At first, Chumbe Island, Zanzibar, may not look like a place anyone would go out of their way to find. Sitting in the channel that separates the island of Zanzibar from mainland Tanzania, this forested dot of fossilized coral rock is only about a half mile long and 200 yards wide. For most of its history, Chumbe has been ignored: The only visitors have been fishermen, the only human inhabitant a lighthouse keeper.
The appeal is not on the surface, but beneath it. Or, in this case, beneath the sea. Looking underwater at Chumbe (CHUM-bay) Island, visitors might feel that they’ve wandered into The Wizard of Oz just exactly when the world turns from black-and-white to color. This Zanzibar reef features one of the world’s most diverse shallow coral gardens, representing nearly all of East Africa’s coral species and more than 370 species of fish.
Today, Chumbe Island is an eco-resort that has garnered international awards. The reef has become a protected park. The architecture features local material such as makuti (palm thatch), coir rope (woven from coconut husk fibers), and poles made from the wood of the native evergreen casuarina tree. The main building is topped by a huge thatched roof that shelters it like an oversize umbrella — and serves the practical function of being part of the water cachement system. Seven small bungalows, each contain eco-friendly features that promote recycling, composting waste, and using solar energy, have been set-up. The project provides jobs for local people and an environmental education program for schoolchildren.
