PEMBA LODGE

Location: Pemba Lodge was built in 2009–2010 on the remote and beautiful Shamiani Island, located off the southern tip of Pemba Island, about 15-30 minutes ride on a traditional sailing boat with outboard engine. Before the arrival of Pemba Lodge, Shamiani Island was home only to the inhabitants of Shamiani village, along with an abundance of tropical flora and fauna, including the rare and endangered green sea turtle. Pemba is a sister island to Zanzibar (Unguja) to the south.

Accommodation: With only five cottages spread out 35 to 40 metres from each other, and a maximum of fourteen guests on the island at any time, Pemba Lodge offers you ultimate privacy and serenity, a tropical hideaway in a unique location. The spacious guest rooms, set along a picture perfect Indian Ocean beach, are raised on stilts about a metre off the ground and made from palm and thatch, retaining an authentic African appearance. Each room is furnished with a four-poster bed all with mosquito netting, a sofa, a desk with a chair, and a bookshelf. The lodge furniture is made from reclaimed dhow wood, solid and chunky. Woven palm leaves line the walls, and the floors are of dark wood. There is no TV.

All rooms have en-suite bathroom with rainwater showers and compost toilets, an environmentally friendly alternative to water-consuming conventional toilets. Lighting at Pemba Lodge is provided by solar power and rechargeable reading lamps are also available. This is an eco-lodge embracing the concept of low impact and sustainability.

The lodge has one larger family bungalow called “Jahazi”, with two bedrooms and a seating area overlooking the beach on the first floor, and a spacious bathroom and two additional rooms on the ground floor, where beds can be fitted for larger families/groups.

Facilities & Services: The combined restaurant, bar and lounge area overlooks the tranquil bay on which the lodge is situated. The restaurant serves Swahili inspired meals using organic fruit and vegetables as well as freshly caught fish and seafood, all provided by the local farmers and fishermen.

Activities which can be organised from the lodge include village walks and bush trails, kayaking around the island and through the mangrove creeks, bird-watching, a guided reef walk during low tide, snorkelling, traditional line fishing, deep sea fishing, and diving in Pemba’s spectacular reefs rated among the world’s top dive sites.