Pemba is the hillier, greener island north of Zanzibar. People come for diving and for the quiet. They do not come for a long beach holiday in the Nungwi style.
- Region
- Zanzibar archipelago, north of Unguja
- Known for
- Wall diving, clove farms, forest
- How you arrive
- Flight from Dar or Zanzibar
- A usual stay
- Four nights or more
- Beaches
- Small coves, not endless sand
- Capital
- Chake Chake
The clove island
Pemba rises higher than Unguja, which is why it is wetter and why the roads twist. Cloves made it rich, and the plantations are still part of the drive from the airstrip. The coast is a series of coves and mangrove inlets rather than the long white beach of the east coast of Zanzibar. Ngezi forest in the north is the wild corner.
Diving is the international reason to come. The drop-offs around Misali and the north are the sites lodges build their week around. Snorkelling exists. A beach-only week will feel limited if that was the only plan.
When to go
The drier months from June to October, and January and February, match the rest of the archipelago. Pemba catches more rain than the east coast of Unguja. If a dry beach is the whole point, say so and we may keep you on Unguja.
BestGoodQuieter or wetter
How it combines
A few nights on Pemba after Stone Town and a beach on Unguja is a full Zanzibar holiday. Pemba after a safari works when the flights do. Read the Zanzibar hub for how we sequence a beach after a climb or a northern circuit. Pemba is the specialist version of that ending.
Packages that include Pemba Island
We do not have a set departure printed for Pemba Island yet. Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling, and we will say whether it belongs in the trip.
All safarisQuestions people ask
- For experienced divers who want walls and fewer boats, often yes. For a first snorkel and a wide beach, Unguja is easier. Tell us which of those you are.
- The flight is short and the day is not. A day trip is a transfer with a glance. Stay the nights, or stay on Unguja.
References
The facts on this page were checked against these sources and written in our own words. Gate hours, fees and wildlife numbers change. We link the authority instead of printing a figure that will go stale.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28.
