Safari254

As promised here is part two of my review of The Sands at Chale. If you missed part one you can check it out here.

 

When in Chale you can laze about on the beach all day or take part in the host of activities offered by the hotel.  These are: Kayaking around the island, viewing marine in a glass bottom boat, diving, snorkeling, visiting a fishing village or mangrove forest reserve. Unfortunately I did not partake any of these activities, I had planned to go kayaking round the island but I took a nap and by the time I woke up it was too late.

Resident Marine biologist’s office with daily activities written on blackboard

 

The one thing I did manage to do was go for a mud bath. I couldn’t take any photos due to the nature of the activity. The time for the mud bath coincided with the low tide. The resident marine biologist Mariano led us to the front of the island and as we walked out into the ocean, he would point out different marine life and explain what they were and how they lived etc.

 

 

We got to the muddy part, sat down and started slathering mud onto our bodies. If you decide to do the mud bath and feel something crawling on you, don’t worry, it is probably just a tiny crab.

After the mud bath we walked back to the main beach and washed off the mud. It was at that point that I started itching like mad. Mariano had warned us about this because the mud contains a lot of organic matter. As advised I went and took a long shower making sure I had washed away every bit of mud, the itching subsided in about an hour or so.

The main beach where we went to wash off the mud.

 

 

 

 

Of all the staff I encountered Mariano was my favorite, he was really friendly and more than willing to answer any questions I had. I also learnt quite a bit about marine life from him.

If physical activity is not for you and you just want to shop then you can visit the gift shop on the island.

 

After I was done cleaning up I decided to take a short walk to the pool. The one closest to me is located near the reception.

 Reception

 

 

The greenery surrounding the pool makes the experience all the more relaxing.

 

 

Having missed out on kayaking I decided to take a walk around the island. Mariano had suggested that I watch the sunrise from one of the penthouse suites so I set out do just that. I stopped by the reception to ask for the keys, luckily for me the suite was unoccupied and I was escorted by a member of staff who was to show me around.

 

 

The penthouse suite is located at the very top of the building containing the standard rooms so I had a good workout climbing up the stairs.

 

The view from the penthouse was totally worth the climb, the suite offers breath-taking views of both ocean and island.

 

 

The décor in the suite is very similar to the ocean side banda that I stayed in and there is a Jacuzzi on the veranda in the back of the suite. I imagine relaxing in the Jacuzzi watching the sun set would be a wonderful experience.

 

 

I spent a few minutes enjoying the sunset, I wish I had taken better photos this one was the best of the lot.

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There is another pool located right next to the standard rooms so if you’re staying there you don’t have to trek all the way to the reception to take a dip.

 

 

 

After my little tour I went back to my room to get ready for dinner but I had to make a stop by the beach to take photos of the moon. The moon looked huge and was orange.

I took this with a DSLR but I wasn’t able to get a proper photo.

 

This photo I took with my phone (Samsung KZoom). I set the camera on manual and zoomed in.

 

The next morning I was up bright and early to catch the sunrise. The clouds obscured my view but I was able to get a few good shots.

 

 

 

Before I left the island I decided to visit the Suite on the Rocks, it is located on separate islet and is connected to the main Island by a bridge. Guests staying at the in the honeymoon suite need not concern themselves about going to the restaurant for meals. The cost of accommodation covers room service.

Path to Suite on the Rocks

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 Bridge

 

 

 Suite on the Rocks

 

View of suite at the rocks from the main beach

 

View of beach from Suite on the Rocks

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In comparison to The Sands at Nomad, (its sister property) there were very few beach boys. I ran into a few when I was walking to go view the honeymoon suite but they were respectful and did not pester me.

 Low tide

 

Overall I enjoyed my stay at Chale. Would I go back? Yes, but with company. If you’re looking for exclusivity and want to get away from everything then The Sands at Chale is the perfect location. Apart from going for meals you can spend a whole day without having run into anyone. It is perfect getaway if you really truly want to feel alone.

I can’t help but compare The Sands at Nomad to The Sands at Chale; I personally preferred the The Sands at Nomad to the Sands at Chale. The Sands at Nomad is more pocket friendly e.g.  if you want to take part in an activity you are not limited by what the hotel has to offer, if you ask around you can get a better deal on activities such as excursions to the marine park.

Please don’t get me wrong, The Sands at Chale is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone. I personally preferred The Sands at Nomad simply because I felt that it was a better fit for me.

Disclosure: I am grateful to the management at The Sands at Chale for facilitating my stay.  All the opinions in this post are my own, I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

 

How to get there:

The resort is 12 km away from Diani Beach and 65 km from Moi Airport. There is no public transport available so you have to take a taxi from either Ukunda or Diani.

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