Holiday rentals in Pemba North Region

Thank you, Kake. You are a great host! We loved Pemba. The beachfront accommodation is a great budget-friendly option in Pemba, which is largely dominated by luxury hotels. But Verani Lodge is not for everyone - it’s very remote, no running water, occasional power cuts. But for those seeking a true local experience and the natural beauty of Zanzibar, we definitely recommend! Verani is right next to Afro Divers, a top notch diving center!

Just back from a lovely 6 night stay at Pemba Moonlight. It is a great place and Said and his family have put so much effort into the place. The bungalows are comfortable but occasionally the showers are a bit average. To be fair, the water supply to the whole area has been very patchy since the main water pipe burst so all water has to be tankered in. Breakfasts are good and we ate there every evening when we had a home cooked meal provided by Said's wife. On our last day we went on a visit to Tumbe fish market and bought 2 large red snapper fish and Said cooked them perfectly for us. Said was so helpful in organising some trips for us. He personally took us to the spice farm nearby and then on to Wete to see the flying foxes take off into the air at sunset. Definitely a trip to do. Another trip worth doing is the forest walk in the rain forest, the trip to the Fish market, Vimawimbi beach and finally the Seaweed ladies who make seaweed soap in the village very close by the guesthouse. The beach which is about 200m from the guest house has really good snorkelling (you have to swim out quite far to about level with the Manta Underwater hotel room) but when you get there the coral and fish are absolutely superb. There is no regular wifi at Said's but for a one off $5 charge, the nearby Ayiana hotel will put their password into your phone so you can use their's as much as you want. We went there for cocktails and/or beers and sometimes also used their infinity pool and they were super friendly. Sadly the Manta resort does not allow any non-residents to enter its grounds and is positively unfriendly to all locals and tries to stop them going on its beachfront. Such a shame really but what is Manta's loss is Ayiana and Pemba Moonlight's gain. If you want a good value authentic local guesthouse experience then go to Pemba Moonlight.

The room looks the same as in the pictures, especially the AC that works very well. The receptionist Khamis is very responsive and kind. You can have breakfast and see flying foxes (actually bats) after sunset on the rooftop. The house locates near the ferry, and 15 minutes walking distance to town. People in Pemba are super nice, jackfruits are very cheap (1 dollar for one!!!). I started missing it right after I left.

Seeing thousands of flying fox flying over the roof terrace in the evening is a fantastic experience, and this alone is reason enough to choose to stay at Sharook. Also you can be sure that Ismael and his team will go the extra mile for you. For me they arranged a great (and cheap) snorkel trip to Kokota Island with a very short notice. This was a very beautiful reef (matching e.g. Mnemba trips on Zanzibar) and there were no other tourists. They also arranged for me to book a motor cycle so I could explore Ngezi forrest and the northern tip of the island. Both trips custom made custom as per my request. Breakfast with lots of local fresh mango, served on the terrace with the view, also is a treat and something I will remember.

I arrived with my daughter, a friend and her daughter so we were four women travelling together and felt very safe and looked after. Said speaks fluent English and is a very polite, helpful and hard working man with a beautiful garden, excellent Swahili cook and helpful, friendly staff. We loved staying in a place run by local people and interacting with local people, rather than being sealed off in a fancy foreign owned resort. This is where to stay if you want authentic experience.

I had a great stay at Verani. The host makes you feel very welcome and knows everything about the island - he took us on a tour and even organised a special urojo meal for us, the best meal I’ve had on Pemba/Zanzibar. It’s Africa, so sometimes there’s no power or water. The place is rustic but it is beautifully located on the beach and near the forest. Best budget option, I will 100% return. Thank you so much!

Pemba Moonlight was fabulous! It is private, close to the beach, and everyone was very helpful and nice. Malon, who helped us during our stay, was a ray of sunshine and brought a smile to our face every day. Said was extremely helpful with arranging our activities and communicating with us. The food was fresh with homemade, local Swahili options. The stars are fabulous at night. We would highly recommend this wonderful getaway in Pemba :)