Pemba Island

Pemba is the second largest island on the Zanzibar Archipelago and it is found 50 kilometers northeast of the main Island of Zanzibar (also known as ‘Unguja’). Pemba has continually been the most fertile and greenest island of the Zanzibar and all the cloves for which Zanzibar is best known for are grown here. From the month of July all the way to January the people of Pemba are making the yearly harvest, a time when most of the island is covered in a sweet aroma of drying-up cloves carried by the sea breeze. Unlike Unguja, Majority of the visitors who go to Zanzibar do not make it to Pemba thus making it a more serene isle offering a private beach experience.

Covering an area of 988 km, the Pemba island offers a desert island feel and although it does not have perfect beaches that can be compared to some on the Zanzibar island it offers great opportunities for activities like snorkeling as well as scuba diving thus offering its guests a less crowded and tranquil beach holiday experience. This island unlike the different islands is quite calm and isolated. The lush and mountainous landscape is coated with palm trees and clove plantations that are scattered with mango trees that are old. In general, compared to Zanzibar, this island attracts a small number of visitors every year.

The Pemba shoreline attracts a variety of aquatic species which blended with coral lagoons, a submerging coastline and also a grid of small offshore islands. This island is the perfect place for a Zanzibar Diving Tour and many divers worldwide have come here to have adventures in these productive waters. For the skilled divers, drift diving the Pemba channel walls is quite the appeal while the lagoons and coral reefs offer an interesting diving adventure for those who are not well-experienced divers.

When to go | Best time to visit Pemba Island

The best time to visit Pemba is in the dry season that runs from July up to the end of October. Nonetheless, Pemba can be visited up to March since there are lighter rains in November. The wet rainy season especially from April to May should be avoided as the island is receiving very heavy amounts if rainfall, some of the mainland roads are impassable and a couple of accommodations are usually closed. The perfect time to go for your safari is in the dry season becuase there is good visibility for diving with low humidities and few malaria-causing mosquitoes. For the fishermen who hope to target the billfish, the best time to travel is within September all the way to March.

Weather of Pemba Island

The nearness of Pemba at the equator indicates that the temperatures here are quite constant throughout the year with an average of 26°C/80°F however the temperatures could go higher. This island attracts two wet seasons with one extending to December from November while the other going up to May from April. The rains from April to May are quite heavy in that several lodges in this time close down.

How to get to Pemba Island

The best way to reach Pemba Island is by flying. There are a couple of aviation companies for example Auric Air and Coastal Aviation that offer scheduled flights that every day to Pemba Airport located close to Chake Chake. You can also take a flight from Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam and Arusha to get to Pemba which takes about 30 minutes.

Alternatively there is a possibility of you getting to Pemba from Zanzibar on a ferry although the security from these vessels is questionable. The ferries that are trustworthy are the ones directed by the Azam Marine. While in Pemba, sole travelers on self guided tours can use dala dalas or the local minibuses to explore the island.

Things to do | Activities on Pemba Island

Go Diving / Snorkeling

Pemba has recently become popular in Africa for being among the most worthwhile diving destination. Most of the dive sites are situated along the Western coast at a place where the terrain falls a hundred meters down into the Pemba channel deep waters despite the fact that Pemba is entirely surrounded by beautiful corals. With breathtaking submarine walls and cliffs dominating this area, its underwater scenery is a home for every kind of sea species inclusive of the big game-fish, reef sharks, turtles as well as the Napoleon wrasse. The strong current coupled with the excellent visibility is characteristic of the Pemba making this island the perfect destination for divers with good experience. you can also have some short diving courses while in Zanzibar in the event that you have ample time.

Deep-Sea Fishing in Pemba

The Pemba channel is located close by therefore making this island the best spot for deep sea fishing. There are both short single day tours as well as fishing safaris that last a number of days thus giving you a chance to aim at catching at least six (6) distinct bill-fish species among which are: the striped, blue and black marlin. Some of the other game-fish species that are popular seen in these waters with a high nutrient include the giant trevally, the yellowfin tuna and dogtooth.

Explore Pemba Island’s Wildlife

Holidaymakers interested in exploring the amazing wildlife of Pemba are highly recommended to take a tour to the Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary which is a haven to about 4000 flying foxes prevalent in Pemba. having a wing size of 1.6 meters

(5.3 feet), this large fruit bat is quite intriguing to watch as it flies in pairs as its mates that are hundreds in number soar over the forest mantle. You may as well spot the flying foxes as you explore the Ngezi forest reserve trails. Some of the other wildlife to see in Pemba’s forests include: the vervet monkeys, the red colobus monkeys and a multitude species of birds inclusive of the popular Pemba scops owl which can be seen during our Guided Pemba Tours

Visit the idyllic Beaches of Pemba

Pemba compared to Zanzibar has lesser accessible beaches because of its mangrove forests. There are however boat trips to the harbors found on the more East coast side of the island, a place where extensions of pink and white sands are free of tourists and are cleared by ocean water. There you will be able to encounter several bird species and forest primates including monkeys. The most popular beach on Pemba Island is the Vumawimbi Beach, situated on Pemba’s far northwestern most corner on the Kigomasha peninsula. Its isolated beaches with white fine sand and palms are very immaculate and breathtaking appearing like a postcard picture. One can also go for day tours to the on Misal Island which is a secluded sanctuary along the middle west coast of Pemba and it is popular for having amazing beaches, shallow reefs that are good for snorkeling and also offers first-class diving.

Experience Pemba’s unique culture

There are several ways one can experience the rich culture of Pemba. Be part of our exciting village expedition to discover the ways in which the native people manufacture goods, traditionally fish and cook their food. You might as well opt for a Pemba city tour to the slave port and the old fort in Chake Chake the capital

Take a Clove Tour

Cloves are the biggest export in Pemba and its has clove trees that are over 3.5 million in number growing on the different spice farms and plantations on this island. During this tour, you could take a trip to these beautiful clove farms or you can go and visit the ZSTC Clove Oil Distillery to see how clove stems from the trees are processed into basic oil.

Historical Tours in Pemba

The ancient trade routes of Pemba have left behind several fascinating site worth exploring especially for holidaymakers interested in learning about the Archeology of this island. the Mkama Ndume ruins that date back to the 15th century that were an ancient palace and the only fortification along the Swahili coast are the most fascinating ruins in Pemba. the ruins found in Ras Mkumbuu that date back to the 14th century and include houses, tombs as well as mosques are the most comprehensive of them all, while a visit to Chwaka will give you an opportunity to see the Haruni ruins that date back between the 11th and 15th Century. To make the best of your tour, you are also advised to visit the Pemba museum that is found in Chake Chake which shows the historical past of this island and help you better understand it.

Where to stay | Pemba Accommodation

The isolated nature of Pemba Island has made it the perfect Tanzania Beach safari destination for the elite tourists and those willing to spend some extra money. It has a number of lavish hotels and lodges to select from such as the Manta Resort Pemba Island Zanzibar, Constance Aiyanna Pemba Island and Pemba Island Underwater Hotel