Zanzibar Ocean Panorama Hotel is a popular hotel on the beach, with rooms ranging from $35 to $50, with dormitory rooms costing $20. A visa is required for all visitors entering the country, which can be acquired at any Tanzanian consulate
or on arrival at the country designated entry points at the cost of $50.
A flight from Dar Es Salaam to Pemba Island will cost from $130 with ZanAir and a flight from Zanzibar to Pemba will cost from $84 with the same carrier.
Tanzania’s hidden gem, Pemba Island, is about 100 kilometres outside Zanzibar and is abundant with healthy coral reefs, mangroves, lagoons and fish, which makes it heaven for diving fanatics and beach lovers. It’s natural surroundings have earned it the nickname ‘the Green Island’.
30-minute flight from Stone Town airport in Zanzibar will get you to the island. Historically, the island was a major spice producer and provided the Omani sultanate with money for trade and military dominance over the surrounding areas. The island is still a major spice producer in the Zanzibar archipelago, and it depends more on agriculture than on tourism. Pemba’s terrain is hilly and fertile, filled with fruit and spice trees, and its beaches, with diverse species of marine life, beautiful coral reefs and crystal white sand, remains unspoiled and is a diver’s delight. What makes the island a true gem is that it gets far less visitors than Zanzibar, which makes it the perfect getaway from congested holiday sites and the best way to experience a true island holiday.
The island portrays the idyllic African village, with traditionally-designed square mud houses with thatch roof, ox-drawn carts stacked high with a variety of fruit, villagers who speak mainly Swahili and a small population of 350,000 people. Main attractions include the island’s main town of Chake Chake, Vumawimbi beach and Makoba beach.