By Chase Sheldon
Fifty-five kilometers long and twenty- two kilometers wide, the Island of Pemba is not as developed as its sister island of Zanzibar, but this has led Pemba to be a more natural, less touristy retreat than its sister. Pemba presents less of a focus on tourist activities and more a focus on the connections you can make, to the island, its people, its waters and jungles, and its history. Where Zanzibar has a population of almost two million, Pemba has a much smaller community, only reaching about three hundred and seventy thousand people. This population mainly works as subsistence and cash crop farmers, Pemba Island being the largest producer of cloves in the world. Not just cloves grow on this hilly and green island, but bananas, coconuts, cassava, and red beans are also very popular crops that are regularly grown on the island.
All this makes Pemba a wonderful place to experience the native culture, pure and untouched, authentic about its ways. Not only are the locals friendly and welcoming, but the beautiful forests of Ngezi and Ras Kiuyu offer a world untouched by man, natural wildlife teeming through the trees, native species such as Pemba green pigeons, Pemba scops owls, Pemba white-eyes and Pemba sunbirds. Out on the ocean, Pemba’s natural resources don’t end with an abundance of sea life that they can all their own, diving in Pemba offers a wide variety of opportunities, from swimming with turtles, rays, and other marine life. Not only is there an abundance of sea life, but the wall diving is considered some of the best in the world. Walls are everywhere around Pemba, with many dives that sometimes head up to sixty meters down.
While you are enjoying the beauty and relaxation of Pemba Island, you will need a place to stay, kick, back and relax. The Constance Aiyana is a beautiful place to rest and be yourself, leaving your worries behind, offering rest and relaxation to the lucky few who would seek the island's beauty. Marrying the concepts of simple materiality and consummate craftsmanship, Constance Aiyana offers a home away from home, with white sands, warm hospitality, and freedom to enjoy your vacation, your own way. Ask yourself, what do you want to see? What wonders will open your eyes to possibilities that you could never have imagined otherwise, and what do you want to do with these chances that life is giving you? Caradonna Adventures offers a way to get away. Get away from stress and uncertainty and replace them with vibrancy and curiosity. You can learn more, not just about Pemba Island, but travel opportunities throughout South Africa, with us.