This is where God vacations

Pemba Island is a tropical island off the coast of Tanzania, East Africa.  It is surrounded by lush Indian Ocean coral reefs making it a perfect destination to get away from the pressures and distractions of modern life.  With hotels like The Manta Resort, Tanzania may very well be the ultimate reef escape.

The most spectacular feature of The Manta Resort is its Underwater Room –  a floating hotel room isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean.  Above the sea, guests spend their days and evenings on a two level platform with reef vistas as far as the eye can see.  Below the sea are the sleeping quarters with 360 degree views of the reef life below the waves.  Words can not express how beautiful this double-occupancy private hotel is, so we’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Price?  It’s one of those “if you have to ask” deals.  The truth is there is currently only one Underwater Room (though more are planned) so the rate is an astronomical $1,500 USD per night (fully inclusive of meals, kayaks, spa treatments, liquor, laundry, and even WiFi for those who just can’t seem to disconnect from the world).  But for a little piece of heaven on Earth, this experience might be worth a lifetime of savings.

The Manta Resort markets itself as “probably as far away from civilization you’ll ever get.”  We present the following photographic evidence for your consideration.

Photographs by Jesper Anhede (http://anhede.se)

This article was inspired by a BBC report.  The BBC report includes a video.