A fantastic tranquil place, no local distractions unless you are looking for them, waling bare feet on white send, surperb diving, wonderful staff. Would rank this a much better place after mainland safaris than Zanzibar.
Review published by Trip Advisor

Small but beautifully secluded beach. Exceptional service, honestly the tastiest and most food i have had at any resort/lodge/restaurant/B&B etc in probably 6 years (and i travel a lot). Incredibly and unusually good service. Great atmosphere and awesome snorkeling. I will be back in November with friends for the whale sharks. I am absolutely blown away. Excellent job guys!!!
Review published by Trip Advisor

pole pole completely exceeded my expectations. from the warm welcome to the amazing (and plentiful!) food to the fantastic service - this is a special place. the food features local ingredients prepared with italian style and you will NEVER go hungry. it was also the best coffee i had in tanzania. the 7 bungalows feel authentic african and luxurious at the same time. the daybed on my porch in the bungalow was my favorite reading spot. chole bay is very tidal so if you're looking for a beach where you can swim all day long, this is probably not the best choice for you. pole pole is not the big, zanzibar-style beach resort. but if you're interested in diving, snorkeling, watching turtle hatchlings make their first journey to the sea and a range of other excursions - the proximity of sea point dive center can keep you busy. and if you just want to relax in a stunning, remote, and authentic destination where the staff know how to appear and disappear as and when you need them, this is the place. i was on my own and the staff made me feel like family - but the kind of family who know when you want some alone time! i absolutely loved it.
Review published by Trip Advisor

My partner and I stayed at Pole Pole last December after a safari break in northern Tanzania. He wanted relaxation and I wanted a place to refresh my diving. It could not have been better. The hosts, Robyn and Zenny, are the perfect blend of laid-back and friendly, the staff are all delightful and capable, and Jenny is a superb masseuse. The accomodation, en-suite wooden raised chalets with a large relaxing balcony area, are wonderful, and the food is, quite frankly, exquisite.
There are some local trips you can take, such as visiting nearby Chole island (well worth it), a picnic on a sandbank revealed at low tide, some great snorkelling, which was so good it nearly got my dive-phobic partner to agree to a dive course, or just a trip around the bay in a dhow. Indulge in all of them. Trips further afield on the island usually rely on others wanting to accompany you but do look interesting too. If you decide on the whale shark spotting trip check out what the boat will be like as ours wouldn't suit the less adventurous.
There is a small beach area for sunbathing (and swimming only at high tide) which is necessary given the heat and my partner made great use of it while I was off diving. This takes place from the neighbouring resort a short walk away and while I was there the owners brought in a great, and very experienced, couple from South Africa to improve it. They were newly arrived and sussing the place out and hadn't yet introduced any changes, but I was nonetheless perfectly happy with my diving experience. Having talked to them in detail I am convinced that they will only enhance an already enjoyable experience. The dive team were great and we visited sites both inside and outside Chole Bay. No shark sightings for me but we did see hawksbiil and green turtle, massive potato grouper, Napoleon wrasse, various rays and nudibranchs (you've got to love the small stuff too!), tons of reef fish and some incredibly beautiful coral gardens.
The one thing which impressed me was that at both Pole Pole and the dive centre all but a couple of employees were locals, and there is no doubt that this place has helped the local economy by providing jobs. At these prices we had European expectations of service and quality, and all those expectations were fully met. We were there for 6 or 7 days and it felt like ages and we definitely didn't want to leave. "Hi!" to all the wonderful staff there. I still miss Pole Pole!
Review published by Trip Advisor

Pole Pole is an eco lodge however you would not think so from the excellent service and standard of the place.
Being only a few guests at one time one is assured of a personal service second to none. The temperatures were very high 33c and the humidity very high thus drying of things was a little bit of a problem........but no hassle to the understanding guest.
We ate like kings and queens the 5 star food. The sea was warm, the corral and fishes a marvel.
The manager Gabriele who was standing in for the owner could not do too much for us and was concerned that each guest each day was getting the most out of Pole Pole and the facilities.
 
Finally one word of caution! The dining room chairs were instruments of torture and we were pleased to hear that Gabriele was to recommend that they were burnt as soon as possible, and some comfortable chairs purchased.
Review published by Expert Africa