About Pemba

Pemba has been separated from the mainland and Zanzibar for decades, leaving an untouched and pristine island of great beauty and fertility. The mosaic of forests, swamps, mangroves, hidden beaches and lagoons is scattered with the ruins of mosques and tombs mostly reclaimed by the forest - sites that date back to Arab domination when Pemba was seized by the Sultan of Muscat (Oman) in the 17th century. He established his court in Zanzibar and ruled Muscat from there.

Pemba is still the world's major clove producer, around 70% of all cloves deriving from there, but now plays its more traditional role of being an Island Paradise with small inter-island trade.

It also has a strong reputation as a ‘magic’ island, a centre for ju-ju traditions of medicine and wizardry.

How can such a beautiful place be so devoid of visitors? On an island with a population of 300,000 there are rarely more than a couple of dozen foreigners. It is as though the people of Pemba have a secret that they refuse to share.