The Manta, Pemba Island, in conjunction with Genberg Underwater Hotels and Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have entered into a distinctive collaboration to launch the latest generation of Underwater Room.
The collaboration is funded by Blue Alliance, designed and built by Genberg Underwater Hotels (Sweden), and managed by The Manta, Pemba Island.
Due to open at the end of 2025, the all-new Manta Underwater Room will provide a more spectacular guest experience, offering a spellbinding window on the undersea world.
Building on the success of the first Manta Underwater Room and in line with the commitment of The Manta, Pemba Island and Blue Alliance to transform travel into an agent for good, this new chapter will deliver an authentic ‘reef-positive’ product with all profits channelled into marine conservation in the North Pemba Channel Conservation Area (PECCA).
The coral reefs of Kenya and Tanzania, particularly around the Zanzibar Archipelago, form a vital ecosystem requiring sustainable fisheries and coastal protection. The northern section of PECCA is a particularly rich biodiversity zone, identified by scientists as a ‘coral climate refuge’. The new Manta Underwater Room is dedicated to supporting this zone as a genuine ‘reef-positive’ tourism product, one that channels all proceeds into supporting and ensuring the resilience of coral-reef ecosystems, local economies and communities.
Imagine yourself suspended in a turquoise bubble beneath the surface of the ocean: your very own submarine bedroom where you can lie back and watch shoals of fish swim lazily by. At night, underwater spotlights around the room attract the shyer denizens of the reef, such as octopus and Spanish dancer, that cannot resist the light attraction, which makes for thrilling viewing.
The new, improved and bigger room (four metres by four metres) will boast elegant, modern interiors and staircase instead of ladder access, as well as much larger windows, affording a full 360° view. Designed to accommodate two overnight guests, this floating suite provides a serene and breath-taking retreat four metres below the ocean surface.
The floating villa will be moored 250 metres from the shore, a two-minute boat ride over the crystal-clear waters of Manta’s house reef. The villa is Swedish designed and offers unparalleled luxury. Comprising a total surface area of approximately 129m², it has three levels with those above the water clad in local hardwood.
The Manta Underwater Room is a unique, reef-positive partnership. Blue Alliance MPAs are funding the development of the room through their unique ‘Blue finance’ facility; Swedish company, Genberg Underwater Hotels will design and build the room to exacting standards; and The Manta, Pemba Island will operate the room as part of its luxury offering. The new room is a victory for conservation, with all profits channelled back into conservation.
Tucked away on the northern tip of Pemba Island, Manta offers an exclusive retreat for travellers seeking tranquillity, natural beauty and authentic island hospitality. Far from the tourist crowds, this remote hideaway immerses guests in the unspoilt charm of Zanzibar’s ‘Green Island’, where white-sand beaches meet the warm, luminous waters of the Indian Ocean.
More than a luxury getaway, Manta is deeply committed to conservation and community development. In partnership with Blue Alliance and the Kwanini Foundation, it plays a vital role in protecting the northern section of the PECCA with its delicate marine ecosystem, as well as empowering local communities through sustainable initiatives.
Guests can experience this dedication first-hand, whether by exploring vibrant coral reefs on guided dives and snorkels or learning about conservation efforts that help preserve this remarkable environment.
Blue Alliance MPAs co-manages MPAs in Zanzibar, Indonesia and the Philippines. Its innovative approach merges the day-to-day management of MPAs, reef-positive businesses and marine conservation practices based on solid science.
Blue Alliance works to have a positive impact on marine biodiversity and local communities and, by developing reef-positive businesses, aims to plug the finance gap so MPAs can become self-sustaining over time.
Through its local entity, Blue Alliance Zanzibar, it is responsible for co-managing the North Pemba Channel Conservation Area alongside the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Zanzibar.
