Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
island was once peopled by giants known as the Magenge. More certain is that Pemba's
first inhabitants migrated from the mainland, perhaps as early as several thousand years
ago. The Shirazi presence on Pemba is believed to date from at least the 8th century, with
Shirazi ruins at Ras Mkumbuu indicating that settlements were well established on Pemba
by that point.
The Portuguese attacked Pemba in the early 16th century and sought to subjugate its in-
habitants by ravaging towns and demanding tributes. As a result, many Pembans fled to
Mombasa (Kenya). By the late 17th century the Busaidi family of Omani Arabs had taken
over the island and driven away the last remaining Portuguese. Before long, however, the
Mazrui, a rival group of Omanis based in Mombasa, gained the upper hand and governed
the island until 1822. In 1890 Pemba, together with Zanzibar, became a British protector-
ate.
Following the Zanzibar revolution in 1964, the archipelago's president, Karume, closed
Pemba to foreigners in an effort to contain strong antigovernment sentiment. The island
remained closed until the 1980s, although the situation continued to be strained. Tensions
peaked during the 1995 elections and relations deteriorated thereafter, with Pembans feel-
ing increasingly marginalised and frustrated. This was hardly surprising, considering that
illiteracy rates were as high as 95% in some areas, and roads and other infrastructure were
badly neglected. In January 2001 in the wake of the October 2000 elections, tensions again
peaked, resulting in at least several dozen deaths and causing many people to flee the is-
land. Daily life these days is back to normal. In fact, most will tell you better than normal
since road upgrades and other development are progressing much faster than ever before
and the government, which controls the clove trade, more than quadrupled the price it pays
to farmers in 2011. People feel their patience has finally paid off.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
Air
Karume Airport is 6km east of Chake Chake. Five airlines (As Salaam, Coastal, Flightlink,
Tropical and Zan Air) fly Dar-Zanzibar-Pemba-Zanzibar-Dar at least once daily and all
charge about US$100/140 from Pemba to Zanzibar/Dar es Salaam. Coastal adds a connec-
tion from Chake Chake to Tanga (US$100).
Boat
Ferries to/from Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam dock in Mkoani. Three companies were oper-
ating at the time of research: Sea Bus, Sea Gull and Sepideh . Several other ferries had been
taken out of service because of questionable seaworthiness, but it's likely they'll find a way
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