The Sands At Chale Island
The Sands At Chale Island is set on Chale Beach along the Indian Ocean, this upscale private island resort surrounded by indigenous forest is a 3-minute walk from the Chale Island–Chale Harbor boat dock.
Featuring balconies or terraces with ocean views, warm rooms have 4-poster beds and sitting areas. Bungalows come with thatched roofs, open-air showers in private gardens, and/or are overwater. Bi-level penthouse suites offer rooftop hot tubs.
Amenities include a restaurant and 2 bars, plus 3 outdoor pools, 1 with ocean access. There’s also a hot tub, a spa, and a fitness room, plus a dive center. Breakfast is available, as are kayaks, snorkeling, and fishing excursions.
If you want to escape the city to find an oasis of tranquility and beauty, Chale Island is a private island bliss. From Nairobi, Chale Island is just a short 3-hour hop away – including a one-hour domestic flight from Nairobi to Ukunda, followed by a 30 – minute ride to Chale Island.
Also known as the ‘Eden of Kenya’, the island is nestled in nature, among colorful flora and fauna, including a teeming coral reef, resident Columbus monkeys, rich birdlife, and a mangrove forest.
The resort boasts a private powder-white beach only accessible to hotel guests.
In addition to all this natural beauty, Chale Island also offers a wide variety of activities to choose from:
- try diving with Diving the Crab, the local dive center;
- relax at the Spa, blended into the heart of the island and perfectly integrated with nature;
- kayak or SUP through the mangrove forests.
With six different room types available, offering a spacious and comfortable stay, Chale Island is ‘3 hours but a million miles away.
Specifically built with nature and the environment in mind, The Sands at Chale Island is one of the lowest impact hotels in Kenya.
Spread out to offer the utmost in privacy and romance, even when at full capacity one has a tremendous feeling of peace, tranquility, and seclusion.
The combination of white beach, tropical plants, laid-back island flair, and Kenyan hospitality is what dreams are made of.
Located between the Standard Rooms are another swimming pool area with a pool bar and sunbeds. Enjoy the tranquility and relax with magnificent panorama views on the Indian Ocean.
On the other side of the Island by the SPA and fitness area is a salt-water swimming pool with steps leading directly into the sea at high tide offering a magical swim through the mangroves to the main jetty.
Every effort has been made to keep the natural vegetation of the island intact. All gardens and imported plants are carefully integrated into the Island’s original flora with an aim at increasing the indigenous wildlife.
The spacious circular reception area, with its lofty roof, is where you will be welcomed by our friendly reception team.
Caressed by the gentle breeze from the Indian Ocean and with a stunning view of the beach, our welcome drink and laid-back check-in will set the pace for the rest of your holiday.
In addition to all-standard hotel services, our guest relation’s team can also arrange safaris to any of Kenya’s world-class National parks. What better way to crown your holiday than with a flying safari to the renowned Masai Mara to see the big five in their natural habitat.
Chale Island is a contemporary mix of Swahili structures, Italian stucco, Lamu furniture, objects of African art, and varnished Mahogany. Great care has been taken not only to preserve the natural environment of the island but also to give a truly Kenyan feel by only using natural Kenyan products.
All buildings are constructed with locally quarried coral blocks and are roofed with high, palm leaf “Makuti” thatch. Internal walls are finished with Kenyan-made Italian “Stucco Veneziano” in hues of pale pink and blue.
The aim was and is “the buildings should be elegant but not luxurious, blending into the natural environment and reflecting the traditional architecture with a minimum four-star standard”.
To reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible the main generator is turned off from 10:00 until 17:00. During this time there is no power available in the rooms, however, the central public area of the Hotel is powered by a smaller generator.
All Bandas have high, palm thatch roofs with views either out to sea, over the beach, or panoramas encompassing lagoon, channel, mangroves, and the setting sun over the Shimba Hills. Sunbeds set on private front lawns and large verandas with Swahili day beds give relaxing views.
Featuring a separate sitting room, a veranda with a stunning 270-degree view of the ocean, and an upstairs grotto facing the sunset, the penthouse suites will give you the ultimate round island view.
The suite has a large bedroom with an en-suite bathroom that looks out over the channel and a separate sitting room.
Situated on a separate islet connected to the main Island by a stone bridge, a thatched roof soars high above the circular construction, then plunges in the middle allowing rainwater to fall directly into a mini garden in the center of the room. A circular stairway leads one around an intricately crafted wall garden to an upstairs lounge, while the front veranda overlooks a private Jacuzzi on the cliff face and sunbathing deck.
From Nairobi, Chale Island is just a short 3-hour hop away – including a one-hour domestic flight from Nairobi to Ukunda, followed by a 30 – minute ride to Chale Island.
From abroad, most major European and African airports offer direct flights to Nairobi. Once in Nairobi, internal air connections to Ukunda are available.
The resort lies in 15 acres of indigenous ancient forest, with a stunning 10,000 square meter white sand bay which is protected by a vibrant coral reef. With an explosion of colorful flora and fauna the island is truly magical and if that is not enough, also features a mystical inland tidal mangrove lake.
The secluded bay is covered with snow-white powder-fine coral sand and due to the remoteness of the Island is the only beach in Kenya that can truly be called private.
Due to the lack of seaweed pile-ups, turtles frequently lay eggs in the bay adding to the charm of this magical Island.
