Hotel Archipelago

Pemba

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With its austere stairwells and utilitarian furniture (including inventory numbers) the Archipelago has the air of a government rest house – which it was – but now it's privately run and the best hotel in town. Rooms are clean and tidy with fridge, TV and tea-/coffee-making facilities, while staff are friendly and efficient.

The restaurant (open to non-guests) has plain decor but serves excellent Swahili food (mains around Tsh15,000). You can also eat under sail-like sunshades beside the swimming pool (also open to non-guests buying food and drinks).

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Misali Island, Tanzania.

    Misali Island

    10.92 MILES

    Surrounded by crystal waters and stunning coral reefs, Misali offers some of the best diving in East Africa, while snorkelling is spectacular and easily…

  • Ngezi Forest Reserve

    Ngezi Forest Reserve

    20.7 MILES

    In far northeastern Pemba, dense and wonderfully lush Ngezi is one of the last remaining areas of indigenous forest that once covered much of the island,…

  • Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary

    Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary

    7.06 MILES

    Kidike Sanctuary is home to a spectacular colony of Pemba flying foxes, a large bat indigenous to Pemba (called popo in Swahili). About 4000 individuals…

  • Mkame Ndume Ruins

    Mkame Ndume Ruins

    4.75 MILES

    The ruined palace of Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, who ruled Pemba prior to the arrival of the Portuguese (late 15th to early 16th centuries), is an…

  • ZSTC Clove Oil Distillery

    ZSTC Clove Oil Distillery

    1.23 MILES

    Pemba is well known for its clove industry, and this distillery is where the clove stems are turned into essential oil. It's operated by the Zanzibar…

  • Ras Mkumbuu Ruins

    Ras Mkumbuu Ruins

    8.39 MILES

    Ras Mkumbuu is the headland at the end of the thin strip of land jutting into the sea northwest of Chake Chake. It's also the name given to the ruins of…

  • Vumawimbi Beach

    Vumawimbi Beach

    24.06 MILES

    Stepping onto Vumawimbi, you may need to rub your eyes to check you haven’t gone to heaven, so idyllic is the view. Stretching along the east side of the…

  • Ras Kigomasha Lighthouse

    Ras Kigomasha Lighthouse

    26.25 MILES

    Located on the headland (ras) at the far northern tip of the Kigomasha Peninsula, this lighthouse was built by the British in 1900 and is still actively…

View more attractions

Nearby Pemba attractions

1. Pemba Museum

0.32 MILES

Filling an 18th-century Omani fort, which was probably built on the remains of a 16th-century Portuguese garrison, this small museum has well-organised …

2. Umoja Children’s Park

0.58 MILES

This fairground was established in Pemba’s socialist days, and completely renovated (a gift from China) in recent years. The gleaming big wheels and…

3. ZSTC Clove Buying Centre

0.65 MILES

This is where the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC) buys cloves in bulk from local farmers (usually between July and February). To get here, go…

4. ZSTC Clove Oil Distillery

1.23 MILES

Pemba is well known for its clove industry, and this distillery is where the clove stems are turned into essential oil. It's operated by the Zanzibar…

5. Mkame Ndume Ruins

4.75 MILES

The ruined palace of Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman, who ruled Pemba prior to the arrival of the Portuguese (late 15th to early 16th centuries), is an…

6. Kidike Flying Fox Sanctuary

7.06 MILES

Kidike Sanctuary is home to a spectacular colony of Pemba flying foxes, a large bat indigenous to Pemba (called popo in Swahili). About 4000 individuals…

7. Ras Mkumbuu Ruins

8.39 MILES

Ras Mkumbuu is the headland at the end of the thin strip of land jutting into the sea northwest of Chake Chake. It's also the name given to the ruins of…

8. Misali Island

10.92 MILES

Surrounded by crystal waters and stunning coral reefs, Misali offers some of the best diving in East Africa, while snorkelling is spectacular and easily…