Chole Mjini travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Chole Mjini‘s tree houses seem to meld into the canopy of the ancient baobab trees that provide them with shelter. Crafted from wood, ropes, and reeds, the rustic hideaways are open on three sides and are set amid verdant jungle, wild orchards, mangrove forests, and age-old Hindu ruins slowly being strangled by the roots of fig trees. The area teems with wildlife, and guests can see fruit bats dangling upside down in the tree branches that surrounded their rooms, as well as monkeys and a variety of exotic birdlife. Photo by: Murky1

Even though six of the seven rooms are up in a tree, they house four-poster beds lined with fine Egyptian cotton and elegantly swathed in mosquito nets. There are also alfresco showers surrounded by bamboo. If sleeping in a tree bothers you, ask for the ground house suite, complete with sunken Persian bath. Photo by: apatek

The place is perfect for serious escapism. There is no electricity (although oil lanterns are left overnight and reading flashlights are provided) on the tiny island of Chole. Which means there is no telephone, television, cars, e-mail, or air-conditioning. Chole is part of the Mafia archipelago and is situated some 60 miles (100 km) south of Tanzania. Scuba diving and snorkeling are big in these parts, with turtles, rays, dolphins, and ray sharks providing the underwater attractions. Photo by: Heather and Mike

At Chole Mjini, meals are usually of fresh fish with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and guests eat with the friendly lodge owners in a number of different locations, the best of which is among the ruins, lit by lanterns hanging from the trees. A stay there means you are going a bit for the community, too, because the owners donate $10 per visitors per night to a trust fund that pays toward the local hospital, school, and training programs. Photo by: Murky1