Pemba Island

Pemba Island is known for its cloves and hills covered with lots of fruit and spice trees. Zanzibar is known for being flat and full of sand. Most of the island’s coastline is made up of traditional dhows, and fishing is a big part of the society on Pemba.

Pemba Island is a Tanzanian island in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Swahili. It is part of the Zanzibar Archipelago. The island covers 988 square kilometers (381 square miles) and is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Unguja, which is the largest island in the group. These islands are part of the Spice Islands in the Indian Ocean, along with Mafia Island, which is south of Unguja.

The culture of Pemba and many other islands in the archipelago has been shaped by Arab businessmen from Oman and the people who have lived on the island for hundreds of years. Pemba has well-preserved ruins, like Qanbalu, a Muslim settlement from the eighth century. There are also relics from old voodoo practices that the island’s traditional witch doctors used to perform.

The island has also been called the “Green Island” for a long time because its soil is so good for growing foods like coconut, bananas, and cassava. The warm, subtropical waters around Pemba are famous for having some of the best diving and snorkeling in the whole island. This is because the waters have steep drop-offs, marine life that hasn’t been disturbed, and colorful coral reefs. Even though it doesn’t have as much of a tourism business as Zanzibar, the island offers a more authentic island experience. This makes it perfect for people who want to see the archipelago’s natural side.

How to Get to Pemba Island

There is only one main paved road that goes through the middle of Pemba Island, making it hard to get to most parts of the island. Taking a planned charter plane is the best way to get to Pemba. Pemba Island is north of Zanzibar, so most East African cities have flights that go through Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam to get there. Zanzibar to Pemba is the most popular route. Coastal Air and Auric Air both fly this route. Zanzibar to Pemba is only a 30-minute flight away. There are two planes a day, one at 8:00 am and another at 3:00 pm.

You can also take a ferry from Zanzibar to Pemba, but the trip is rough and could be dangerous. At the same time, Zazm Marine can set up dependable boats. Your tour operator should set up a pick-up for you when you get to the airport or ferry port. This may be part of your trip package or something that you can add on.

On Pemba Island, you can scuba dive.

Pemba is known for having some of the best places in Africa to scuba dive. There are beautiful underwater walls and great terrain all around the island, which is home to many sea creatures, including turtles, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, and big game fish.

Misali Island, the area off the Kigomasha Peninsula, the Fundu Gap, and the Njao Gap, all of which are in the Pemba Channel Conservation Area, are some of the best places to dive on the island. Most divers have done it before, but some companies offer classes and day trips for people who have never done it before. You can see very well most of the year, but you should stay away during the wet seasons (April to May and November to December).

Fishing in deep water

People like to go deep sea fishing for marlin, dorado, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo for a half-day or full-day trip. From Pemba, you can catch bigger fish that you can cook on a grill for dinner because it is close to the Pemba Channel. From the middle of July to the middle of April is the best time to fish.

Tours of archaeological sites

Pemba Island has a lot of interesting archaeological places that history buffs should not miss. Ras Mkumbuu has a mosque, tombs from the past, and houses from the 14th century. Chakawa has the ruins of a town that was built between the 11th and 15th centuries.

Mkama Nduma is one of the most interesting places to visit. The only known fort on the Swahili coast is this one from the 15th century. Learn about the past of the island and get to know the culture of the area by going to the Pemba Museum in Chake Chake. In the main town on the island, Chake Chake, you can also see the remains of an old fort.

Flying Fox Sanctuary in Kidike

This refuge is 2 km east of the main road that connects Chake Chake and Wete. It is home to a colony of more than 4,000 Pemba flying foxes, which are a type of large bat that is native to Pemba. The Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary is close to Kangagani. The Pemba flying fox, or Pteropus voeltzkowi, is a huge fruit bat with chestnut-red fur, a black face, and wings that look a lot like dogs. They also have small, pointy ears.

There is a small stage where you can watch the bats at the Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary. They hang upside down during the day and often fly away, and people in the area don’t bother them. Fruits like mangoes, breadfruit, figs, flowers, and leaves are what the Pemba flying fox eats. It’s interesting that this animal might be the only one on the island that can spread bigger seeds, which are necessary for the plants that make them to survive. This species, unlike insectivorous bats (Microchiroptera), uses its eyes instead of echolocation to find food. Between January and April, they mate, and between June and August, they have babies.

On a Spice Tour in Pemba

Even though spices aren’t as important to Zanzibar’s economy as they used to be, the island still has many spice plantations that you can visit on fun spice trips. Also, there aren’t as many spice tours in Pemba as there are in Zanzibar. However, most of the spices sold in Tanzania come from Pemba Island. Also, 70% of the cloves grown in the world come from Pemba.

On this trip, people get to smell and taste some plants, spices, and tropical fruits, like oranges, papaya, jackfruit, cassava, black pepper, clove, cinnamon, turmeric, clove, and ginger. The tour guides are friendly, intelligent, and wise, and they will walk with you as you explore the spice plantations.

The spice tour is a half-day trip that goes along Wete’s old road to Mtambwe town, where you can see many kinds of spices.

Go to the Ngezi Rain Forest.

At the very northern tip of Pemba Island, there is a point covered in the Ngezi Rain Forest. This is the last of a large area of native forest that used to cover most of Pemba. The forest is a real double canopy, with lots of vines that vervet monkeys use as swings. It is protected by a 1476-hectare reserve. The Pemba Flying Fox, a bat that only lives on the island of Pemba, lives in the Ngezi Rain Forest.

The forest is a protected area in and of itself, and Vumawimbi Beach, which is on the east coast of the peninsula, has kilometers of white sand and is backed by a forest that has never been cut down. In English, “Pango ya Watoro” means “the fugitives’ cave.” It is on the western side.

You can also visit the “cultural zones” if you have time. These are sacred parts of the forest that the people who live there sweep and clean often to please their spirits. People pray, make requests, and offer sacrifices at these “MIZIMU” holy places to the spirits of the dead. Five of these places have been found by the people, and they are all in the Ngezi Rain Forest.

The best time to visit Pemba Island

The dry season, which runs from June to October, is also the best time to visit Zanzibar. This is also the busiest time for safaris in Tanzania, so many people go to the island after their safaris. The island is still a great place to visit most of the year because it has mild weather and constant sunshine. But from April to May, it rains a lot, so many of the places are closed. For this reason, the island has mangrove woods and swamps.

From November to December, on the other hand, it rains a little less. During these times, it’s much harder to see when you’re swimming, but there are also fewer mosquitoes that carry malaria. As Pemba is on the equator, the temperature stays a nice 26°C all year.

Places to stay on Pemba Island

Pemba island doesn’t have many hotels, so you’ll have to be very picky about where you stay. You should check with your hotel before booking to make sure they offer scuba diving and deep-sea fishing trips. It is very important to find a hotel that has things to do that you like. The hotels also offer their own facilities and events. Also, most of the places to stay are out of the way and along the coast. Here are some of them:

The Lagoon of Fundu

This small, high-end hotel is known for its “barefoot luxury.” As well as 18 safari-style tented cabins, some of which have direct beach access and a plunge pool, the hotel has its own diving center. The views from each bungalow of the Indian Ocean are breathtaking. The spa, three bars, and great restaurant at the hotel make it a great place for weddings and couples.

Resort at Manta Beach

One of the most luxurious places to stay on the island is the Mantra Resort. The main draw is the Underwater Room, which is a floating deck in the middle of the ocean with a bedroom that is submerged and made of glass walls that let you see amazing sea life. The camp sets up activities like snorkeling, sandbank trips, deep sea fishing, local school trips, catch-and-release fishing, kayak safaris, and fishing from the shore. It also offers diving lessons at its own diving school.

If this is too expensive for you, the Lala Lodge in Mkaoni’s southern town is a nice place to stay on a budget. The lodge has everything you need and is right next to the beach, which is very handy.

The Aiyana Hotel

This is a big, fancy hotel with 30 simple houses on their own beach. In addition to an infinity pool and gym, the hotel has an 18-hole golf course where you can dive and play golf. This resort is great for families because it has a club just for kids, but it’s also a great place for weddings and honeymoons.