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Kinasi is a delightfully intimate and luxuriously appointed lodge situated in a coconut and cashew plantation overlooking Chole Bay and the islands of Jibondo, Chole and Juani on the south east coast of Mafia Island. Chole Bay and its surrounding reefs and islands are part of a marine national park supported by the WWF and NORAD and as such is internationally recognised as a world class diving and water sports environment. The waters surrounding Mafia Island are a veritable divers’ dream - beautiful coral gardens, drift, wall and night dives, majestic rays, shark and a rainbow of many tropical fish. The diversity and number of different dive sites means that each day will offer an equally exhilarating and totally different experience.
Kinasi can accommodate twenty eight guests on the following basis - the ’owner’s suite’, with upstairs bedroom, stereo, mini-bar and lounge, veranda and terrace; ten cottages with very large double beds; two further cottages with large single beds and a family bungalow with two double bedrooms and bathroom. All cottages are spacious, with en suite bathroom and covered veranda furnished with hammock and all have fans situated within walk-in mosquito nets that cover the beds.
The open-sided sitting room around the bar is comfortable and well furnished, complete with cushions, magazines and a reference library for all local interest. The dining room contains a display of original works of art by East African artists. Cuisine is a mixture of European, African and Eastern with an emphasis on seafood, fresh local produce, grills and home-made condiments - Swahili night is a feature each week as is the seafood barbecue. Dinner is served table d’hote on the outside terrace or in the main dining room. Lunch is served in the pool bar in buffet style with a wide selection of salads and antipasti and pizzas. To accompany your meal you can select from a wide variety of South African and Italian wines that are stocked in the Lodge’s wine cellar. Each evening hors d’oeuvres are served in the Cocktail Bar. In the Pavilion at Kinasi you will find an antique snooker/billiards table, satellite television and video and board games. There is a swimming pool and private beach (beach subject to tides) and a small gift shop.
Activities centre on the sea and focus on scuba diving and snorkelling with training at all levels available with the resident dive instructor. Sailing with lasers, wind surfing and kayaking are also very popular here, as is light sport fishing and beach casting. The lodge can also arrange night and day-time bottom fishing as well as trips accompanying local fishermen on their boats.
There are daily dhow excursions and picnics (combined with snorkelling) to isolated islets and beaches such as Kitutia, Ras Kisimani, Miewe, Mvinje, Malimbani Sand Bar and a boat and walking excursion to the ancient ruins of Kua on Juani Island and its water nature trail. The lodge also provides nature walks and bird-watching through the mangrove, inter-tidal flats and woodland, and on the reef flats.
Outdoor games are also available and include badminton, boulette, volleyball and football.
When it’s time for a little pampering, Kinasi provides a variety of treatments from its Isis Spa, which is managed by two full-time professional therapists from Thailand.
Camping Excursions
Kinasi now offers one or more nights at its new camp – La Lua Cheia - at Ras Bweni in the north of Mafia, where guests have nearly two miles of superb sandy beach to call their own, forest walks, island day trips (to Barakuni and Shungu Mbili), snorkelling, fishing, kayaks, windsurfers, laser sailing and bikes to play with.
