Islands of Pemba & Mnemba

The Zanzibar Islands of Pemba Island and Mnemba Island are perhaps most famous for their fantastic diving and snorkeling. But the gorgeous beaches and easy travel connections to Zanzibar make them ideal for tagging a beach holiday onto a Tanzania safari.

Pemba Island

Pemba Island lies to the north of Zanzibar, only a 30 minute flight away. This is the largest of the satellite Zanzibar islands. Plus it's a favourite haunt for scuba divers with some notable dive sites. But it deserves to be on the “must see” list for other savvy travellers too, as the beaches are pristine.

An 800m deep channel divides Pemba from the Tanzania mainland. So this makes Pemba Island one of Africa's greatest deep sea fishing destinations.
The rich and alluring smell of cloves hangs in the air through much of Pemba Island. And the locals remain friendly and interested in conversation with overseas visitors. Here we would recommend staying at Fundu Lagoon amongst the few Pemba Island lodges.

Mnemba Island

Mnemba Island is the most serenely private, untouched and tropical of all the Zanzibar islands. Yet it is only 20 minutes from Zanzibar by boat. A “therapy for the spirit” is how some people describe Mnemba Island. Pristine beaches wrap around the island's small 1km circumference, which takes less than one hour to walk). Whilst an outer protection zone conserves magnificent coral reefs. Here giant turtles, ghost crabs and spectacular tropical fish drift through the lagoons.