Indian Ocean Coast
Pemba Island
The green island nobody tells you about
Overview
Fifty kilometres north of Zanzibar, hillier and far greener, Pemba grows most of the world's cloves and receives a tiny fraction of its neighbour's visitors. Divers know exactly why they come.
The Pemba Channel drops to more than 800 metres just offshore, which produces wall diving of a standard that people travel across continents for — sheer coral faces, big pelagics and visibility that regularly exceeds thirty metres. Misali Island's reef is among the healthiest in the Indian Ocean.
Above water, Pemba is quieter and more traditional than Zanzibar: clove plantations, the Ngezi rainforest, Swahili ruins at Ras Mkumbuu, and a handful of small hotels. If Zanzibar feels too busy, this is the answer.
The landscape
Rolling green hills of clove and mango, mangrove inlets and the last of the island's Ngezi rainforest, fringed by reef and small offshore islets.
Quick facts
- Flight from Zanzibar
- ≈ 30 minutes
- Famous for
- Wall diving and cloves
- Character
- Quiet, traditional, low-key
- Ideal stay
- 4 – 7 nights
Wildlife
Who lives here
- The endemic Pemba flying fox, a giant fruit bat
- Pemba scops owl and three other endemic bird species
- Wall-diving reef life, turtles and pelagic fish
- Dolphins in the Pemba Channel
Seasons
When to come
Dry seasonJune – October & December – February
Calm seas and peak diving visibility.
Low seasonApril – May
Long rains; many hotels close but rates fall sharply.
Experiences
Wall diving and snorkelling · Misali Island trips · Ngezi Forest walks · Clove and spice farm visits · Deep-sea fishing
In Pictures
Scenes from Pemba
Journeys Here
Safaris that visit Pemba Island
7 Days / 6 NightsTarangire · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Serengeti Signature Safari
The essential northern circuit, done properly
View journey
8 Days / 7 NightsNgorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Great Migration Safari
Follow the greatest show on Earth
View journey9 Days / 8 NightsMount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro — Machame Route
Seven days to the roof of Africa
View journeyGood to Know
Questions, answered
It is quieter and less set up for general tourism than Zanzibar — beautiful, but with fewer restaurants, excursions and beach bars. Divers love it; travellers wanting variety usually prefer Zanzibar.
Coast
Pairs well on the coast circuit
Pemba Island is one of 4 destinations on the coast & islands. Most itineraries combine two or three.
