best places for underwater adventure. Take advantage of the Pole Pole offer of 4 free dives when staying for at least 4 nights. If diving is not for you, snorkeling offers an equality exciting experience. 

Take a day and visit the Maribani Sand Bank, only appearing during low tide. Sail to the inhabited Chole Island to see ruins of old Arab buildings or the Juani Island to see ruins of the ancient city of Kua. While at Juani, make sure to swim in the Blue Lagoon. 

If you are visiting between October and March, make sure to take a short boat trip to swim with whale sharks.

INDULGE IN

Fresh coconuts. Swahili food with an italian twist. White snapper cooked over a fire of coconut husks. Ginger cookies.

GETTING THERE

Mafia Island is approximately 50 km off the Tanzanian coast, about 30 minutes by air from Dar es Salaam and 45 minutes from Zanzibar Island. Pole Pole is 20 minute away from Kilindoni, the main village and airstrip and the transfer is included in the accommodation cost.

*Images property of Pole Pole

Chumbe Island

tanzania

PERSONALITIES 

Honeymooners. Leisure divers. Escapees. Ecotourists.

MOMENTS 

Eco Paradise. Ancient coral reefs. Outdoor candlelight dinners overlooking the ocean. Spotless beaches. A holiday you feel good about.

COST

WHY STAY

Chumbe Island is a private island retreat near Zanzibar, Tanzania. This unique tiki destination is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and a lush tropical jungle. 

Stay in one of seven eco bungalows, designed to provide both privacy and a sense of freedom of living in the open. The rooms are steps away from a pristine white sand beach, which you can see from your bed. Enjoy being able to stroll from your bungalow hammock to the warm tropical ocean in under 30 seconds.

WHY WANDER

Chumbe Island Coral Park is a private nature reserve that includes a protected coral reef sanctuary and a forest reserve. Besides the rich marine environment, there are multiple nature trails and historical ruins for you to discover. Swim with gentle gigantic sea turtles and colorful fish. Take a night nature walk to look for coconut crabs. Enjoy being stranded on this one of a kind tropical island.

INDULGE IN

Fresh fish,  caught in a sustainable way. Zanzibarian, Arabic, Indian and African cuisine. 

GETTING THERE

Fly into Zanzibar City and take a 30 minute boat to Chumbe.

GREEN FACTOR

Solar power. Rain water collection. Natural breeze. Chumbre has created a non-profit organization for engaging schools and villages and educating them about the protection of the coral reefs.

Photos property of CHUMBE ISLAND

ZURI ZANZIBAR

tanzania

PERSONALITIES

Divers. Explorers. Lovers of spice. 

MOMENTS

Shades of blue of the endless Indian Ocean. Zanzibar's vibrant colours, exotic spices and sunsets. A unique mix African, Indian, Arab and European cultures. Lemongrass and vanilla in the air. Forgetting old routines and creating new moments.

BEST VISITING MONTHS

Tropical climate with dry season from June to October and from January and February. The green season from April to June.

COST

WHY STAY

Zuri Zanzibar is a boutique design hotel on the Unguja island of the Zanzibar archipelago in Tanzania, just a few degrees away from the equator. With 300 metres of private beach, a stunning cliff backdrop, and a spice garden, you will find a truly unique escape. 

Stay in one of 55 Jestico + Whiles-designed bungalows, suites and beach villas, complete with thatched roofs, private terraces, hammocks, and modern-meets-traditional African design. Take an outdoor shower with nothing but the ocean in your view for a true inside/outside living experience. 

Relax and take in Zanzibar's unique atmosphere from Zuri's own Spice Garden - a lush oasis for your senses, which took over two years to create. 

WHY WANDER

Zanzibar is perfect for diving and snorkeling with its endless coral reefs and clear blue water. Zuri benefits from a perfect location - close to Tumbatu Island and Mnemba Atoll marine park. Visit the Jozani Forest and spot the Red Colubus Monkey. Take a trip into Stone Town, a UNESCO protected area, where you will discover mosques, markets and local delicacies. Watch the sun go down from a traditional Dhow boat. Go kite-surfing. Take the Undiscovered Zanzibar tour to really see the ins and outs of the island - visit Michiamvi village, go fishing with the locals, tour the Paje Seaweed Farm. Don't leave without a trip to the remote Prison Island - home to the Giant Aldabran Tortoise colony, peacocks and butterflies.

INDULGE IN

Just caught seafood. Local spices.

GETTING THERE

Fly into Abeid Amani Karume International Airport and arrange the short transfer with the hotel. 

*Images property of Zuri Zanzibar

The Highlands

tanzania

PERSONALITIES

Wildlife lovers. Photographers.

MOMENTS

Surreal views. Thousands of pink flamingos. Picnic breaks. Crackling fireplace. Stargazing from your bed.

BEST VISITING MONTHS

June to September is the dry season. Ngorongoro Crater is at a higher altitude than the Conservation Area, with the temperatures dropping to freezing at night.

COST

WHY STAY

The Highlands is an award-winning camp on the outskirts of Olmoti Volcano, in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tanzania.

The camp consists of eight glass-and-canvas geodesic dome tents, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a deck with unparalleled views across the Serengeti and the surrounding mountainous forests and grassy plains. The design is inspired by traditional Maasai bomas, and includes wood-burning stoves to keep warm during the cooler nights. Take advantage of the Highlands’ unique location where you can watch both the sunrise and the sunset.

WHY WANDER

Explore the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest inactive caldera in the world, as well as one of the best places for wildlife viewing in Africa. Hike up the Olmoti Volcano to be rewarded with views of the crater below and the surrounding landscape. Take a day trip to the soda lake in the Empakaai Crater, where you can find flocks of pink flamingoes. Learn about Maasai culture but interacting with the local community.

INDULGE IN

Remote picnics. Sundowners by the fire. Three-course dinners made with fresh ingredients from the Karatu area.

GETTING THERE

Fly into Arusha Airport and arrange a private transfer to the camp, which will take about 3 hours.

GET INVOLVED

Asilia has been carbon neutral as a company since 2009. All of our camps run on solar, we recycle water, reduce plastic use and offset all unavoidable carbon usage. For example, last year offset 1,425 tonnes of CO2 in East Africa. This is the equivalent of taking about 118 mid-sized cars off the roads for one year.

AsiliaGiving is the philanthropic arm of Asilia Africa, one of East Africa’s leading travel companies with a mission to empower crucial wilderness areas in East Africa, benefitting both people and nature. By making bold, and often pioneering investments into ecologically and economically vulnerable areas, they aim to turn these regions into viable conservation economies, benefitting both the local communities as well as the environment.

By collaborating with and funding in-country NGOs that work on everything from vocational school scholarships, women’s income-generating projects, anti-poaching initiatives, wildlife conservation and land rehabilitation, AsiliaGiving is able to ensure measurable change.

By acknowledging that people and nature are inseparable partners, the organization works closely with communities, authorities, NGOs and industry partners to achieve the best possible long-term outcomes for all concerned. With the help of guest donations and conservation fees Asilia is able to make a significant Positive Impact towards their goal to empower these areas and the communities and wildlife that call them home.

Find out more at asiliagiving.org

Initiatives supported:

• Usangu Wetlands. The Usangu wetlands project assesses this critical area to understand how best it can be protected through ecotourism.

• Twende Porini. Our Twende Porini programme welcomes children from local communities to experience what a safari is all about and learn about conservation and tourism. 

• Twende Porini. Our Twende Porini programme welcomes children from local communities to experience what a safari is all about.

• Maa Beadwork. Kenya Wildlife Trust & Maa Trust. Our Twende Porini programme welcomes children from local communities to experience what a safari is all about and learn about conservation and tourism. 

• FGM Education. The Maa Trust. Female Genital Mutilation is a traditional practice that is prohibited yet still carried out in local communities. Together with anti-FGM ambassadors, The Maa Trust has implemented education programs.

• Maa Honey. The Maa Trust. Maa Honey combines the conservation of African bees with the need for sustainable income generation. Beehives are owned by a group of local women who harvest and bottle the honey

• Youth Empowerment. The Maa Trust Through this programme, The Maa Trust offers career guidance and scholarships to the youth in the Mara. 

• Mau Eburu Forest Project, Mount Kenya And Abedare Fencing Projects

• Rhino Ark. Rhino Ark develops and implements practical solutions to the challenges affecting Kenya’s mountain forests, Mount Kenya, The Abedares and Mau/Eburu Forests. 

• Mara Predator Conservation Programme. Kenya Wildlife Trust. The Mara Predator Conservation Programme’s efforts span three primary areas with robust carnivore populations in Kenya – The Greater Mara, Amboseli/Tsavo, and Laikipia/Samburu.

• Elephant Research, Wildlife Conflict Mitigation

• Pardamat Conservation Area (PCA). Masai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (MMWCA). The Wildlife Tourism College of Maasai Mara was started out of necessity to expand the current Koiyaki Guiding School.

• The Lionscape Coalition is a new initiative of the Lion Recovery Fund. It enables Africa’s top tourism operators to take action in the recovery of lion populations and their landscapes

• The Ngorongoro Human-Wildlife Conflict Project aims to reduce livestock predation by carnivores and the retaliatory killing of carnivores. 

• The Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem harbours one of the major lion populations remaining on the African continent. 

• Simanjiro Easement Project. Dorobo Fund. Critical grazing areas for wildlife are quickly disappearing in Tarangire which has resulted in a severe decline in wildlife numbers and an increase in pressures on Maasai livelihoods

• The Southern Tanzania Elephant Project is an elephant conservation programme that aims to protect elephants and enhance human-elephant coexistence. 

• The Serengeti Cheetah Project monitors changes in birth and survival rates of cheetahs

• Frankfurt Zoological Society. The Eastern Serengeti Livestock Encroachment Unit aims to protect vital wilderness areas and create sustainable practices to ensure these areas are continuously monitored and cared for.

• Chimpanzee Habituation Project. Honeyguide Foundation. The unique Chimpanzee Habituation Project on Rubondo Island focuses on introducing the current group of chimpanzees to the presence of humans

• K9 Unit. Honeyguide Foundation. Honeyguide’s K9 Unit is the only unit of its kind in the field of anti-poaching in Tanzania. Specially trained dogs are used to track and capture poachers in several regions across Tanzania.

• Asilia Scholarship Fund. Asilia Trust. Every year, Asilia identifies promising students who don’t have the means to further their education and supports them with scholarships to do so. 

  *Images property of The Highlands