What do you do when you find yourself halfway across the world in Tanzania, serotonin-depleted from the safari of your dreams, desperately needing to unwind, yet your FOMO is screaming for just one more adventure? For us, the answer was clear.
We decided to go to Mafia Island as a bonus adventure at the tail end of our Tanzanian safari. We traveled halfway across the world and wanted to dive in the colorful coral of the Indian Ocean and swim with whale sharks before going home, gosh darn it.
The safari left us on a euphoric high of animal cuteness that three puddle jumper flights in small Cessnas could barely dent. However, two nights sweltering in an equatorial glamping tent with no AC took the shine off.
We were emotionally and physically drained when we reached the Pole Pole bungalows. Their dedication to comfort and relaxation recharged our traveling souls, while their commitment to sustainability made our hearts smile.
Some say Mafia Island is like Zanzibar was before it was “Discovered.” We’ll let you be the judge of that as we show you the idyllic seaside Pole Pole resort filled with equal parts luxury and leisure.
Reaching Pole Pole
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Pole Pole means “slowly slowly” in Swahili, and it aptly describes the sense of peace and connection to nature we felt during our stay. The property sits at the mouth of Chole in the middle of the Mafia Island Marine Park.
It’s a small sustainable luxury resort with only nine bungalows, which certainly contributed to the care and attention we felt.
There isn’t much to the Mafia Island Airport, but you don’t have to worry about that because Pole Pole arranges transportation for you. All you need to do is show up and pay the park entrance fee on the way in. You’re in Pole Pole’s care from landing on Mafia Island until you leave.
Arriving at Pole Pole
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Our arrival at Pole Pole was a welcome party combined with a logistic check. Our hosts met in the front garden with welcome drinks and a fresh washcloth. They processed our information as we refreshed from our travels and then worked into the excursions. Before we left, they did one more thing for us that made us smile. They gave us branded water bottles to refill at the resort so we wouldn’t create waste with single-use plastics.
Since we were planning to dive the next day, they arranged for us to head down to the dive shop to pick up our equipment. Early dive mornings are always hard so we appreciated any bump we could get in our schedule.
The Grounds
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Our hosts gave us a quick tour of the grounds on the way to our beachfront bungalow. They showed us the pool, which would be an essential amenity in a couple of weeks during the hot, humid season. Then, we walked through the spacious grounds, taking note of a massage pagoda before descending to our beachfront bungalow set among the coconut palms overlooking Chole Bay.
The Room
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
The path led us to a large private verandah with a small infinity-edged pool overlooking the beach and a patio bar with a stocked refrigerator. We found a Zanzibari bed inside our villa lined with mosquito netting that the staff would deploy while we were at dinner. We liked the oversized shower with ethically sourced products, but we loved the air conditioning after our glamping experience. We were certainly looking forward to a long and cool night’s sleep.
The Beach
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
The beach at Pole Pole came with warnings – wear shoes on the beach during low tide to keep from cutting your feet on the exposed critters. Extensive mangroves and coconuts were growing on the flanks, leaving about a third of the beach open to the ocean in the middle. We could imagine watching the sunset from the beach gazebo, but we didn’t have to imagine boat tours starting and stopping on the beach.
We also realized that our bungalow came with a cheat code. We sat in our plunge pool every afternoon, looking out onto the beach. Beautiful views. Cool, clean, fresh water. No sand and a private, stocked bar. Now, that’s paradise by any definition!
The Food
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Pole Pole is a full-service retreat that strives to provide everything for a complete vacation, including its restaurant, which serves three meals daily. They’ll even pack you a boxed lunch if you’re out on an adventure. Everything was fresh and cooked to order, but we particularly loved our private dining experience overlooking the ocean.
The food was fresh and delicious, but the convenience and variety were unbeatable. We also loved that tour operators came in nightly to help you plan the next day’s adventure.
Swimming with Whale Sharks
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
October through March is whale shark season on Mafia Island. Hundreds of whale sharks gather and feed near the surface in the Mafia Island Marine Park. We saw Pole Pole contracting with Kitu Kiblu to provide half-day ethical whale shark encounters.
Our experiences with Kitu Kiblu were phenomenal. They did an excellent job teaching the right way to swim with these gentle giants. We only wish all the tour operators followed their lead because chasing a spooked shark in a churning peloton of humanity isn’t ideal. However, when you can enter the water carefully and engage these beautiful creatures on their level, it’s truly a transformative adventure that lingers in your soul.
Diving in Chole Bay
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
When you think of destination diving, the Seychelles and Maldives appear near the top of the list. Mafia Island is the first land you reach heading west from the Seychelles and home to much of the same biodiversity.
We loved the beach pickup and dropoff for diving while staying at Pole Pole because it let us sleep in an extra hour on a dive day! Colorful coral and stunning nudibranchs highlighted our dives, but we didn’t see the elusive Shaun-the-sheep nudibranchs that our DMs said were familiar sights on shore dives. If you’re a diver, you’ll love diving on Mafia Island.
Sunset Dhow Cruise
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Mafia Island shares historical ties to the Arabian Peninsula and was part of the Zanzibar Sultanate until 1964. Dhows are traditional sailing ships with narrow hulls and triangular sails, so our tour could be considered cultural. However, for us, it was about easy relaxation.
Pole Pole packed cocktails for us, and we shared a drink with a wonderful German couple who came with us from the resort. The conversation was light and breezy, like the tropical winds that carried us across the water. We turned to shore as the last rays of light dipped below the horizon, and the stars started to dance in the evening sky. We had just enough ambient light to land on the Pole Pole beach and followed the lighted path to dinner. The staff prepared a special, going away dinner for us that was served on a private, beachside table.
Paradise Lost
Photo Credit: Jenn Coleman.
Pole Pole reminded us to slow down and enjoy the world’s beauty. We filled our hearts and minds with memories that carried us through the chaotic travel back home. Nothing in Dar es Salaam moves slowly or quietly, and the Addis Ababa airport feels like a racetrack when your soul is still on island time. However, the memories of paradise and pure relaxation that live on and dance in your dreams on the 18-hour flight back to the States make it all worthwhile.