Tanzania, Zanzibar, Pemba

[tadzio]

Hi,

I am going to be working in Chumbe, Zanzibar for a month, after which i have some time to explore. i was wondering if there is any information on diving in zanzibar and pemba. how muh the ferry trip is to pemba from zanzibar, and from zanzibar to dar-es-salaam. i was also wondering if any one has used swahili diving and thier hotel on pemba and thier safari outfit in tanzania, and if any other dive company; cheap budget hotels in zanzibar, pemba, and dar; and safari company would be recommended for someone travelling on a (tight) budget.

If anyone has some info for me that would be great.

cheers,

Tadzio

 

[Christian]

I'm afraid this is a bad area for 'budget'-travel, unless you get to know someone with a lot of friends in the islands well - which is not impossible. Don't know how much the ferries are, but they are fairly inexpensive. It's lodging and diving who are expensive. Personally I like the Manta Reef Lodge on the northern tip of Pemba, very quiet and remote and there are some very nice diving on the north part of Pemba. I heard that they recently opened a place on the southern part of Pemba, near Emerald Reef, but I have no experience from it.
But the best way for the serious diver is undoubtebly a liveaboard. A hefty out of pocket cost for a budget traveller, but considered the # of dives you can squeeze in and all meals and a room included in the price, it usually works out pretty competitive.

good luck

Haven't dived with Swahili divers, but I think they are supposed to have a new place on Pemba, a resort on a beach. Their old place was/is? probably the most affordable alternative for lodging/diving in Pemba. It's situated inside the town of Chake Chake.

 

[ScubaSam]

Hi, Tadzio,

I was in Tanzania and Zanzibar about 7 or 8 years ago in July/August, which is their dry season. Was a non-diver then so can offer no insight about diving other than the Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel we stayed in had a dive shop located right on the beach. The hotel is in the northernmost peninsula of Zanzibar. Ras Nungwi

We used Tanzania Serengeti Adventures, run by husband and wife team Jordan and Iris D’Souza for our 9 day safari (absolute must-sees for their variety of wildlife are Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater). Jordan and Iris were accommodating, knowledgable and took great care of us. The link to their site is Tanzania Serengeti Adventure - Karibu! ( Welcome! ) .

While in Stone Town we stayed at Tembo House Hotel for a few days before heading to the beach resort Ras Nungwi Beach Hotel in the northernmost peninsula of Zanzibar. We did not take any ferries. We had to show proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter Tanzania so check to see if it is still a requirement. We had to take malaria pills before, during and after our trip. Everyone should go to Tanzania, it’s an experience of a lifetime and extremely humbling.

PM if you feel I can offer more insight or if you have questions.

Sam

 

[stefo2]

Have to agree with Christian, Zanzibar is not the ideal location for a budget holiday, at least not if you want to do any "touristy" things, but even without it has become quite expensive (even for locals).
In Stonetown, you can still find budget guesthouses for about $10-15 if you bargain a bit. Try Haven GH or Flamingo GH. On the beaches, don't count on finding anything for less than $25 for a single, more in high season.

Diving is about $50 at most places if you only do one dive, down to about $30-35 per dive in a 10-dive package. In Stonetown, One Ocean is a good dive shop, they also have shops in some of the more expensive resorts on the east coast. In Nungwi and Kendwa (north) you will find lots of dive shops, one of the best (if not the best) being ScubaDo in Kendwa.

The ferry between Dar and Zanzibar is about $35 one way, to Pemba $45. If you are working on Chumbe and have some proof of it, you may be able to get resident rates, which are considerably lower.

If by Safari you mean a wildlife Safari on the mainland, then forget about the "cheap" bit. Budget camping safaris these days start at about $130 per person per day in a group of four, due to high park fees - and there are no resident (only citizen) rates there.

 

[Christopher_B]

Pemba is great! I first went in 2007 to write a report for a magazine and fell in love with the place. I now organise tailor-made tours there, combining it with Unguja and safaris on the mainland. I can't post links to articles I have written about it as i need to have more posts.... Google Indigo Safaris and go to the Tanzania and Zanzibar Archipelago page to find the links to the articles and a bunch of photos.
Swahili Divers is your cheapest option in a six-night, ten-dive package. It's worth looking into a flight between Stone Town and Chake Chake on Pemba. The ferry arrives in Mkoani in the south and Swahili Divers is in the far north, after the Ngezi Forest.