Reviews of Chole Mjini

"A wonderful and unique location. Expert Africa rightly made us aware at the outset that activities were limited but def. worth the visit.

Loved the treehouses and showering facilities were ingenious. Slightly aware of a take it or leave it attitude from the management but they were pulling out mid January so perhaps that explained their attitude. Didn't like the way our children were pushed continually towards interacting with the management's children or the lunch and supper communal dining despite our requests for a separate table. One meal being formal with mangement was fine, but every meal .......

Wonderful to explore villiage, sail dhows, snorkel etc - snorkel hire and beer prices a complete rip off compared to Mafia and lodges. A continual and very hard sell on whale sharking which at $50 per head for half a day was expensive (probability of viewing them was 50%)

Food really delicious.

Overall a huge success but to make it all round excellent there needs to be a different attitude from management." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"an absolutely delightful place! one of the best ocean setting locations I have ever been to (if one likes a rural romantic setting);
sligth drawbacks: a little more light in the evening (or working hed lamps ) would be helpful;
given the abundance of seefood available in the area, more faciful dishes would be nice. Also some better refrigration to keep beer and wine cold would be good.

Verdict: a few smaller flaws which are immaterial in light of the over all experience.
I would certainly go baclk any time!" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"We loved this, from the moment we landed and
walked through the Frangipani trees to our
beautiful tree house. We enjoyed experiencing
Anne's vision for the lodge and the community .
It was the perfect place to relax . Highlights
were the monitor lizards walking through camp,
swimming in the mangrove creek , sailing
an outrigger and dinner in the ruins .
We would love to go back !" See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania; 1n in Kenya

"Chole Mjini was certainly the highlight of the trip. Jean, Ann and all their staff make a great team. Jean can come across as a bit gruff but he clearly loves the place and both he and Ann are clearly highly committed to providing a tourist resort that is sustainable, both in its impact on the local community and the environment.

Jean's knowledge and his skills as a dive teacher are outstanding and Ann is charm personified. All of the staff are helpful, charming and exceptionally welcoming from the kitchen to the nightwatchmen, but particularly the boatmen who are skilled and delightful characters.

Chole Mjini's setting is magical, the tree houses seem to float above the baobab trees and the ancient ruins, mangroves and ruins merge together to create a beautiful place and atmosphere. This is particularly so at night when the absence of electric lighting makes walking through the site enchanting.

The food is quite exceptional, delicious, subtle flavours, fresh local produce and a great balance - the breakfasts were scrummy, with fresh baked bread, the lunch light but just right and the suppers mouthwatering. We prepared for each meal with excitement, knowing that we would be met with a new culinary masterpiece.

We tried a range of day time activities: snorkelling, sandbanking, walking through Chole itself, observing the turtles hatching and the divers in our party took two dives. They both said it was the best diving they have seen with an amazing array of fish and coral and exceptional support from Jean and Ann. The same was true of the snorkelling. Observing the turtles was extraordinary and raised a whole series of questions for us which Jean and Ann answered patiently and knowledgeably.

Finally the island itself was fascinating, from the fruit bats to the ruins. It was clear that the island was more prosperous than surrounding islands, our impression was that the Chole Mjini Trust was having a very positive impact on the whole island community." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar

"Very money-grabbing resort. Many of the activities which were advertised as "inclusive", were added to the bill. Several were charged at more than the advertised price. We were pre-warned by the owners not to query the bill, as in the past they had resorted to calling the police to have their demands settled........ Other travellers there who had arranged their trips through a different Company, were given substantial discounts, but we were offered nothing, even after some broad hints.....

We were not welcomed on arrivel other than by a porter. Our welcome drink was charged for...! (A first in many years of international travel)

The loos were un-necessarily uncomfortable, and extremely awkward to use. (I need to point out, I am in NO way a "Hotel" fan, and have spent years using all kinds of toilets all over the world, from Siberia to Central America,, including seagrass composting bucket loos, but have never had such uncomortable loo..... for no good or apparent reason.

The idea of a basic resort is wonderful, but these owners seemed to place emphasis on making money rather than offering service and ensuring a great holiday. I would not even consider returning, and would advise caution to potential guests." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"Wow. Amazing place exceeded all expectations. Jean & Anne very welcoming and looked after us very well. Tree house was fantastic -bed very comfortable with wonderful views. Esy to adapt -and fun to use washing facilities etc .

Very relaxed - shoes off - such alot to do snorkelling ,sailing,walking,visiting other islands,visiting the village-activities very fairly priced.

Food excellent - different eating venue every night. Amazing wines. Great eating en famille. Great place post safari. Staff were all charming and very welcoming.Would love to return. Great for families and couples ." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"WE both felt privileged to have shared in this amazing place - it helped us to gain some insights into the complexities of developing Africa and the interface of comparatively wealthy visitors with the local culture. The challenges of the health and education projects in addition to an eco tourist lodge provided a multi-faceted experience and there is a special 'extended family' attitude that is different from what most eco lodges offer.

Boundaries were quite different to what we consider familiar - go with the flow and you get opportunities to scratch a bit beneath the superficialities of tourism. Anne and Jean as owners are an important presence as this project has a huge personal investment from each of them. - they and their two children were very welcoming to the guests over Christmas.

The generosity of the owners in sharing the ups and downs of this special community with visitors made this an exceptional experience. I recommend several visits to Chole village (at least one with a guide either from the lodge or available locally) for greater understanding of local culture and the relative absence of basics like clean water!

Much has been written about Chole - for us it was unforgettable and a unique project in an amazing place, but the toilet facilities take some getting used to - huge toilet seats in a dark outhouse over a long drop pit! For those with travellers tummy, these toilets are far from comfortable. Housekeeping service was initially hit and miss for us, but after raising my concerns, the problems were quickly resolved. The showers, however, are brilliant intermediate technology and were faultless in delivering hot or cold water at any time.

The beauty of the whole lodge area and attention to aesthetics was marvellous. Inspirational in so many ways - a real highlight of our time. Views out to the INdian Ocean from our tree house were spectacular. Each 'house' is different with creative and ingenious design and finish. LOcal tie die fabrics are used with great effect.

If you have a sense of adventure and want to see more than well serviced 4 * tourist lodges, don't miss Chole Mjini." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"The lodge is creatively designed, and the individual tree houses are great fun, and very well made. This is real eco-tourism, where the lowest possible environmental impact is the top consideration.

Some suggestions would be: A bigger mirror in the treehouse. (One doesn't want to frighten the other guests) and better ventilation in the toilets. Although they are very cleverly designed and enviromentally correct, it gets extremely hot (and dark) in there!

The lack of ice for drinks was a serious problem, however a dedicated ice freezer was on order and apparently should be installed by December.

We enjoyed the family atmosphere at the lodge, and the way the guests got to know each other. We also appreciated the flexibility of the trips and activities offered. Altogether, it was a wonderful holiday." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"Accommodation was very good - obviously designed to be ecologically sound.

Didn't quite understand the use of powdered milk - "we don't have a cow or a fridge" - however the beer was cold and obviously not brewed on site.

Food was excellent - my wife does not eat fish and fish is the staple diet here - however perfectly acceptable alternatives were offered. The dinner table was very sociable and enjoyable.

The lack of a beach on site could be good reason for having a sun lounger available for each room - for use when you are not out on activities.

I was actively discouraged from fishing but found out at Pole Pole that it can be organised easily." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"A fantastic place. Location is fascinating and beautifully used (the tropical garden among the ruins). The tree houses are lovely, beautifully designed and truly unusual! The owner couple are absolutely lovely. Warm, friendly, humorous. And the way in which they interact with the customers! I was a little worried beforehand when I read negative comments on Jean. Those comments turned out to be really ridiculous. He's a lovely guy! The food was gorgeous! Every single dish was great. Good ingredients, imaginative and still simple recipes. Service was helpful, friendly and descreet when needed (there were "guards" watching our house). The interaction and closeness to the village and the village people was quite special. We got an insight into African everyday life which felt like a very special experience.

The only thins that brings the visit down a little was the facilities. I am AWARE of this, and that a big part of Chole's appeal, is the nonexisting electricity and long drop loos, and I am not putting it against them. However, as weak Europeans, in some 35-40 degrees and with loads of Malaria mosquitos, it did wear on us – when the breeze got spare or died completely, and you basically melted 24 hours a day. The tree houses, with their (during daytime) lovely open appeal, became a "hide-with-in-the-mosquito-net" melting pot during night. The open-air showers were lovingly beautifully designed – but became a boiling pot with mosquito attacks. The long drop loos were non-smelly, but truly uncomfortable, and the huts they were in so hot it was like entering an oven.

Nevertheless, an absolutely lovely place I would warmly recommend to anyone!

A little issue, but I didn't want to raise it there and then. I ordered some "rum and cokes", and felt I was drinking single measures (the strength of the drink is really a big difference between singles and doubles). The staff tended to mix the drink before you got it, apart from once when I could actually see the amount of rum in the glass. Being very familiar with the drink, and also running a restaurant myself, I could tell I was only being served singles. However, I was always charged doubles. This may be a staff issue, a little money on the side, but I leave it to you to judge if you want to mention it to Anne and Jean. I think it is a bit bad, but it hasn't greatly affected my view on Chole Mjini." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania