Hotel The Sands At Chale Island

At low tide, the transfer from the mainland to the island took place by tractor. At high tide, by boat. The beach: The tides were very considerable, that is the water could rise for 3 meters between low and high tide. The destination wasn't really suitable for snorkelers - especially not if you were used to the Maldives or the Red Sea! There was a lot of seaweed - which was, however, an indicator of the good water quality. Unfortunately, very few fish in the bay/house reef because the locals had basically fished-out the laguna. The drive from the airport took about 2 hours - nice bus drive - pleasant.

The locals on the island were super friendly. We just had to get used to the "excessive" friendliness - at first, it seemed as if they wanted to fool us...but that was really how they were - not intentionally. The Italian hotel management was cool - Andrea had everything under control - just the casual Italian way. In the beginning, we also had to get used to the fact that the power was turned off for a couple of hours during the day. But from 5 in the evening till about 10 in the morning, the power was continuously on (and therefore also the air conditioning!).

There was a main restaurant on the island. You could either use the buffet or have an à la carte dinner in the mangrove forest (with extra costs - NOT cheap - but fantastically good!). The food was perfect, and we sometimes wondered how these locals could prepare such good food - I had never heard of a Kenyan top chef. As said, full board. Soft drinks were included. Beer, etc. had to be paid extra. The restaurant was always perfectly clean. During our stay, the season was coming to an end, and there were only 6-7 people left on the last couple of days. Nevertheless, ALL the tables were set and we could basically choose from 20-30 tables.

Swimming: Not really ideal, except in the pool and at high tide. Snorkeling: Only at low tide. You had to walk about 100 meters over "corals" first - BRING GOOD BATHING SHOES! - and as I said, there weren't many fish. Diving: Cool guys in the diving center - but the diving sites weren't that special. Again - if you're used to the Maldives, you'll be disappointed. Beach: The seaweed that had been washed ashore had to be removed every day. But that was done quickly every morning. The water was very warm in March. When we were snorkeling at low tide, we had partly 33°C (no joke - I've got a diver's watch with a thermostat). The swimming pool was well maintained - but didn't provide a refreshment because it also had about 30°C.

The rooms were clean as a whistle. The air conditioning was just on part-time - but we didn't need it around the clock anyway. A TV with a few international stations. Only the suites had a balcony. The penthouse came with a 180° suite - a fantastic view! A hair dryer was available in the bathroom. All beds had a mosquito net. The bedsheets were changed every day - very clean.

It's not a really good destination for "professional" snorkelers and divers. But an absolute must for loafers and sun worshippers. We highly recommend the excursions to the surrounding area: a round-island trip and a brief excursion to the close mangroves. At the end of March, rain season started and lasted for 3-4 months. ONLY rain - the hotel was closed from about mid-April on. Don't forget malaria tablets. Yellow fever prevention wasn't necessary, unless you went on a brief safari. Yellow fever vaccination was necessary everwhere in the west of Mombasa. Tip: Bring GOOD BATHING SHOES!