Pemba Island, Zanzibar

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Pemba Island by Amani Tours

Size: 822 sq km (320 sq miles).
Location: Coastal Tanzania, 50 km Northeast of Dar es Salaam and 30 km North of Unguja Island (Zanzibar).


Pemba Island

The island of Pemba known as 'Al Jazeera Al Khadra' (the greenisland, in Arabic) is an island forming part of the Zanzibar archipelago, lying 50 kilometres off the East coast of mainland Tanzania in the Indian Ocean. It is situated about 60 kilometres to the North of the island of Unguja (Zanzibar). Together with Mafia Island, they form the legendary ‘Spice Islands.’

Pemba is much hillier and more fertile than Unguja and is dominated by small scale farming. There is large scale farming of cash crops such as cloves with over 3 million clove trees, rice, coconut, bananas¸ cassava and red beans. Artisan fishermen scour the bays and deep ocean around the island. Most locals live prodominently in traditional villages. There is a quite large Arab community on the island who immigrated from Oman. The population is a mix of Arab and original Waswahili inhabitants of the island.

Holidays in Pemba are becoming well-known for their dive sites, with vertiginous drop-offs, untouched coral and very abundant marine life. Whereas Unguja is a low-lying coral atoll with broad sandy beaches, Pemba is a proper island with incredibly fertile hilly terrain and spectacular deepwater drop-offs for divers. Despite its proximity, Pemba holidays are really off the beaten track, getting less than 1%!o(MISSING)f its neighbour's visitor traffic. Those who do venture here should find an incredibly authentic Swahili Coast experience.

How To Get There
Many airlines from Europe and the rest of the world fly to Unguja, where you can take a connecting flight to Pemba. Regional flights from Nairobi, Mombasa, Arusha and Dar es Salaam are operated daily. Pemba is also accessable by sea with hourly ferries departing from Tanga, Unguja and Dar each day.

What To Do
Activities such as island hopping, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving and snorking are available. The one-day spice tour is highly recommended

When To Go
Accessible year round. Dry season, June-August. Wet season November-March. December- February.

Accommodation
There are several places to stay on Pemba island, but we highly recommend Fundu Lagoon and Manta Reef.



For more information about Tanzania attractions click here.

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