Pemba from above, part 3

This is the third installment of my aerial photographs of Pemba island which lies north of the Zanzibari archipelago. It is considered the “green appendage” of Zanzibar, known for its lush forests of cloves, coconuts and mangoes.


surreal seascape in Northwest Pemba



an isolated beach in Ngagu



Ngagu is still devoid of mass tourism



the reef between Mjini Kiuyu and Kiwani


Pemba’s development has long been associated with the dhow, the traditional wooden sail boats that were the connection between Africa and the Arabian peninsula. Utterly dependent on strong tradewinds, dhows brought cloves to mainland Aisa and in return, sent back cargoes such as wood and silver. Even today, dhows continue to connect Pemba and the rest of its East African neighbors like Kenya and Mozambique.


aerial of the farms of Mjini Kiuyu



Maziwa Ngombe shelters thick plantations of seaweed



another view of the seaweed farms in Maziwa Ngombe



breathtaking shifting dunes in the South Channel, Pemba



a eutrophic tributary at West Pemba near Fondu island


To go: Pemba is a large island north of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago that is part of Tanzania, East Africa. There are regular fast crafts and flights between Zanzibar and Pemba. Air charters can be arranged from various operators like the one we made with Tropical Air at +255 24 223 2511.

the Pemba aerial series:
(part 1 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com
part 2 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com
part 3 in colloidfarl.blogspot.com

Pemba from above, part 2

continued from Pemba island from above part 1

Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous district in Tanzania is composed of 2 major islands, Unguja in the South and Pemba in the north. Unguja nowadays is almost exclusively referred to as the “Zanzibar” and is a world apart from Pemba. While Zanzibar is more densely populated and teeming with tourists, Pemba is desolate. Not that Pemba is lacking of natural attractions. Pemba has a greater number of islands, more expansive white sandy beaches and thicker forests. What it lacks sorely are infrastructure and facilities.


aerial view of the channel at Ngagu, Pemba island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, East Africa



Ngagu, in another perspective



Fondu and Western islands of Pemba


Pemba has two big “diving” resorts but they operate in rather remote areas that once there, you could not easily leave for lack of access to other points. When you go to Pemba on business, the logical places to stay would have to be either of the island’s 3 centers: Chake Chake which has the airport and the port towns of Mkoani and Wete. In these places, visitors only have a few guesthouses to choose from, and most offer only modest and with basic accommodations. Forget about cable TV, internet connectivity or room service. Save for these hostels, restaurants, at least the ones with waiting service and menus are basically absent too.


a seawater inlet in East Pemba that seems to have eutrophied with algae



dhows in the Kiungoni channel, Pemba



the tip of a reef in the South Channel, Pemba


But like most areas that are remote, the people are eager, friendly and accommodating. There are no commercial touts in the streets that are now plaguing Stonetown, the capital of Zanzibar. Villagers are a curious folk and they easily talk to visitors especially the small children who often don’t see people of a lighter skin.


an aerial of the northwest coast of Pemba



lush mangrove forest are common in the north



seaweed farms in Kiungoni


To go: Pemba is a large island north of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous archipelago that is part of Tanzania, East Africa. There are regular fast crafts and flights between Zanzibar and Pemba. Air charters can be arranged from various operators like the one we made with Tropical Air at +255 24 223 2511.

a place called Wingwi

The view from the plane was compelling. Orderly lines of seaweed cultivars sprawl across hectares on the reef of Wingwi, right where the channel forks like a trident in the isthmus northeast of Pemba.



aerial view of the forked channel of Wingwi, Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania


dense seaweed farms fill the tidal flat of Wingwi


Just like Maziwa Ngombe, the road to Wingwi is exceedingly rough. How the seaweed gets trucked out of the village is clearly challenging but infrastructure in the outskirts of Pemba is poor.


a woman farmer watching us curiously as we passed by



arches of trees overrun by vine create a surreal background amidst the ricefield


Most of the seaweed farmers actually live in the village that are some distance away from the channel. It is normal fare for them to walk a few kilometers to get to their farm sites during the day but they still curiously choose to live away from the water banks.


a boy carrying the seaweed that he was able to dry for the day



a shelter for respite near the drying area of Wingwi



seaweed drying tables are fashioned from cultivated pine

Seaweed mariculture is a fairly recent enterprise. It was introduced in Pemba in large scale in the early 90s but it is only in the last 2 or 3 years that the industry saw a significant spurt in production. Conveniences like styropor-bottom boats, plastic floaters and bamboo rafts otherwise common in seaweed-growing countries like the Philippines and Indonesia are sorely missing in Pemba. Farmers generally don’t have capital nor do they have access to farm materials. In fact, to transport seaweed from farms to the drying areas, farmers still use traditional canoes called mtombwe that are dugout from century old mango trees.



these canoes cost about $500 each



a dock for mtombwe boats in Wingwi

Maziwa Ngombe up close

Maziwa Ngombe. The name is hard to pronounce. Getting there too takes some patience. The village is accessible through a rough road that is best ridden in a 4x4. From above though, inside the comforts of the plane which we chartered from Unguja to Pemba, Maziwa Ngombe is a big producer of seaweed. The farms are dense and cover hectares of the white sandy tidal flat that gets exposed during low tide.


Maziwa Ngombe seaweed farms, as seen from above



farmers swarming over the reef during lowtide in Maziwa Ngombe



some take the opportunity to plant seaweed, others to harvest



harvest over her head


Seaweed farmers in Tanzania customarily work only during low tide. In high water, work becomes dangerous and boats are necessary. In low tide then which comes when the moon is full, the expansive reef can be traversed on foot and seaweed planting, tending and harvesting can easily be done. The rest of the photos tell the story.


it’s like seaweed fur around her



women of Maziwa Ngombe in colorful traditional kanga attire



women with their seaweed harvest, resting under the shade of the coralline crags



Maziwa Ngombe is dry and barren, with a few baobabs protruding over the flat landscapre



umbrella-like limestone outcrops mushroom over the tidal flat



a woman with her seaweed harvest by the stairs leading to the drying area



wooden boats are used in ferrying the harvested seaweed



typical harvest scene in Maziwa Ngombe



a splashing race

whiling the time away at the Chake Chake airport in Pemba

By nature, airports are made for waiting. You queue to check in, sit out for the boarding call and endure whatever delays that eventually come your way. That is why, despite the sheer weight of my camera and lenses – I gather my shoulder bag must be at least 5kg heavy – I lug them all with me wherever I go.


Pemba fruit stall outside Chake Chake airport



for sale: roasted cashew



signboards of hotel choices just outside the airport


My stay in Chake Chake airport in Pemba was in reality brief. It was less than an hour in fact but watching time go by with my lens was an interesting observation of culture. Outside the airport, vendors of local mangoes that are known to be sweet and cheap were making brisk sales. Dala dala buses ferried the occasional passenger.


a public dala dala bus from China



The minaret is a giveaway for the mosque that is otherwise heralded as “Africa Muslims Agency”

Inside the airport, nothing much transpires either. The waiting room is the typical open-air hall seen in many small airports in Africa. There is a cafeteria selling the prerequisite soda (all Coke products in various forms), smokes and nibbles. Access outside, into the runway, is easy. The small gate is unguarded and no one stops you if you wanted to take a breather. I wasn’t the first one who took the opportunity to roam outside. Was not the last one either.



the solitary waiting lounge of Chake Chake airport



the runway view, as seen from the waiting lounge



the Zan Air plane that was to be our ride to Zanzibar



detail of the stairs that lead to the airport roof deck

To go: Chake Chake is the de facto capital of Pemba Island and it is where the local airport is.

the port of Mkoani, Pemba

Air transportation is expensive in Pemba. It takes about $100 to buy a ticket from Unguja (Zanzibar) to Chake Chake, Pemba’s unofficial capital. An alternative is to use the daily fast craft that is serviced by the port of Mkoani. Cost is less than $30 I hear and three hours isn’t really that long. The most inexpensive option is the regular ferry that plies the Wete (Northwest Pemba)-Stonetown route which is more like an overnight crossing.


an aerial view of the town of Mkoani



the port from above


The main sea port of Mkoani is well built and solid. It can even take in international containers if only its facilities would be refurbished. There are plans in upgrading the port but this may take time as politics in Zanzibar are muddled.


the port



the port’s crane can only lift 5 tons or so


As a town, Mkoani moves slow in pace. With little more than 10,000 people, it still is a largely agricultural community, with the occasional demand for government-related work. There seems to be some support from the international community though. A complex of shoebox-type building exists which probably is a donation from East Germany in the 60s or 70s. The Chinese also have made its presence felt by sending in doctors for the local hospital. Multinational NGOs also drop by Pemba regularly.


a couple of young boys whiling their time by fishing at Mkoani port




wooden dhows which depend on wind power are still used for local fishing


Perhaps time would be kind to Pemba and modernity might just be around the bend. Meantime, clove plantations will still stand, fishing grounds will remain untapped and the white beaches will be as virgin as they still are now.


a lone group of boys with grilled octopus, squid and fish waiting for some sales just outside the port



transportation by donkey carts is still common in Pemba


To go: Mkoani is in west Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania, accessible by fast craft from the Stonetown harbor in Unguja (Zanzibar).