The lighter side of the not so Dark Continent
Irish Independent

Sambala Village in Cape Verde, located off the west coast of Africa, south of the Canaries, is the closest thing there is to a paradise island. Once a staging post for the slave trade, Cape Verde is beginning to flourish as a tourist destination. RACHAEL McSWEENEY reports

SAMBALA Village is one of four developments on the idyllic east coast of Santiago Island. This development will eventually comprise of 530 units, 68 town houses and 390 apartments. The village will have nine condominium-style apartment buildings, each with 38 apartments. Designed with old-style Portuguese and Mediterranean buildings in mind, these properties flatter the landscape.

Private
There are two- and three bed townhouses available with views into the village and outwards towards the coast. All are finished to a high quality, with private gardens and car-parking spaces as standard.

A service charge will apply for upkeep of the communal areas within the village. Two swimming pools and three tennis courts are located within the townhouse residential area for the use of owners.

Prices for townhouses start at ?138,950, phase four of these is currently for sale off plans. Apartments in this development are built around a central courtyard, which also features a communal swimming pool and garden. All will enjoy stunning views over the courtyard and out to the coast. These, too, have their own parking spaces. There are one-, two-, and three-bed apartments available with the two- and three-beds having the added bonus of a roof terrace. Prices start at ?76,950.

Ecological
Being an ecologically friendly village, Sambala will especially appeal those eager to protect the environment. All buildings here respect the surrounding area of Santiago. Sambala will also create jobs within the local community from the construction stages through to operating services in the completed village. All jobs will be given to residents of Santiago unless a particular skill cannot be found on the island.

Having learned from their nearest neighbours the Canaries, Philip Watson from Sambala Developments says: "Santiago is now where the Canaries were 30 years ago but with the bad bits taken out".

The plan is that the island will not be overcrowded with tourists and that it will retain the special qualities that are attracting people to purchase out there at the moment. In keeping with the ecological outlook of the development, all surface rainwater will run off to a holding tank where it will be used to irrigate the landscaped gardens.

It will also be directed to a lake located in a nearby golf course to irrigate the fairways. Sambala Developments have reintroduced turtles and other wildlife to the area and created botanical gardens.

Sewage drainage will run directly to a treatment plant to be recycled, this plant will service both Sambala Village, Santiago Villas and the Fisherman's Bay hotel. When Sambala Village is completed it will feature shops, restaurants, bars and private swimming pools. There are white sandy beeches less then a kilometre away from the village.

The development is due for completion in 2008 and will eventually comprise two golf courses, a marina and luxury hotels.

Cape Verdean national airline TACV are introducing flights from Birmingham to the international airport of Praia which is only 20 minutes by road from the development.

This article has been brought to you be Sambala; the developer for Cape Verde Property.

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