Pemba Island, Tanzania, May 2005

by Richard Booth

Pemba Island lays some 60 kms off the Tanzania coastline out in the rich blue waters of the Indian Ocean. It is a large island, some 80 kms long, with a number of small satellite coral islands situated off its shores.

Pemba has a warm tropical climate with a rich landscape covered in lush green vegetation.



Situated on the crossroads between the Middle East and the Eastern shores of Africa, Pemba has developed an interesting legacy of mixed cultures and a rich and fascinating history. The people of Pemba have long enjoyed close links with the Middle East which continue to this day. Over the centuries it has been occupied and colonised by the Ottoman Empire, as well as by the Portuguese and more recently the British. This rich history is reflected in the fading architecture and crumbling style of many of the older buildings of settlements such as Chake Chake, as well as in the look and features of the local population, black Africans who follow the Islamic faith. In 1964 Pemba along with Mafia Island and their better known neighbour Zanzibar, passed to Tanzania.

This relationships with the mainland government however, has at times been tense, and whilst the local population are generally friendly and welcoming to tourists, it is advisable to avoid visiting Pemba and Zanzibar during general election times, as recent Elections have been marred by political violence.

Advice from the Foreign Service website can be sought in this regard. FCO Advice


How do you get to Pemba?

Pemba is not on the usual tourist travel routes, nor does it have an established international airport. To many, this lack of tourist infrastructure is part of Pemba's charm. Pemba can be reached either by air or by sea. Currently there is a ferry service from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. This service however, does not enjoy the finest reputation for reliability. For the truly adventurous you can hire a local dhow, although this means of passage is likely to prove very uncomfortable and is perhaps not the safest means of travel to Pemba.

The recommended and most reliable means of reaching Pemba is by air, and fortunately there is an excellent service provided by two local airlines that operate a fleet of small propeller driven aircraft which fly a timetabled service between the mainland, Zanzibar and Pemba. The two main airlines are Zanair and Coastal .

Whilst you are limited to 15 kgs baggage and soft bags are recommended because of the limited cargo space, this did not prove to a significant problem, as I had decided before hand to hire the bulk of my dive gear at Pemba. Flying out to Pemba on a small aircraft proved to be great fun, was not excessively expensive and had the bonus of spectacular aerial views of the reefs and shoals in the Pemba channel.

In my own case I flew from Arusha, to Zanzibar, and then onto Pemba flying with Coastal. Most visitors to Pemba however generally fly from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

Dive operators in Pemba.

Prior to travelling out to Pemba, research via various dive magazines advertisements and articles had highlighted two dive operations on Pemba, Manta Reef lodge and Swahili divers. In the end, I opted to go with Swahili divers, partly because I liked the look and feel of their website, but also because of their swift response to my e-mail enquiries. Generally most dive operators on Pemba close during May as it is the rainy season, however Swahili divers remained open and indeed were offering special discount packages for trips during this month.

Swahili divers offer a number of accommodation options. These range from accommodation in their hotel/guest house at Chake Chake, to a tented safari complete with dhow, catering staff and dive guide. A large dhow is also presently being fitted out as a liveaboard boat for future dive operations around Pemba.

In my own case I chose the guest house option, given that May in this part of the world is noted for its heavy rain.

The Swahili diver's guest house is based in the old Quaker missionary house situated on a slope above a banana plantation on the edge of Chake Chake. The rooms are clean, come equipped with fans and mosquito nets, and are furnished with a mixture of Middle Eastern and colonial style furniture. The toilet and shower facilities however are somewhat basic.

Breakfast and evening meals are included in the cost, as is a packed lunch on dive trips. The food whilst not exactly gourmet standard but nevertheless offers a varied and interesting menu of local and western style meals. Usually one evening a week a BBQ is also held. Meals are eaten under the front veranda around a large table and proved to be a good means of socialising with the other guests and staff. Beer, wine and soft drinks are available, although at extra cost. It is usual for the dive staff to eat and socialise with guests during the evening. The guest house can best be described as something between a back packer hostel and a hotel. It's not exactly luxurious, but has a unique charm and atmosphere all of its own that makes for a different and memorable experience and the best part is that it is very reasonably priced!

The Swahili dive operation.

Swahili divers are Pemba's first and only PADI 5 Star Gold Palm Resort Diving Centre.
I chose to hire most of the equipment, rather than carry it around Tanzania with me. The equipment available for hire was modern and looked well maintained, with a range of Sherwood and Aqualung regulators complete with dedicated octopus 2nd stages, 5mm shorty wetsuits and BCD's. Dive computers however were not available for hire, but fortunately this is one item of kit that I had brought along. Diving is conducted from a range of purpose built dhows and two RIBs, with fibre glassed tubes. In May, both RIBs were out of the water, so all diving took place from one of the dhows. The guest house is situated some miles in land from the coast, so each day the dive centres land rovers were loaded up, and a bumpy ride undertaken down to the coast through the villages and fields that lined the road down to the harbour. These journeys proved something of a white knuckle ride, with bedraggled chickens scattering out of the way of the speeding vehicles and beaming children waving furiously as we passed by.

Once at the harbour the dive dhow is loaded by the boat crew, and the passengers embark by wading out across the muddy bottom to the waiting dhow. This wooden constructed vessel has the advantage of a purpose built canopy offering shelter from the sun. Powered by a 40 hp outboard, the dhow takes times to travel out to the dive sites which are all situated on off shore islands and reefs. Clearly the RIBs have the advantage of speed and the capability to travel further distances to more distant sites. All boats are fully equipped with O2 kits, VHF radios, and first aid kits etc. Safety is taken very seriously, as there is no coastguard to call upon in an emergency, or nearby decompression chambers. The diving is therefore conducted in a style that is conservative and designed to minimise the chance of accidents taking place. The maximum dive limit is 30 metres, although most of the diving takes place around the 20 metre mark.

The Pemba Diving experience:

On this visit to Pemba, all the diving took place around Misali Island, a designated national park out in the Pemba channel complete with a number of rangers who are based on this island. These rangers offer guided tours around the island. During our visit they also proudly showed off some baby turtles that they had rescued off the beach, and were nurturing in order to give them a head start in life prior to releasing them back into the wild. This area also has a number of other beautiful tropical islands, complete with wonderful sandy beaches. Apart from the occasional visiting fishermen, these islands are uninhabited.

The usual itinerary would be to motor out to a dive site amongst the reefs and coral channels around Misali Island, have a dive, then head over to either Misali or one of the other nearby islands, where lunch would be unpacked on the beach. Plenty of time is allowed for guests to explore around these islands, sunbathe or go snorkelling. Once lunch has settled, the dhow heads off to another site for a second dive.

There are no known wrecks around Misali, so the diving is all of a scenic nature and consists of gentle drifts along the coral walls. The coral itself is in fantastic condition with no evidence of diving related or dynamite fishing damage to the reef, a serious problem in other coastal areas of Tanzania. Marine life is plentiful with the usual marine tropical fish that you can expect to see in the Red Sea or Maldives. It is not an area noted for exceptional pelagic action. Sharks are around, but appear to be shy and head off into deep water at the sound of a boat engine, or so we were told by the dive guide. Apparently at certain times of the year, whale sharks and mantas travel up the Pemba channel, but not apparently in May...

Larger sea life encountered on my visit included sting rays, barracuda and eagle rays. These waters however appear to be very good for the macro photographer. On every dive we encountered different brightly coloured nudibranchs, including one of the giant spanish dancers that this area is noted for.

The water temperature in May was a warm 27 centigrade, making the hired shorty wet suit more than comfortable for the diving conditions.

All of the diving in this area has been pioneered by Raf and his dive staff, so the dive sites tend have familiar European sounding names, such as Murray's Wall, Eric's Synopsis, Coral Mountain etc.

In summary.

The Swahili Divers operation on Pemba offers a unique dive holiday experience in a remote and undeveloped part of the world. This is not a holiday for those tourists who are seeking an all inclusive luxury holiday, as Pemba lacks the sophisticated administrative infrastructure of some more established tourist resorts. There are regular power cuts (although Swahili divers have their own back up generator). You may also have the pleasure of being woken up at sunrise by the 'amplified' calls to prayers from the local mosques in Chake Chake, but this is all part of the Pemba experience.

Despite the challenges of operating in Pemba, Raf has succeeded in establishing a sophisticated and well managed dive operation in an area of the world which has seen little diving development.

For those individuals who are independent minded and seeking a more adventurous type of holiday and are prepared to experience some of the challenges associated with visiting areas off the established tourist route, then I recommend you visit Pemba soon, before its charm and character is lost as the developers move in, to turn it into yet another mass market tourist resort...

Finally for visitors making the effort to visit Pemba I would firmly recommend that time is also spent visiting other places in Tanzania. It is a fascinating country with some of the best game reserves in Africa. Raf at Swahili Divers can offer advice and assistance with arranging safari trips on the mainland.

In my own case having spent several days on Pemba, I caught a coastal flight to Tanga, and stopped off for some relaxation at a great little beach resort called Peponi , where I spent several days before travelling back up to Arusha for the flight back to the UK.

Contact details:
Swahili Divers
Swahili Divers Safari Team
E-mail: swahilidivers@intafrica.com
Tel + 255 24 2452-786

Tanzania travel details.

Because I intended to spend some time exploring around other areas of Tanzania, I flew KLM via Amsterdam-Schiphol to Kilimanjaro Airport, near Arusha. After a few days in Arusha, I then flew from Arusha to Pemba, via a Coastal aviation flight.
KLM provided a comfortable flight service and although cheaper than other airlines, are quick to charge for any excess weight over the 20 kilo allowance as I discovered to my cost on the return journey home!
Swahili Divers recommend the Emirates airline service to Tanzania.





Visa requirements for entry to Tanzania

Entry visa can be obtained from the Tanzania High Commission in London at
3 Stratford Place
Bond St
London
W1C 1AS
Tel. 0207 5691470
Website
A normal tourist visa costs £38 and is valid for up to 3 months.

Health.

For travelling out to Tanzania the following immunisations are required as a minimum.
Hepatitis A
Tetanus
Polio
Typhoid
In addition it is mandatory to have a yellow fever certificate for entry into Zanzibar and Pemba.

Malaria is endemic in all the coastal areas along the Tanzania coast. Anti-malarial Prophylaxis are recommended for visitors to this region.

Mefloquine (Lariam) is often recommended for this part of the world, although whilst staying at Peponi, I heard stories that appeared to indicate that the local strain of malaria parasite may be gaining resistance to this particular drug. It is also not recommended that you take this drug whilst engaged in scuba diving activities, as some of its side effect symptoms can apparently be confused with DCI symptoms...
Malarone is a newly developed prophylaxis that appears to be effective with less side affects than Mefloquine, but is more expensive to buy.
I used Doxycycline however, it is not recommended for sun bathers, as one of its side effects is that you burn much more quickly.
Perhaps however, the simplest and most effective way of avoiding the risk of catching Malaria, is to cover up your exposed skin between dusk and dawn, use plenty of insect repellent cream, and always ensure that you sleep under a mosquito net.

Further information concerning health information relating to travel in Tanzania can be obtained from the following website
Travel Doctor

Good travel insurance is a must, in the event of a serious medical emergency requiring a medical evacuation back to the UK.


Tanzania main page