Pemba Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Pemba is in Mozambique.
Contents |
Understand
Pemba is a port town in Mozambique located on the south side of the world's third largest natural bay, with a population of 100 000. It is the capital of the province of Cabo Delgado. It is the most important centre in northern Mozambique, and therefore has banks, patisseries, supermarkets and restaurants, although the town is very run down with paved streets having massive potholes and other storm water damage. The town was built over rolling hills, and most people live in wooden huts set amongst many thick baobab trees.
The history of the people of the Cabo Delgado province weaves throughout many centuries of African, Arab and Portuguese sailing, trading and settling.
The town was founded by the Niassa Company in 1904 as Porto Amelia, after a queen of Portugal. The town is renowned for its Portuguese colonial architecture. It was renamed Pemba at the end of Portuguese rule, in 1975.
Pemba is also renowned as being a prime destination for water sport and diving enthusiasts as a coral reef lies close to the shore. Pemba has increasingly become a tourist destination, particularly for upper-middle class Mozambicans and South Africans. There is now a weekly flight from Johannesburg to Pemba, a five-star hotel, the Pemba Beach Hotel, restaurants, and other forms of entertainment.
Get in
Pemba can be reached by air or by road.
Air
The airport has international flights to and from Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Dzaoudzi (Mayotte). Domestic flights serve Maputo, Beira and Nampula, flown by the Mozambican airline Linhas Aereas de Mocambique (airline code TM). Customs facilities are available at the airport, and visas can be bought on arrival.
Road
Good tarred roads connect Pemba to Nampula (438 km) and Ilha do Mozambique (427 km).
National roads south- and eastwards connect Pemba to Maputo, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Northwards, the national road from Pemba to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is partly tarred, and uses a ferry across the Rovuma River at the Quionga border post.
Get around
- Taxi's and car rental
- Moti Taxi & Car Rental, Tel Tel +258-2722-1688; mobile +258-82-666-6800.
- Contact Mr Saleh, who provides taxi and car rental services, and offers English-speaking guided tours. Tel +258-82-388-8929 / +258-82-706-1330
- Travel agencies: Kaskazini for tailor made excursions and holidays in northern Mozambique. Located at the Pemba Beach Hotel. Tel +258-82-309-6990; The owner's name is Genevieve. email info@kaskazini.com, [1]
See
Do
- Authentic local market (Souk Souk) in the centre of Pemba, where arts and crafts as well as traditional silverware can be bought. It is very large, stretching 2km along the beach. Avoid ivory, said to be sold at the market, since this is sold contrary to Mozambican and international law.
- Dive through Nacole Jardim, tel +258-82-661-1530; +258-82-669-7050; email info@kaskazini.com
Buy
Eat
- Mar e Sol restaurant on the beach – 'delicious fish and chips in spicy citrus sauce'.
- Nautilus restaurant[2].
- Quirimbas Restaurant, Pemba Beach Hotel - Lunch A la carte menus and breakfast / dinner buffets. Food is tuned for South African's: evening buffets will have four to six protein options, and two or three starch options.
- Club Naval, Pemba Beach Hotel - Overpriced seaside bar food. Acceptable Pizza, sandwiches, etc.
- Pemba Dolphin on Wimbe beach. Good seafood dishes from M100 000. Tel +258-27-22-0937 / mobile +258-82-315-4830.
- Restaurante Discoteca Wimbe, for a hot Mozambican atmosphere, on Wimbe beach. Tel +258-272-21440; mobile +258-82-302-6100.
- Unnamed beach restaurant, described as having an 'awesome view, plus a breeze and a bar'. It offers local food, including chicken and freshly caught fish.
Drink
- Disco at Restaurante Discoteca Wimbe, for a hot Mozambican atmosphere, on Wimbe beach. Tel +258-272-21440; mobile +258-82-302-6100.
Sleep
Camping
- Nacole Jardim or 'Place of the Ape', 10 mins from town. Camping among 40 boabab trees. Tel +258-8-2661-1530; +258-8-2669-7050; email info@kaskazini.com
- Russell’s Place, a camping ground outside of town along a beach.
Mid-range
- Nautilus Beach Resort offers thatched seaside bungalows (two bedrooms, airconditioned), a restaurant, casino and a diving and water sports operation. Tel +258-272-21520; email nautiluscas@teledata.mz.
- Ondazul (linked to Pemba Dolphin). Tel +258-27-22-0937 / mobile +258-82-315-4830.
Splurge
- Londo Lodge for dolphin watching, snorkeling and bush walks. Tel +258-82-699-5070.
- Pemba Beach Hotel, outside Pemba, 1 km from Nautilus, an Arabian style open plan hotel. Tel +258-27-22-1770; email pembabeach@raniresorts.com; [3].
- 60 Rooms (19 Doubles; 39 Twins including 14 inter-leading rooms suitable for families; and 2 Suites). All rooms sea facing, with individual balconies or terraces. The bedrooms have en suite bathrooms with bath and shower, air conditioning, mini-bar, satellite TV, direct dial telephone, coffee/tea making facilities, electronic safe, international plug sockets and hair dryer.
- 8 double-storey, two-bedroomed, self-catering Villas. All villas are sea-facing, fully air-conditioned with en-suite bath/shower and additional guest bathroom with shower only, a fully equipped kitchen including washing machine and tumble dryer, satellite tv, telephone access, electronic safe, international plug sockets and hair dryer. The villas are serviced and accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.
Cope
Climate
The climate is tropical humid. Average annual temperature ranges from a minimum of 22 to a maximum of 32 degrees Celsius.
The hot rainy season usually runs from December to April. The rain is irregular, can be very heavy and accompanied by strong monsoon winds.
The dry season is from May to November, with average temperature of 28 degrees in the day.
The temperature of the seawater ranges from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.
Get out
- Travel to one of the up to 30 islands of the Quirimbas archipelago. These islands stretch from Pemba in the south to the town of Palma in the north. They are one of the world’s best fishing and diving destinations, with phenomenal vertical drop-offs, some up to 400 meters. The southern islands include an expanse of forests in the Quirimbas National Park. Islands include:
- Ibo Island, boasting intriguing historical and fascinating sites. Since 1761 it was used as a springboard for trading in slaves and ivory. Now a colonial ghost town, with the island featuring mangroves, coral and palms.
- Matemo Island 100km north of Pemba and approximately 2400 hectares in size. It has palm groves, palm vegetation and pristine beaches and well as two indigenous villages. The island features the upmarket Matemo Island Resort, offering 24 chalets, a restaurant, bar, a pool and kilometers of beaches. Each chalet is said to be within 10 meters of the beach and has a large verandah with a hammock. The resort offers flights to and from Pemba, included in the price of accommodation. Prices for bed in a standard double room and breakfast, per person sharing, range from US$288 to US$346 (info: 2006). Tel. Johannesburg reservations +27-11-465-6904, Maputo reservations +258-1-303-618, resort itself +258-21-71-5000/1/2; email medjumbe@raniresorts.com, [4]
- Medjumbe Island Resort, offering 13 beach cabins only meters from the shore line, intimate and quiet. Tel. Johannesburg reservations +27-11-465-6904, Maputo reservations +258-1-303-618, resort itself +258-21-71-5200/1; email medjumbe@raniresorts.com, [5]
- Quilalea Island, Tel. +258-272-21808, mobile +258-82-326-3900, email Quirimbas@plexusmoz.com, [6]
- Vamizi, Rongui or Macoloe Islands, for luxurious eco-tourism which helps develop local communities. Contact Maluane at tel. +258-272-21299, mobile +258-82-347-8560, email reservations@maluane.com, [7]
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