The Sands at Chale Island
A Kenyan coral island south of Mombasa, cut off from the mainland at high tide.
Chale is a small coral island about a kilometre off the Kenyan coast south of Diani, reached on foot across the sand at low tide or by boat when the water rises. The island holds mangrove, a sacred forest that local Digo communities have long protected, and one resort. Its tidal separation is the defining condition, as at Burgh Island and Taprobane elsewhere in this register.
Around fifty-five rooms and suites make up the property, spread between beachfront and forest. The Kenyan coast has a long hospitality history and a thin supply of island properties; this is effectively the country's only island resort, which is why it is carried despite a product that sits below the level of much of this collection.
Kenya's only island resort. A category of one, and the reason the entry exists.
A sacred forest on the island. The kaya forest is protected by community tradition rather than by the resort, and access to parts of it is restricted.
Who it is not for
Chale is wrong for guests expecting the standard of the Indian Ocean's better-known island resorts. It is wrong for travellers wanting deep-water diving, as the reef here is shallow and seasonal. And it is wrong for those who need consistent access, given the tide. And it is wrong for guests who want a resort's range of restaurants. Those wanting East African islands at a higher level should look at Mnemba or Jumeirah Thanda Island.
Sources
- Open sources — around fifty-five rooms and suites, Chale Island, Kenyan south coast
- Room count and tidal access arrangements unverified. Confirm before publication.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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