Chale Island Resort

Our stay at Chale Island was absolutely unforgettable and truly felt like a home away from home. From the moment we arrived by boat, we were completely awestruck by the island's beauty. The grounds were stunning, beautifully maintained, and allowed us to feel completely immersed in nature, with monkeys roaming around and providing plenty of opportunities for wildlife viewing. We stayed in the overwater suite and couldn't have been happier with our choice. It provided private sunset viewing on the back deck, which contained an overwater hammock, and a private place to swim right in the ocean. They even decorated the suite for our honeymoon which was so thoughtful and beautiful. The resort offers a variety of restaurants, all of which were incredible. It was clear how much care and attention went into perfecting every meal and drink. There were also so many activities to enjoy, including snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, and so much more. What truly made our stay exceptional, however, was the staff. From the moment we arrived, everyone went above and beyond to make us feel like family. Their warmth, hospitality, and kindness made our experience so special, and we loved having the opportunity to learn more about Kenyan culture and hear about their personal experiences. Andrea, the general manager, was amazing and constantly made his rounds to ensure every guest was having a wonderful stay. A special thank you to Ali, Ngala, Celina, William, Prisca and everyone at the Diving Center, and Ali (the groundskeeper) for making us feel so welcome and at home. You all made our stay unforgettable, and we will miss you so much! Chale Island will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we cannot recommend it enough.

Very nice way to end a long safari. It wasn't busy being September but I can image it gets hectic when all the rooms are full. We had no problem getting dinner reservations or beach or pool side loungers. Food was good but not outstanding, and the same with the service. Plenty of things to do with lots of games, activities, and facilities to keep everyone entertained. Can recommend the very professional dive team.

Read This Carefully Before Booking Chale Island Resort The staff and manager were very friendly, and the resort did make a nice effort to welcome us during our honeymoon. Unfortunately, several serious issues affected our experience. My biggest concern was safety. There were no clear guidelines or warning signs explaining how to enter the sea safely or alerting guests to sea urchins. I stepped on one and ended up with two spines in my foot, causing it to bleed. Nobody advised us to wear water shoes. We also did not see lifeguards or sufficient warning signs around wet stairs and other potentially dangerous areas. The staff also appeared to need better training. On two separate occasions, a housekeeper opened our room door without knocking. One time, I was almost naked. This was extremely uncomfortable and unacceptable. Everything at the resort was very expensive, yet the food quality did not justify the prices. Many dishes were not as described. The tiramisu, for example, was nothing like real tiramisu, and the Italian restaurant’s pasta was disappointing. Service was also extremely slow. A drink ordered with dinner might arrive after you have finished eating—or not arrive at all. During one dinner, a staff member repeatedly interrupted guests to encourage them to attend her lecture about marine life. Approaching people in the middle of dinner like this felt intrusive and inappropriate. Guests were also approached on the beach by people in blue shirts trying to sell activities or services, which made it difficult to relax peacefully. My final advice: if safety, good food, privacy, and peace of mind are important to you, I would not recommend staying at Chale Island Resort.

The second part of our honeymoon took us to Chale Island, where we stayed for eight nights after we had done a safari in the Maasai Mara. We chose the all-inclusive package here as well, and we were glad we did, as the prices for food and drinks were quite expensive otherwise. Our transfer to Chale Island was also arranged for us, including the transport to the coast and the tractor transfer across to the island. We didn’t have to worry about arranging taxis, finding transport or working out how to get there, which made the journey completely stress-free. To get to the island, we took a tractor across, and we were lucky enough to see the most incredible sunset on the way. When we arrived, we were welcomed with a drink and shown to our room. We had originally booked a deluxe double room, and the staff had decorated the bed for our honeymoon, left us roses, a bottle of wine and some fruit. We were also given a voucher for a complimentary couples’ massage, which was a lovely touch. However, there was an issue with the room which was no fault of the resort. From the images we had been shown by Tayla when booking our honeymoon, we were under the impression that we had booked an Ocean View Banda. We contacted our coordinator, Cyprian, who initially advised that we were in the correct room. However, we felt that we had been misinformed by the images we had been shown during the booking process, which was disappointing. Cyprian liaised with Hayes & Jarvis regarding this and, thankfully, the issue was resolved. We were upgraded to an Ocean View Banda the following day. Cyprian was extremely efficient in resolving the situation, and we are very grateful for his assistance. The new room was beautiful and had its own private veranda overlooking the sea. We could even see the ocean from our bed, which was such a lovely view to wake up to each morning. Chale Island itself is beautiful, from the scenery to the resort. The weather was very tropical while we were there, with a mixture of rain and sunshine, which is to be expected when staying on an island. The Staff & Resort The staff at Chale Island were lovely. Everyone was incredibly friendly, smiley and welcoming. Two waiters in particular, Ali and Ngala, really stood out to us. They were always chatting with us and treated us more like friends than guests. I think it helped that my husband is an Arsenal supporter, which gave him something to bond over with some of the staff! The garden team also worked incredibly hard to keep the beach and resort clean and tidy. We really felt for them having to constantly move the sunbeds around whenever the rain came in. We spent most of our time relaxing on the beach, but there are also three pools, which were all lovely. There is a beach bar, which was open during the first couple of days of our trip. However, on the days when the weather was beautiful, it wasn’t open until 4pm, which was around the time the tide was fully in. This was a little disappointing, as it meant you couldn’t simply get up from the beach and grab a drink. Instead, you had to get dressed and walk to the indoor bar. We were a little confused as to why the beach bar wasn’t open during the day, particularly when the weather was good. The resort was also very quiet while we were there, with no more than around 10 couples staying at the time. This meant there wasn’t much atmosphere in the evenings, and we were usually the only ones in the bar area, as it seemed most people went to bed quite early. There wasn’t a huge amount of evening entertainment either, although we completely understand this may have been due to the resort being so quiet during our stay. For us, this wasn’t a major issue because we wanted a relaxing honeymoon and wouldn’t have wanted somewhere that was particularly loud or busy. However, if you are someone who likes more of an atmosphere in the evenings, it is something to bear in mind — although this may simply have been because we visited during a quieter period. Food & Drinks at Chale Island The food at the resort was good. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were ordered from a menu, with fruit, juices and other items available buffet-style at breakfast, and salad available buffet-style for lunch and dinner. The food in the main restaurant was really good, and once again the chef was excellent at catering for my dairy intolerance. The choice of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks was also very good, with a variety of wines, cocktails, beers and other drinks available. There were also three speciality restaurants — an Italian, a BBQ and a teppanyaki restaurant. We ate at the Italian restaurant during our stay. Unfortunately, the following morning my husband suffered from severe food poisoning and was so unwell that we genuinely thought we might have to take him to hospital. We don’t know what caused it, as we had eaten different things and I wasn’t unwell, so we can’t say for certain that it was the food. Thankfully, he recovered the following day and was able to get out of bed. It was certainly an unfortunate part of an otherwise fantastic honeymoon. There was also a Sunset Bar, which we visited every evening. It was incredibly relaxing to sit there, watch the sun go down and then see the stars come out. The resort also had a coffee bar serving hot drinks, smoothies, waffles, milkshakes, ice cream and more. This was a lovely place to escape to when the rain came. Excursions The resort offered a number of excursions, some of which were complimentary. We paid to do the guided snorkelling at Zebra Reef, which was definitely worth doing. We saw so many different tropical fish, as well as an octopus and a sea snake. The resort has a lovely spa where we had the couples package for 2 hours. The spa was amazing, set in the trees of the resort and the masseuses were incredible. This is definitely worth a visit. The resort also has a lovely gift shop where we bought quite a few souvenirs. We were also lucky enough to have the lovely Elizabeth serve us, who was incredibly friendly. Overall, Chale Island is a beautiful place. If you’re looking for somewhere peaceful and relaxing, it was perfect for our honeymoon. The weather was temperamental while we were there, but again, this is to be expected when staying on an island. Other than the unfortunate food poisoning (We would have given 5 stars if it wasn’t for this), we had a perfect time and were genuinely very sad to leave.

The week we spent relaxing on Chale Island, after ten days of safari along dusty tracks and early-morning starts, was the perfect way to round off our holiday in Kenya. Imagine a lush, unspoilt tropical island where the rhythm of the day is dictated by nature, whether it is the tides, the wind or the calls of the families of baboons and colobus monkeys that live in the forest. The resort is nestled in the forest while still offering all the comforts a traveller could wish for. The staff are always friendly, attentive and happy to help, while the manager is present and genuinely attentive to guests’ needs. The food is of an exceptional standard, with a great variety of options at every meal and no fewer than five restaurants to choose from. Our spacious and comfortable room also had a private veranda overlooking the ocean, while the resort boasts a beautiful white-sand beach, a coral reef just steps away and a wide range of activities offered every day, all of which can be booked with a simple click through the dedicated app. Last but not least, the resort places great emphasis on sustainability and respect for the environment. A true tropical paradise, and one we very much hope to return to!