2 Divers Shot in Pemba (Tanzania) Need Advice

[Doc Intrepid]

Why?

Barley,

On the one hand, terrorism can strike anywhere. You could have been honeymooning in New York.

On the other, its a big world. There are hundreds of spectacular dive sites to visit that offer remote beach villas without marauding gangs of machete-waving thugs with guns.

To echo your quote above, given that you already know about the threat, and given that your plans include remote beach nights where no security response is possible, uh..... Why put yourself in that position in the first place?

Given that you have many other options, why choose to honeymoon in an area where every evening you'll wonder if you and your new bride may have unexpected company before dawn breaks?

Trouble seems to find most people all by itself. I have to wonder when people ignore warnings and go looking for it.

Best of luck,

Doc

 

[6Gill]

I'm from South Africa and I can never understand why Westerners want to believe their value systems and idiologies exist in Africa???? It's Africa, it dangerous, don't go there without a gun, actually make sure it's an automatic too...........simple.

Bad Advice! While I tend to agree that Africa can be a dangerous place, taking an unapproved firearm to a foreign Country can really cause you a lot of grief! I for one, would not want to wind up in some dungeon (jail) in Tanzania or any third world Country.

"CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Tanzanian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Tanzania are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines."

This said, there are many areas and/or parts of cities in this Country that are every bit as dangerous as Africa. (Without the dangerous animals.)

I do carry a legal concealed weapon, where I am able to, but would not consider taking one out of the Country. As for the Island in question, I don't think I would expose my wife or myself to such a dangerous area with so many reported attacks. To many great dive spots to risk this area.

 

[ShakaZulu]

Please don't take the gun thing seriously, you guys may just hurt yourselfs. It was said the accentuate the fact that it's dangerous down there.......don't go, listen to DOC, unless you are looking for real adventure.

 

[fgray1]

I don't think going to one where there is a chance to get shot or killed is the honeymoon I'd choose.
I hope you the best if you go but you wouldn't get me to go there for any reason.
Of course I do live in Florida and I can do some of the best diving in the world right here or jump on a plane or baot and be in even better diving in a matter of hours.
Fred

 

[wandernsoul]

I'm also making plans for a trip to Pemba, for January, and was rather....surprised.....to read this. Same as you, I"m wondering about the safety of the place now.
But.....I still want to go. One thing I can say is this. I've done 3 projects like the one the British divers were working on there on Pemba. Not to say anything bad about Frontier, the NGO they're working with, or Coral Cay, the one I worked with, but if there are 'pirates' or 'robbers'...basically bad people, whatever you want to call them, in the area, then I can see how these NGO groups would be considered easy targets. I'm still concerned with this issue, but unless there are other attacks, I'll continue with my plans to go. Keep your eyes open, and your head down.
Bummer to hear about your honeymoon plans for there. Personally I think I'd still go, but you have to make your own choice. Do you have a back-up plan?

Best wishes to the both of you!

 

[stefo2]

I have been to Pemba, to Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania several times and am going again in September for a year.
I'm not saying that these incidents don't worry me, nor trying to play the dangers down, I probably wouldn't consider Pemba for a honmeymoon, why make life more difficult than necessarythere during what should be the most wonderful time of your life. There certainly are dafer dive areas, so by all means, go somehwere else rather than spend your honeymoon worrying!

But some of the things expressed here I find really annoying.

"Doesn't seem like a friendly place" - it's one of the friendliest places I have ever been to. Of course those "pirates" aren't, but that doesn't make the whole polulation bad.

"It's dangerous down there" - hearing this from someone who actually is from Africa is even more surpriseing, he at least should be aware of the fact that there is a whole continent down there, with some countries / areas safer than others. Generalisation of the worst kind.

fgray1, in my opinion the quality of diving in Florida comes nowhere near to the diving in Pemba, but I haven't done much diving in FL, and that's not the issue here anyway. But where does this belief come from that the US of all places is so much safer than anywhere else? A while ago there were several murders of German tourists in Florida - a reason not to travel there or for the state department to issue a general warning? Not really.

You guys really need to face the fact that the USA has one of the highest rate of crime, incidents / killing involving fire arms, whatever the reason for that (Michael Morre has provided some interesting ideas), and that many places that "you" (sorry, I'm generalising...) consider dangerous, for example Egypt and the Red Sea, are in fact 100% times safer for tourists (and locals as well) than almost any city in the US.

Rant over.

 

[Jai Bar]

Inlcuding countries that were on the verge of civil war, on the end of it, or in the process of it (such as Ethiopia/Erithrea, Mozambique, Zaire, etc.) and countries with some sorts of borders disputes (such Sudan/Ethiopia/Kenya, Kenya/Somalia, Namibia/Angola). Most african countries- inlcuding South Africa- have some sort of trouble from time to time, or somewhere in the past, present and unfortunately in the future too. We all read about it in the newspapers- but only a small percent of the trouble reaches the media in the west.

In those regions, where what we call "law" (and "order") do not seem to exist, it is not a rare sight to see people carrying firearms. Actually, it is not common to see an unarmed men. You can see children not 13 yet carrying guns and grenades. You won't see these things in the big cities (where there is more crime anyway).

And in spite of this, apparently, most people are honest and don't deal all the time with piracy, robbery and killing each other. These things happen- you can read it in the local newspapers- but most of the time people are trying to carry peacefull lives (it is true all over the world).

I don't think you got more chances to be a crime victim in the heart of Africa compared to big western cities everywhere in the world. Just go and enjoy.

Anyway, as ShakaZulu pointed out, Africans have different morality and mentality- western values and mentality, and what we call "common sense" do not apply there.. They live and they think differently (trying not to generalize).

What I've seen in most cases, is fear from the unknown. Africa frightens many people who do not know what's going on there, and consider it as "dangerous place" with wild animals and wild people strolling everywhere. I even get the same reactions when I say I live in Israel.

The truth: the most common threat in Africa may be attributed to the Sun: heat stroke, sun burns and dehydration So if you go there don't forget sun-blocking lotion, a hat and bottles of Water...

 

[6Gill]

I have been to Pemba, to Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania several times and am going again in September for a year.
I'm not saying that these incidents don't worry me, nor trying to play the dangers down, I probably wouldn't consider Pemba for a honmeymoon, why make life more difficult than necessarythere during what should be the most wonderful time of your life. There certainly are dafer dive areas, so by all means, go somehwere else rather than spend your honeymoon worrying!

But some of the things expressed here I find really annoying.

"Doesn't seem like a friendly place" - it's one of the friendliest places I have ever been to. Of course those "pirates" aren't, but that doesn't make the whole polulation bad.

"It's dangerous down there" - hearing this from someone who actually is from Africa is even more surpriseing, he at least should be aware of the fact that there is a whole continent down there, with some countries / areas safer than others. Generalisation of the worst kind.

fgray1, in my opinion the quality of diving in Florida comes nowhere near to the diving in Pemba, but I haven't done much diving in FL, and that's not the issue here anyway. But where does this belief come from that the US of all places is so much safer than anywhere else? A while ago there were several murders of German tourists in Florida - a reason not to travel there or for the state department to issue a general warning? Not really.

You guys really need to face the fact that the USA has one of the highest rate of crime, incidents / killing involving fire arms, whatever the reason for that (Michael Morre has provided some interesting ideas), and that many places that "you" (sorry, I'm generalising...) consider dangerous, for example Egypt and the Red Sea, are in fact 100% times safer for tourists (and locals as well) than almost any city in the US.
Rant over.

To quote Michael Moore, is to be so naive as to really believe a person who rearranges the facts to fit into his personal views. Mr. Moore seems to be very popular with the French and German's, as well as other Europeans right now. I guess this seems to fit into their (your) views of our Countries policies and actions around the world. Especially since he is known, to go to Europe and bad mouth this Country. His movies can be "entertaining" to those who who want to believe in the things that he preaches. When one closley looks at all the real facts involved, particularly his anti-gun movie, one finds that there are a lot of bald face lies and rigged statistics.

The fact is that in Florida, since they started issuing people concealed carry (gun) permits to people in Florida (As well as many other States.) Crime has taken a real downturn in every State where it's legal. The fears of the anti-gun people that we would have "wild west shoot outs," etc. have not occurred. Instead would be criminals are afraid to do their thing for fear that an armed citizen is there to stop them.

Now, take a look at some of the European Countris that have made their laws so restrictive that all firearms are taken away from honest residents. The UK is a great example! Gun related crimes have reached a record high in the UK, Canada and Australia. There is a lot of truth to the fact that when you take away the guns, only outlaws and Dictators will have them. (Remember Hitler? He didn't like guns either!)

The fact is that almost anywhere (to include Germany) can be dangerous, however; I doubt that I would do a Honeymoon in a place that has the record that Island has.

The fact that you as a German, doesn't fear travel in places around the world has little bearing on an American Citizen who travels in area where there are known terrorist gangs and/or Moslem anti-american groups, etc. Would the Israeli Honeymoon in Jordan? I doubt it.

 

[vjongene]

I am honeymooning in Pemba in September (Diving as much as possible) and have just heard about the latest attack in the region off of Africas East Coast.
I've read of a fair few incidents in the region ranging from shooting, piracy, theft etc.
Does anyone know first hand what its like out there.
Is it just one of those things that should be kept in perspective - or should we avoid the area all together.

PLEASE HELP - ANY ADVICE WILL BE GRATEFULLY RECEIVED.

Thanks

A couple of years ago, we spent two weeks in Tanzania, dove off the coast near Dar, and headed inland to the Mikumi National Park. Tanzania is a very poor country, and this comes with a number of drawbacks that one has to accept as a visitor (e.g. prices for what we would consider basic commodities can be very high, standards of service are minimal, etc). OTOH, we never felt that the locals were threatening in any way, other than trying to sell us stuff we didn't need or want. Pemba and Zanzibar are if anything considered more safe than Dar.

This being said, there is no such thing as a "safe" place to travel, given that you are a foreigner and out of your normal environment. Just about every society has its violent and lawless elements. The trick is usually to learn how to avoid them, and this is more difficult in a place that you do not know or understand. Africa in general is more alien to Westerners than most other places. But overall, the objective risk of violent assault in Pemba is probably not much different from Miami, and definitely lower than your chances of being involved in a serious road accident at home.

 

[stefo2]

Right, I don't really want to discuss gun control, nor Michael Moore. My mistake for bringing those two things up.

I'll condense my rant (which was written in a state of being pretty annoyed) to two main statements:

a) The USA is not the safest place in the world, in fact it may be more "dangerous" than many places that people consider unsafe.

b) The rest of the world is not out there to get you, not even the Muslim world.

I have not met a single American travelling in the ME (yes, there are a few) and other Muslim countries who wasn't amazed at how people there actaully make a difference between US politics they disagree with and the individual person. Most people will like you (or dislike you, for that matter) for who you are and not for where you're from.

Would the Israeli Honeymoon in Jordan? I doubt it.

Well, Jordan is not the most honeymoony country, but a very safe place to travel, btw., virtually crime free, and has been at peace with Israel for a while.
A lot of Israelis do spend their holidays in Egypt, actually...

'nuff said. Let's talk about diving.