Chole Mjini Treehouse Lodge

What a fantastic stay we had, our room was spectacular, built around an enormous and beautiful Baobab tree, monitor lizards bathing in the sand wash at the base of the stairs. Breakfast coffee delivered by rope in the morning, desert island outdoor showers. Robinson Cruso evening drinks watching the sun set, wholesome,delicious food. The activities were huge fun and an added bonus to the trip, we snorkelled, boated, had dreamy lunches on sandbanks, paddle boarded through the mangroves and swam in secret pools. The team were hugely attentive, but never overly present and we had a lovely evening chatting with the owners over a beer or two. It might take you an hour or so to work out what its all about, but the magic is worth the wait. we will definitely go back to this delightful, safe and beautiful island.

The treehouse where we stayed was amazing: totally open to the elements yet comfortable. Great swimming pool over the mangrove! Good ties with local businesses to go diving or whale shark watching. Some things should be improved in the activities and the services to justify the price point : -given that the place itself has nearly no activities you can do on your own (except village walk or swimming in the mangrove), it would be convenient to have staff reach out twice a day to arrange what can be done the following day/ afternoon. Much depends on the tide and the season, so you need to talk it over; but in our case we had to chase people actively to say that we wanted to do this or that activity. The information we received was good when we talked to some people and less good when we talked to another…sometimes the money owed to third party people was not clearly mentioned. I know people were trying their best and the resort was not full, but it became a little stressful to wonder “hey we would like to do that this afternoon, we really hope we can meet people in the meantime”. -please give people solar torchs. I know the path to the restaurant is lighted, but the path to the bar / wifi point of the island is not and it’s pitch dark. A solar torch would help but when we asked for one we were told no. So we had to resort to cellphones to light our path. -it would be great to have the cleaning of the treehouse take place when the guests are out doing activities. Sometimes it was happening when we were coming in, trying to enjoy the treehouse. -the mangrove tide reached below the treehouse and deposited a bit of garbage : old plastic bottles, toothbrushes, old shoes, plastic pouches. It would be really nice to have this garbage cleaned even if it’s not the fault of the lodge. In our case the detritus stayed all week long. -we liked the food but heard other guests wish they could have a small choice of menu instead of a set menu, given the price of accommodation. None of these comments are a deal-breaker, but we feel upping the quality on this could transform the lodge from good to amazing.

I'm not even sure where to begin! My husband and I stayed for 5 nights and loved absolutely everything about Chole Mjini - the location, staff, food, drinks, sunsets, sunrises, coffee service, accommodations, and the peace and serenity of Chole. We stayed in Nne and I must admit I had low hopes for a clean and clear plunge pool - but that pool was crystal clear and incredibly clean! If you can, I would splurge for one of the rooms with the pool - we enjoyed it immensely. Overall the room itself was so comfortable and so clean, which is a remarkable feat for its jungle locale. There was the inevitable creature droppings - but no way that can be avoided. As far as the food, there wasn't even one dish/drink we didn't enjoy - we truly loved everything placed in front of us. And trust me, you will not go hungry! The bird life is incredible. All of our excursions (whale shark, snorkeling, lunch on sand bar) went smoothly and were so fun. The staff and Jean and Anne were all so friendly and so welcoming. My husband and I would return in a heartbeat to Chole Mjini!

Thanks so much Flore and Kevin for the great time at your lodge. I stayed 3 days and had a wonderful time. The tree house number Saba is fantastic. My first time in life swimming in a pool right in the tree. Living now already 20 years in Tanzania and having visited many hotels I have to say that Chole Mjini is the top! Your staff is so friendly and takes really care. I enjoyed much the visits in the village exchanging with the villagers and learning their island life. The highlight was the turtle hatching at the neighbouring island. It is great to see how your lodge is interacting with the village, creating employment and income for many young people, enabling several youth to go for studies on the mainland and to support community based projects. I will certainly come back to this heaven on earth! Asante sana. Merci beaucoup.

I have traveled extensively and this is definitely the most authentic hotel I have ever stayed at. Everything was perfect and all the staff is brilliant. The managers Kevin and Flore make such a great job making people feel like home and helping you to plan your activities. I will definitely come back. Asante Sana!