Finding Pemba & Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Jambo Family x (18.01.2007)


According to the Lonely Planet guidebook "Diani Beach" was very developed with huge hotel resorts, so we opted for the quieter Tiwi beach. Had a lovely day just chilling and that evening we decided to face the "buzzy, developed Diani" which in fact turned out to be as calm and remote as anything, with only very few hotels.

Wasini Island

The next day, having discovered that Diani was so much nicer, with silk sand beaches we went back and spent the whole day relaxing at the Diani reef 5* hotel with an English couple we met- we drank the local beer and sat in the pool bar all afternoon making use of their plush facilities! Going back to our mozzie infested - non air-co room that evening was not easy.
From Tiwi we headed south towards Shimoni, where we got a local fisherman to take us across to the slow paced Wasini island. Here we planned to stay for the evening. With all the day trippers having left, this island was the most idyllic place on earth. As we were taken around by a local 20 year old, (father of 2), there was a complete sense of harmony in the air. The children laughed and played- joining in with the boys for a game of football- walking  through the coral gardens, mangroves everywhere, the little houses all built from mud. I had my camera and the kids kept asking me to take pictures as they pulled funny faces… these people had so little but still there was a strong sensation of happiness everywhere.

Woke up at 4am with the sound of our Dhow boat coming in to pick us up to take us to Pemba island (Tanzania). No water. No toilet. No food. This trip shaping up as an adventure. With only the light of the stars we were the only 2 travellers on this island, got our backpacks and got onto this cargo sailing boat. It was pitch black and all you could see was the small moon and the stars. I felt like a real explorer… the exciting feeling soon got replaced by nausea as the strong waves knocking our little boat about. The 8 hour intended journey was long, quickly shaping up to a 24 hour hot and tiresome adventure...worth every penny as the boat drifted into the most beautiful beach of all- PEMBA ISLAND. we have landed!

… and here we are now. As I type this I can see outside my hut window the most brilliant view of all- a magical 3 tone sea, starting from pale blue, turquoise and in the distance a darker blue. The sand on the beach is so fine that it tickles when you walk on it… and best of all, there is no one else around. We have been here at the "manta reef" since yesterday, the plan  is to stay in Pemba until Saturday where we are then boating it across to Zanzibar.

Will write again soon,
Love and beijos  xx