Pemba Island: Diving, Misali, Ngezi Forest and the Complete Guide

By Regan Jacob, Tanzania Team Head Guide at Paramount Gorilla Expeditions · Last updated 31 October 2026

Pemba Island is Zanzibar's quiet green sister: a hilly, forested, clove-scented island about 50 kilometres north of Unguja, with steep coral drop-offs, a protected marine island at Misali, the endemic Pemba flying fox and beaches with almost no one on them. It is where visitors go to dive, to walk through forest and clove farms and to have an island to themselves. This guide explains what Pemba is, how it differs from Unguja (the main island of Zanzibar), the best things to do, when to go, how to get there, where to stay and how to add it to a safari. People also search for the same island as Pemba Island Tanzania, Pemba Island diving, Misali Island, Pemba flying fox, Ngezi Forest, Pemba versus Zanzibar and Pemba clove island.

Quick answer

What is Pemba Island known for? Pemba is known for diving along steep, untouched coral walls, for Misali Island's reef and turtles, for the Ngezi Forest Reserve and its endemic flying fox and for its clove plantations, with about 3.5 million clove trees. It is quieter, greener and less developed than Unguja, and it suits divers, nature lovers and travellers who want somewhere unhurried. Most visitors arrive by a short flight or by boat from Unguja or the mainland, and stay three to five nights. The dry season from June to October is the usual time to visit.

Pemba Island at a glance

Chapter 01 — What is Pemba Island?

Pemba is the second-largest island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, a hilly coral island of about 988 square kilometres lying roughly 50 kilometres east of the Tanzanian mainland across the Pemba Channel and about 50 kilometres north of Unguja. The highest point, Masingini Ridge, is only 119 metres above sea level, but the island is rolling and green, with valleys and ridges that give it a very different feel from the flat coral of Unguja.

Pemba is part of Zanzibar and is governed with it, divided into North Pemba, with Wete as its centre, and South Pemba, with Mkoani as its centre. The island's capital is Chake-Chake. About 543,000 people lived on Pemba at the 2022 census, most in villages and small towns, and many make a living from farming, fishing and cloves. Our guide to Zanzibar beyond the beach and our Zanzibar destination page cover the archipelago as a whole.

Chapter 02 — Pemba versus Unguja

Unguja, the island most people mean by Zanzibar, has Stone Town, the big beach resorts and a busy tourism industry. Pemba has few resorts, fewer visitors and a far quieter rhythm. The roads are narrower, the beaches are emptier, the forest is thicker and the villages feel less touched by tourism. For divers and for travellers who find Unguja too busy, that is the appeal.

Pemba also costs more in effort. Flights and boats are fewer, there is less choice of places to stay, and facilities are simpler. If you want a lively beach holiday with a wide choice of restaurants, Unguja is the better fit. If you want diving, nature and a sense of space, Pemba is. Our guide to adding Zanzibar to your safari explains the choice and how to place either island after a safari.

Chapter 03 — Diving and snorkelling

Pemba's reputation is built on its diving. The island's western and northern coasts face the deep Pemba Channel, and steep walls drop away from the reef into deep water, with untouched coral and a strong flow that brings big fish. The Pemba Channel is also known as one of the most productive game-fishing grounds on the Swahili coast. Dives are mostly done by boat, with a dive centre, and several dive sites run along the walls and around the small islands.

Divers should expect drift dives and some current, and the sites suit divers with some experience, though there are gentler options. Snorkellers can use the shallow reef at Misali and other sheltered spots. The dry months, from June to October, bring the calmest seas and the best visibility on the western side. Our guide to diving and snorkelling in Zanzibar and Seychelles explains how Pemba compares with other sites.

Chapter 04 — Misali Island

Misali is a small, uninhabited coral island about ten kilometres west of Chake-Chake, with an area of less than a square kilometre. It was established as the Misali Island Marine Conservation Area in 1998 and is now part of the Pemba Channel Conservation Area. The reef around it holds more than 300 species of fish and about 40 species of coral, and the island is a nesting site for green and hawksbill turtles.

No-fishing zones cover about a third of the reef area, which helps the fish populations, and visitors can snorkel and dive. A day trip to Misali usually includes a boat ride from Chake-Chake or Mkoani, a snorkel, a walk through the island's forest and a picnic on the beach. A conservation fee is charged for the visit, and your written quote shows the fee in force on your dates.

Chapter 05 — Ngezi Forest Reserve and the Pemba flying fox

Ngezi Forest Reserve covers about 1,440 hectares at the north-western tip of the island, in Micheweni District, and was established in 1959. Most of it is primary forest, a rare remnant of the forest that once covered much of the Zanzibar Archipelago. It is home to the endemic Pemba flying fox, to an endemic subspecies of the vervet monkey and to the Pemba scops owl, and a boardwalk and forest trails let visitors walk through the trees with a guide.

The Pemba flying fox (Pteropus voeltzkowi) is found only on Pemba. It has a wingspan of about 1.6 metres, weighs 400 to 650 grams and roosts in large groups, with up to about 850 bats recorded at a single roost. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable. Its numbers have recovered from about 20,000 in 2007 to nearly 29,000 in 2011, and shotgun hunting is now banned on most of the island, while bat-based ecotourism is developing. Young are born between June and August.

Chapter 06 — Cloves and village life

Pemba is the clove island of Zanzibar, and the cloves are part of the island's economy and landscape. The island has about 3.5 million clove trees, the most in the archipelago, and cloves are a large part of Zanzibar's export earnings. A visit to a clove farm lets you see the trees, the harvest and the drying of the buds, and to smell the island. Other spices and fruit are grown alongside them.

Village visits are a good way to see local life: markets in Chake-Chake and Wete, boat building on the shore, seaweed farming and fishing. Pemba's people have a long history of trade across the Indian Ocean, and there are ruins from the Swahili trading period, including the Ndagoni ruins, thought to date from the fourteenth century, and the fifteenth-century fortification at Mkama Ndume. Ask us to include a guide who can explain what you are seeing.

Chapter 07 — Beaches and quiet places

Pemba's beaches are quiet, and many have no development at all. The north has long white beaches such as Vumawimbi, and the small islets off the coast have fine sand and clear water. Because Pemba is hilly and forested, many of the best beaches are reached by a dirt road through trees, and the best way to see them is with a driver or a bicycle.

Unlike Unguja's east coast, Pemba does not have a constant line of resorts, so you can walk for a long way and see no one. Swimming depends on the tide on some beaches, and your lodge can advise on timing. For a longer beach holiday, combine Pemba with Unguja, or with the Seychelles.

Chapter 08 — Birdlife and nature

Pemba is an Important Bird Area. The island has four endemic birds: the Pemba green pigeon, the Pemba scops owl, the Pemba white-eye and the Pemba sunbird, and the forest, mangroves and farmland are good places to look for them. Ngezi is the best forest for the endemics, and the mangroves and shores hold waders and herons.

Bird watching on Pemba is a gentle activity, with quiet roads, low hills and few other visitors. Our birding safari guide covers the wider birding of East Africa, and a day or two on Pemba adds endemics that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Chapter 09 — When to go

The dry season, from June to October, is the best time for most visitors. It is the longer dry period of the year, with the calmest seas and the best visibility for diving. The weather is also drier from January to February. The main rains fall in April and May, when the island is very wet, and shorter rains fall in November and December. Some lodges close in the heaviest rains, so confirm which are open for your dates.

Annual rainfall at Chake-Chake is about 1,364 millimetres, with the lowest rainfall in August and September and the highest in April and May. Our best time for Zanzibar and the Seychelles guide explains the seasons across the archipelago.

Chapter 10 — How to get to Pemba

Pemba has an airport south-east of Chake-Chake, with flights from Unguja, Dar es Salaam and Arusha on light aircraft. The flight from Unguja is short, and for most visitors it is the easiest way to reach the island. Ferries and boats also connect Pemba with Unguja and the mainland, and the crossing from Unguja is a few hours. Schedules and fares change, so we book the right combination of flights or boats for your dates and confirm it in your written quote.

Because of the limited transport, Pemba is planned as a stay of at least three nights, so that the travel time is worth it. A common plan is to fly from the northern parks to Unguja, then on to Pemba, or to fly direct from Arusha. Our guide to fly-in versus road safaris explains how we think about internal flights.

Chapter 11 — Where to stay

Pemba has a small number of resorts and lodges, most of them on the quieter beaches in the north and west, and some guesthouses in Chake-Chake and Wete. They range from simple and rustic to well-appointed, with good service and a focus on diving and nature. Few have the scale of the Unguja resorts, and the experience is more personal.

We choose by position and by what you plan to do: a dive lodge close to the reefs, a beach lodge near Ngezi, or a quiet resort for rest. Rooms are limited, so book early for the dry months. Our Zanzibar and Seychelles diving guide covers the dive operators, and we match the lodge to your plan.

Chapter 12 — Costs and fees

Pemba's costs fall into three parts: the flight or boat, the lodge and the activities. Diving, boat trips to Misali, forest visits and village tours are priced by the operators, and some carry a conservation or entry fee set by the island's authorities. These fees change, and we do not give a single figure here: your written quote itemises each one for your dates.

Pemba is generally less costly than the leading Unguja resorts for a simple stay, but diving and charters add up. For a view of how Zanzibar fits a wider budget, see our Zanzibar beach tours, and our Tanzania safari cost guide for the safari side.

Chapter 13 — Combining Pemba with a safari

Pemba is a good finish to a safari for divers and for travellers who want quiet. A typical plan is a northern or southern safari, then a flight to Unguja or direct to Pemba, and three to five nights on the island. It also works as a stage in a honeymoon safari with Zanzibar, where Pemba provides a more private and secluded second island.

For a more complete route, combine a Tanzania safari with Unguja and Pemba, or fly from Pemba to Mafia for whale sharks and marine park diving. Our Tanzania and Zanzibar beach week shows how the two pieces fit.

Chapter 14 — Practical planning for Pemba

1. Plan three to five nights, because the journey needs time.
2. Travel from June to October for calm seas and clear water.
3. Choose your lodge by activity: diving, forest or rest.
4. Book early in the dry months.
5. Dive with a reputable centre, and check your certification and insurance.
6. Dress modestly in villages and towns, since Pemba is a mostly Muslim island.
7. Carry cash, because card use is limited.
8. Check your insurance, including diving cover. See our travel insurance guide.
9. Check your vaccinations. See our malaria and vaccinations guide.
10. Ask us to plan it: we confirm flights, lodge and fees on your written quote.

Chapter 15 — Pemba myths and mistakes

• "Pemba is just a quieter version of Unguja." It is a different island, greener, hillier and better for diving.
• "You can see Pemba in a day." The travel alone takes time, and three nights is a sensible minimum.
• "The flying fox is rare to see." At roosts and in Ngezi, a guide can show you the bats.
• "There are no beaches." There are many, and they are quiet.
• "Pemba is only for divers." It is also good for nature, culture and rest.

Chapter 16 — Pemba for kids

Our verdict

Pemba is the Zanzibar for people who want a bit of effort in exchange for quiet: world-class diving along steep reefs, a forest with a bat that lives nowhere else, clove farms, empty beaches and a sense that the island is still its own. It asks for a flight, a few nights and a taste for the unhurried, and it rewards those who give it time. Travel between June and October, choose your lodge by what you want to do and consider adding Mafia or Unguja. Tell us your dates and we will build the route and confirm everything on your written quote.