Pemba Island is the sister to the more developed Zanzibar (Unguja) Island and lies 50 km off the Tanzanian Coast. It is a lush, traditionally farmed island famed for its aromatic clove plantations and beautiful rolling hills. It has a strong indigenous culture which has so far been very little exposed to commercial tourism. Most Pembans are farmers, fishermen and artisans. Like in Unguja, they are predominantly Muslims and adhere to the Islamic rituals and celebrations.

Pemba is home to the endemic and endangered Flying Fox bat and a host of other rare animals. The ancient Ngezi Forest is a temperate rain forest and nature reserve where rangers will take you on exploration walks and delight you with tales of the forest’s long history and development.

The weather is consistently warm (20-35 degrees) and there are two distinctive green seasons: the long monsoon rains are in April and May and the short rains are in November. This keeps the island a lush, shimmering green and produces a wide variety of tropical fruits and vegetables as well as the spices that Pemba and Zanzibar are world famous for: cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, hot chilies and, of course, cloves.

At the southeastern tip of Pemba Island lies Shamiani Island, home to Pemba Lodge.