Pemba Island
Description: An island just North of Mainland Zanzibar, Pemba is far-removed from the relative hustle bustle of Zanzibar. It is also known as the green island because it is lush with plant life.
There are often only a few dozen tourists on the entire island. Attractions include an ancient forest, archaeological ruins from the earliest Swahili civilizations, a few nice beaches and incredible scuba diving.
Location: Just Northeast of Zanzibar’s mainland, reachable by short flight from Zanzibar
Things 2 Do: Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Boat Tours, Visiting Ruins, Visiting Forest, Fishing, Big Game Fishing, Kayaking, Sailing
Time: Spend at least 3 nights.
Animals: Pemba flying fox, marsh mongoose, a small variety of primates including the endemic Pemba vervet monkey, and interesting birdlife.
Accommodations
$$$$
Manta Resort
Catamaran Julia
$$$$$
Fundu Lagoon
“Overall, we had a very good impression of A2T as a company. A2T had been undoubtedly very customer-oriented, which was evident from the very beginning of the tour, that is, booking. The extra mile A2T spent on calls to understand our requirements and then come up with the final itinerary was ver assuring. Later we almost had to backtrack from the trip due to Ebola concerns, and the extra time allowed for us to make the final decision was very helpful.
Later on during the trip, we had a special situation which required overnight usage of electricity. Our guide, Mussa, and Stella from the Arusha office really reached out to resolve that issue by sending a charger from Arusha to Karatu. The solution was impressive (also unexpected), and it became just another good example of A2T’s emphasis on customer services.
Our guide, Mussa, was great. We all liked him very much. I will talk more about him later (assuming there is another column to discuss).”