Known as Green Island, the lush, tropical island of Pemba is charming and enchanting. Clove plantations, rice fields, hilly terrain, green valleys and palm-fringed beaches make it a land of variety and contrasts. the Pemba channel offers excellent opportunities of fishing and diving, you can get chance to look on Chwaka Ruins, Herouni Site, The Old site Tumbe, Mazrui Site, Ras Mkumbuu Ruins, Msuka Mjini Ruins, misali Island and Ngezi forest.
Pemba Island lies a full 40km north of the 'main' island of Zanzibar, (Unguja). Pemba is not much smaller, but feels much more rural and characteristically very distinct.
Pemba was a focal destination for travellers in past years, when it was known as "Al khudra', 'the green island', and it remains today green and picturesque, coloured by the rich greens of ten types of mangoes in plenty, and many hundreds of clove trees that have traditionally supported the fortunes of this island of spice. Unlike its southern sister, Pemba has remained virtually unknown to hordes of beach-bound tourists, and just a couple of distinct luxury lodges have opened up on its rural shores.
Although Pemba is surrounded by fine coral reef and pristine seas, its shores are also flanked with dense mangrove forests, and the best beaches take a bit of finding and getting to.
The island is best known by those who come to explore its coral reefs; the extreme depths of the Pemba Channel and thriving marine life make this region a diver's paradise.
The Pemba Channel shelves off to depths of more than 2000m between the island and mainland Tanzania, and Pemba is famous for seriously large sea fish, which include barracuda, tuna, shark, and even whales cruising its perimeters.
It is a glorious playground for experienced divers. The waters around Pemba provide some of the most fantastic wall dives and drift dives, fine soft and hard coral formations and open water diving opportunities that this East African coastline has to offer. |
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