Pemba Island

Pemba is a smaller island to the north-east of Zanzibar, and directly east of Tanga on the mainland. Pemba receives few visitors, and as a result it has changed very little over the last decade, while Zanzibar's tourist industry has boomed. It's a great destination for travellers who want to get away from the tourist buzz and are happy with simple living.

Natural forests cover Pemba's rolling landscape, along with plantations that collectively produce more cloves than Zanzibar. A number of interesting ruins from the Shirazi era can be found here, as well as some lovely beaches that offer superb diving conditions. Traditional bullfights, a throwback to the Portuguese era, are sometimes held on Pemba.

Pemba is also known as a centre for witchcraft and traditional medicine. Local travellers come from all over Tanzania (even Uganda and Zaire) to consult local traditional healers.

Pemba's capial, Chake Chake, is also its largest town. It contains a post office, a hospital, and a bank that will exchange traveller's cheques.

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