Not far from Tanzania on the northwestern tip of Pemba Island, next to a fabulous white sandy beach and overlooking the crystal clear waters of the canal, is an unusual hotel – The Manta Resort. Romantic and relaxing, it has one of the best beaches in the entire Zanzibar Archipelago. At the same time, it is not the most visited place by tourists, which is good for those who like secluded and special vacation. But its status as one of the most unusual hotels it got due to only one room. This room is located 250 meters from the shore in the Blue Hole – an anomaly of the coral reef, which has a depth of 12 meters and a diameter of 50 meters. This place is inhabited by many inhabitants of the sea depths and at the same time it is well protected from the sea waves.
The floating number is anchored by several anchor ropes leading to the bottom of the ocean, in the center of the Blue Hole. This location provides a great opportunity to enjoy diving.
Floating room
The room in question has three floors. The ground floor, where the landing deck is located, houses the living room and bathroom. A staircase takes you up to the terrace where there is a seating area. Sunbathing during the day is good here, and in the evening you can see an unusually clear starry sky. It’s a great place to observe the stars and planets because of the lack of extraneous light.
The peculiarity of the room is that its lower floor, where the bedroom is located, is 4 meters below the water level. Large glass panels provide an almost 360-degree view, allowing you to observe schools of reef fish and other marine life. At night, spotlights are turned on that not only illuminate the surroundings, but also attract more unusual visitors, such as squids. It’s been noticed that even octopuses can’t resist.
In addition to the floating room, the Manta Resort also has comfortable villas with terraces overlooking the ocean sunset, garden rooms and small garden rooms covered with thatch instead of a roof and set in a garden among trees.
Entertainment
Given the hotel’s location, the main activities it offers are diving and snorkelling. The untouched coral reefs surrounding the entire island make Pemba one of the best diving destinations in the world. The water temperature in this part of the Indian Ocean averages 26 C and visibility under the water is up to 40 meters. In addition to the excellent natural surroundings, Manta Resort’s dive centre has everything you need, including a large training pool, professional instructors and guides.
The island can be explored on tours available directly from the hotel, from village walks to excursions through the ancient Ngezi forest to searches for a flying fox. Finally, you can just relax and enjoy spa procedures, especially since some are included in the price of the accommodation.
Before you go to Manta Resort, it is worth knowing that the cost of a floating room is quite high – $1,500, you need to book it well in advance, due to the large number of applicants.
