Unaltered Beauty of Pemba, Tanzania

Pemba located just 50 km from the famous Zanzibar has always remained a side show rather than the real attraction of the Tanzanian coastline. The reason is the extensive media coverage that the tourism industry of its larger Zanzibar has received in the past few decades. Most tourists that have spent a vacation in Zanzibar don’t even try to explore this other gorgeous island on just an hour journey. But the few that has made the effort tell tales of its sensational beauty and magical calm.

Pemba is way different from Zanzibar while the later is mostly plain and barren; Pemba has mostly hilly and lush terrain. Through out its history Pemba has always been the agricultural and in fact the economic backbone of the region and its extensive clove plantations has always produced the bulk of its revenue.

The only hurdle in visiting this gorgeous island is the basic tourism infrastructure of the area. Because of the low tourist traffic to Pemba you will not find world class hotels here that you see in Zanzibar. But if you ask us then this is the real charm of Pemba as you will have most of the island all for yourself unlike Zanzibar where the things get a little too crowdie because of the large number of tourists.

If you are arriving from abroad then you will have to take a cheap flight to Dar es Salam the capital of Tanzania and then a ferry can take you to Zanzibar and then to Pemba. The island does not have the facility of taxis so the main mode of transportation here is the island’s busses. But most of the tourists heading to Pemba try to bring a bicycle with them as the roads of Pemba are lightly traveled and provide a perfect cycling experience because of the scenic beauty around them.

The main attraction of the island is its scenic beauty so try out your trekking and hiking skills in exploring it properly. The clove plantations are still a major part of the area’s economy and a visit to one of them will provide you with a great insight into the lifestyle of the local people. Pemba is not for beach lovers as most of its coastline is covered with tidal creeks and mangroves but with a little effort you can find a sandy part along the coast line and what makes these beaches so special is the fact that they are unaltered as the tourist traffic to the island is still pretty low. There are quite a few fishing villages along the coast line and you can always join a local fishing group for an exciting fishing experience.

As the waters around Pemba is rich in marine life and has quite a few reefs so if you are qualified scuba diver you can enjoy a memorable diving experience. But you will have to bring your own scuba diving equipment as the few resorts that the Pemba have don’t offer this facility.