More Details on Pemba

Pemba Island is one of Tanzania's best kept secrets. Pemba's main attractions include pristine white sand beaches, lush tropical forests, historical tours, and spice plantation visits. Pemba is also home to the juju traditions of medicine and magic; the curious can arrange a visit to the island caves where the juju doctors practiced.

Pemba is the northernmost island in the Pemba archipelago. Although Pemba has several world-class attractions, the number of tourists rarely exceeds thirty on any given day, even during high season. The population of Pemba is around 300,000. The flight over the Pemba archipelago is one of the most beautiful sites in Tanzania. The dozens of tiny islands are lush green paradises surrounded by a kaleidoscope of blues, greens and purples. The reefs surrounding the islands are visible from the plane as are the idyllic beaches.

Vumawimbi Beach is possibly the most picturesque beach in Tanzania. Stretching for two kilometers, the wide white sand beach is fringed by a green forest on one side and the clear turquoise water of the Indian Ocean on the other. Vumawimbi has not yet been developed for tourism, making a visit a private experience unlike any other in East Africa. You can organize a day visit to Vumawimbi from any of Pemba's towns, or from Manta Reef Lodge. Ngezi Forest lies only twenty minutes away.

Pemba's diving is some of the best in the Indian Ocean. Thousands of species of fish and coral thrive in the warm tropical waters of the Indian Ocean. Divers can explore the shallow reefs close to the shore or plunge off the vertical coral cliffs that border the coastal reefs. Visibility is about forty meters, and looking over the underwater 800 meter cliffs is exhilarating. In deeper waters, expect to see barracuda, manta and eagle rays, giant groupers, wahoo, jacks, tuna and garden eel. In shallow water, you'll see colorful starfish, mollusks, crustaceans and many other species of reef fish. Water temperatures range from 25 to 28 Celsius.

Misali Island, one of Pemba's offshore islands, is a favorite among visitors to Pemba. An example of a successful ecotourism project, the Misali Island Marine Conservation Area uses tourism proceeds to protect the marine ecosystem and support the local communities that depend on the ocean's resources for their livelihoods. Misali attractions include pristine beaches, coral formations, mangrove forests, snorkeling, mysterious caves and several nature trails. The nature trails cover the entire island and provide visitors with information on the ecology and history of the island. When visiting Misali, be sure to check out the caves, where juju doctors and traditional healers performed their magic. On the boat ride to and from Misali, dolphins often jump in the waters around the boat. Click the images below for larger versions.

Ngezi Forest is Pemba's last stand of thick forest protected as a reserve. Upon entering Ngezi, the air immediately cools as the towering trees block the equatorial sunlight. A walk along the nature trails provide opportunities to see unique and endangered species of mammals, primates, insects and plants, such as the Pemba flying fox, Pemba vervet monkey, Pemba blue duiker and Kirk's colobus monkey.

Spice plantation tours can be arranged to Pemba's clove and spice plantations. Although the spice tour industry is not as developed as it is in Zanzibar, Pemba actually produces the majority of spices exported from Tanzania. During a spice tour, expect to see cloves, lemongrass, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper and vanilla. After the spice tour, visit the essential oil distillery to see how spices are made into oil. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and the distillation process interesting.

Chake Chake is Pemba's largest town and administrative center. The town sits on a ridge, and there are several views of the island and surrounding ocean from Chake Chake. The night street market offers excellent barbecued seafood bites. Chake Chake is convenient for planning day trips to areas around the island. Because there are few beach hotels in Pemba, many visitors choose to overnight in Chake Chake and visit the beaches during the day.

Approximate Travel Times to Pemba (by air):
* From Zanzibar: 30 minutes
* From Tanga: 25 minutes
* From Arusha: 1.5 hours