PACKING LIST FOR CHUMBE
To ensure that your stay is as comfortable as possible, the following items should be considered in your packing list as a minimum:
- Hat/cap
Wide brimmed headpieces will protect you best from the tropical sun
- Sun glasses
Check for UV protection as the tropical sun is very strong on our small island
- Long sleeved shirts/light jackets
It can be cool at night sometimes with strong winds especially during the months of June, July and August
- Clothes that can get wet during arrival/departure
Please note that our guest boat can use the jetty only at high tide. Most of the times you will need to enter the boat by walking through an intertidal area, wading through shallow water, hence please be dressed for the possibility of getting wet!
- Insect repellent
Please remember that you are visiting a nature reserve where only environmental friendly products are used wherever possible. Mosquito nets and locally made mosquito repellent are provided on the island where mosquitoes are rare due to the lack of fresh water breeding pools.
- Sunscreen
Always check the label of your sunscreen for the following chemicals which are harmful for corals and avoid using sunscreen containing these chemicals when snorkeling in the reef:
– Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3)
– Butylparaben
– Octinoxate
– 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC)
Recommended are sunscreens with titanium oxide or zinc oxide which are harmless for corals! Please be encouraged to also apply sunscreen well in advance and/or to wear a wetsuit/skinsuit instead!
- Torch
All electronics are powered by solar and the paths outside of your bungalow can be dark at night. Solar torches are available on request.
- Rechargeable batteries
Cheap, disposable batteries are very harmful to the environment. In Zanzibar there is currently no proper disposal facility for batteries and most of them end up in the ocean! Rechargeable batteries that can be brought back with you are the way to go!
- Reef shoes/sandals with heel strap
As there can be sea urchins and sharp shells in the intertidal area where our boats need to stop during low tide, protective footwear is a must! Flip flops are not suitable as they tend to stick in the wet sand and come off easily, hence, sandals with heel straps are highly recommended. Masaai sandals are available for use but you may be more comfortable with your own.
- A smile
If you do not arrive with one, we will do everything we can to ensure you leave with one
!