988 km²
Size
23-31°C
Temperature
Sea level to low hills
Altitude
Wetters than Unguja, clove islands, monsoon rains
Climate
Pemba is the greener, less visited island of the Zanzibar archipelago: clove hills, serious dive sites, and almost none of the Unguja hotel strip.
Divers come for walls and drift dives that Unguja cannot match. Beaches exist, but you choose Pemba because you want quiet and water time, not a party. Flights from Zanzibar or Dar are short; the island roads are not. Budget more transfer time than the map suggests.
Clove farms still matter here. A spice walk is a farm visit, not a show. We do not put Pemba on a four-day beach add-on. Give it three nights at a dive lodge or skip it and stay on Nungwi.
If you already did northern parks and want the ocean without sharing it, Pemba or Mafia are the two answers we give. Mafia wins on marine park snorkelling; Pemba wins on dive drama.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Flight
Scheduled flights from Dar and Zanzibar to Pemba (PMA). We coordinate lodge boats or cars from the airstrip.
Boat
Ferries exist and can be slow or cancelled. We prefer to fly unless you specifically want the sea crossing.
Wildlife you can see here
All 8 speciesWhales & dolphins
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
A giant baleen whale that migrates through Tanzanian waters from July to October.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +2 more
Spice trees
Clove Tree
Syzygium aromaticum
The tree that made Zanzibar the "Spice Island".
Zanzibar Stone Town, Pemba Island +1 more
Whales & dolphins
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops aduncus
A friendly, resident dolphin that lives in the bays around Zanzibar.
Kizimkazi, Nungwi +3 more
Turtles
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
A large, gentle turtle that grazes on seagrass and nests on quiet beaches.
Mafia Island, Mnemba Atoll +3 more
Turtles
Hawksbill Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
A rare turtle with a hawk-like beak and a beautifully patterned shell.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +1 more
Sharks & rays
Reef Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
A graceful giant ray that glides through the reef channels of the islands.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +1 more
Fish
Clownfish (Anemonefish)
Amphiprion spp.
The small orange fish that lives among the tentacles of sea anemones.
Prison Island (Changuu), Mnemba Atoll +3 more
Trees
Red Mangrove
Rhizophora mucronata
A coastal tree that grows on stilt roots in salty tidal water.
Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Stone Town +4 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
Is Pemba good for non-divers?
Only if you like hammocks, kayaks and empty beaches. There is less casual restaurant-hopping than Stone Town.
Malaria?
You should be on prophylaxis for Pemba, as for the mainland parks. Unguja beaches lulled some people into skipping tablets. Do not.
More To Explore
Add Paje to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
Prefer to talk? Call +255 754 123 456