Africa’s first underwater hotel room has been revealed—and no detail was spared in the selection of its locale. The Manta Resort (Pemba Island, Tanzania; 255-776/718-852; doubles from US$475), founded by Swedish artists, lies off the coast of Tanzania on Pemba Island called “The Green Island” in Arabic. Two hundred and fifty meters off Pemba’s shore lies The Manta Underwater Room. The room is constructed near “The Blue Hole”, an anomaly in the coral reef where the ocean floor falls to 12 meters deep at high tide the area is roughly 50 meters wide in diameter. Visible from the upper decks of The Manta Resort, the reef hosts animals from octopuses to Spanish dancers, seen abundantly from the resort’s newest underwater addition. The pit is inhabited by a number of large coral heads and abundant marine life. The room is a floating structure, engineered by a Swedish team, sporting local hardwood furnishings. Accessible only by boat, the structure’s three levels include a landing deck, living area, and bathroom facility. A ladder leads up to the roof’s a lounging area, where visitors can catch extraordinary views of a sky completely devoid of light pollution.
For more information, visit The Manta Resort