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Trip details | Dates & prices | Itinerary | Tanzania |
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| Pemba & Zanzibar Spice Island Dive & Rainforest Safari | |||
Walkways through mangroves in Chwaka Bay |
Though visually quite different from one another, Pemba and Zanzibar are politically a single semi-autonomous part of Tanzania. In diving terms, Pemba probably provides Tanzania’s most gratifying blue water coral reef diving. On the more weather protected western Pemba Channel, there are some stunning walls covered with hard plate corals. Zanzibar is the most likely transit point to reach Pemba and offers some quite different diving. Here we focus on the south east where very few other divers will be found. Whilst brittle hard corals thrive in the Pemba Channel, more resilient reef systems are prevalent off south east Zanzibar. These better withstand exposure to wave action which picks up during the June – August south east winds. During these periods, our diving in Zanzibar usually focuses on the lagoons behind a southerly sixty mile reef barrier. South East Zanzibar has some excellent fish life with plenty of large potato grouper and rays. The latter include blue spotted rays, eagle rays, fantasy rays and the odd electric ray. You can also hope to see schools of barracuda, green turtles, titan trigger fish, shoals of trevally and octopus. Leaf fish and nudibranchs can be found on both island’s reefs, whilst Pemba is particularly good for exploring small colourful reef fish a large reef top sand flat of garden eels. Dolphins are another regular feature of the marine life in these area. Both islands have stunning beaches. Pemba’s chain of west coast islands are simply idyllic, with some pristine islands within a national park where white sands are backed by tropical vegetation (this is the Pemba Channel and Misali Island Marine Park). Zanzibar has wider sandy beaches which extend considerably at low tide. These scenes are enhanced by these islands’ rich maritime heritage of traditional sailing dhows. Of the two islands, Pemba is in reality more the picture of a productive spice island with its mango trees, cloves, rubber plantations and so forth, so it is here that we take you on an island tour to explore the agriculture and rural communities in greater detail. Zanzibar has historically been the stronger trading post for these spices, as well as human traffic in slaves. The capital, Stone Town, makes for fascinating stay, to absorb some of the rich Arab-African culture and architecture in amongst its narrow winding streets. The coast of East Africa was once covered in extensive forests. This forest is now so rare that what remains on Pemba and Zanzibar are part of Conservation International’s biodiversity hotspots for urgent conservation. You will visit the largest remaining areas of these islands during this visit. In Zanzibar this is the Jozani Forest which is home to the endemic red colobus monkey. In Pemba, on any day you decide not to dive you can be taken on guided daily activities. Depending upon the day, this might include the Ngezi Forest for treks through its tall tropical moist forest.This is one of the best locations we have found for a short visit to a tropical forest. Trees reach 50 metres here; monkeys are relatively easy to spot beneath the tall canopy; and lakes provide lovely views of dense forest across water. These openings, like the bais of west Africa, provide a great vantage point for listening and watching out for birds such as Crowned Hornbills (Tockus albotenninatus) and the Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis). Click Here for further information about the Ngezi-Vumavimbi Nature Forest Reserve. We can easily extend your time at any of our dive bases, or add on a stay at Mafia Island or a wildlife safari on the Tanzanian mainland.
Tanzanian diving snorkelling & marine life - National Parks of Tanzania - Safaris to the Serengeti Ngoronogor Crater - Olduvai Gorge - Lake Manyara - Big 5 safar holidays - Lion Buffalo Hippo Leopard Rhino - Kenya - Great Migration - Masai Mara - Selous - Ruaha - Tarangire - Lake Tanganyika - Mafia Island - Watamu - Kisite National Park |
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