‘AMAZING, amazing, amazing’, were about the only words that managed to come out of my mouth for most of the day during my trip to Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP). I have tried to expand on vocabulary for this review, however, it must be noted this has not been without labour.
CHICOP is situated 8km south-west of Zanzibar Town and is a financially self-sustaining conservation initiative, whereby income from visitors to the park is re-invested to support education, research and conservation programmes operating in the park. The Zanzibar Channel is one of the most over-fished areas in East Africa, but in 1992, after much effort and campaigning by CHICOP, Chumbe’s western reefs were closed to fishing and commercial exploitation. In 1994 the government formally opened the Chumbe Reef Sanctuary.
The cost for a day trip to the island is $90 and visitors wishing to stay overnight will need to pay between $200 - $220. Quite steep for an independent traveller on a budget. However, I was keen to see whether the price matched up with the experience, and whether it was obvious that profits made were in fact being reinvested.
Visitors to the island are limited to 14 per day, ensuring human impact is minimal and controlled. I met the rest of my intimate group at Mbenwi Ruins Hotel, a stunning oceanside retreat, and the departure point for Chumbe. A rather choppy 45 minute boat ride later we arrived and were warmly welcomed by the manager, Godfrey, and some freshly squeezed tropical fruit juice – delicious!
Trying to focus on Godfrey’s introduction to the island was quite a struggle as I kept on getting distracted by the beautifully rugged and breathtaking views all around me.
Managed to tune back in for the days itinerary; 11am - snorkelling, 1pm - a buffet lunch, 3pm - a forest walk, and 4pm - boat ride back to the mainland for those on a day trip – sadly me.
As a day tripper I was not expecting to experience the eco-bungalows so was overjoyed to be offered one to use as a base for the day. Just like everything else on the island, the eco-bungalow was just perfect.
I was slightly dubious about the compost toilets...
Chumbe has seven eco-bandas with each one being ecologically self-sustaining creating zero impact on the environment. All bungalows have solar-powered lighting, cold and (solar powered) hot water showers, all fed from a rainwater catchment system, and my favourite, compost toilets. I was slightly dubious about this, but a shovel’s worth of wood chips down the toilet after use can actually rid the bathroom of unwanted smells and leave no environmental impact whatsoever.
What really made the bungalow stand out for me though was the attention to detail. Honestly, every little thing had been thought of. Situated right next to the hammock on the porch was a small fan in case lazing around got to warm, and a rope which when pulled made the hammock rock. The bedroom, located on the second floor was simple, but comfortable. It had all the essentials, mosquito net, fans, beautifully carved wooden security box (not that you needed to worry about locking up valuables). The piece de resistance though was finding a mystery rope, you will never guess what it did…when loosened, it lowered the whole of one side of the hut revealing a panoramic sea-view to die for. Too much, I tell you!
CHICOP is one of the richest and finest coral gardens in the world.
It boasts over 200 species of coral (around 90 percent of all East African species) and 400 species of fish, therefore it was no surprise that snorkelling was out of this world. We paddled around for two hours, although it only felt like 30 minutes. Managing to build up a healthy appetite, the buffet lunch was definitely not a disappointment. Fresh fish, salad, vegetables, juice, it was simply food heaven.
After lunch I had an hour to kill until we had to re-group for the forest walk. I decided to spend this walking along one of the postcard-perfect beaches the island offers. It was just me and the ocean, I think the other guests had opted for an afternoon power nap. Life at that moment could not have got any better.
It was just me and the ocean. Life at that moment could not have got any better.
The island itself is mostly covered with stunning coral rag forest, which is home to a variety of unique flora and fauna, including the rare coconut crab. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it on my forest walk, but did learn a lot about the ecology of the island from our very knowledgeable and passionate island guide. That is another thing that stands out, all staff on the island are passionate and seem to be completely satisfied in their work.
4pm and the boat ride home came too soon for my liking. I am known for being perhaps a little too romantic about life, but without doubt, a day on Chumbe Island Coral Park was nothing short of a day in paradise, and I got to contribute to doing some good – selfless bliss!
