While most travellers do Zanzibar, very few make the journey a little further on to the laid-back island of Pemba. There are lots of historic sites to visit, but there is little public transport. Pemba is a magical island. Unlike Zanzibar, Pemba has rolling hills, and verdant, lush vegetation adjacent to stunning coral reefs. The undulating landscape is swathed in a dense cluster of clove, coconut and mango plantations. Pemba is also magical - for centuries Pemba has held a reputation as a centre for the juju traditions of medicine and magic. 

Evelyn Waugh wrote of Pemba: "... novices would come from as far as the Great Lakes to graduate there. Even from Haiti, it is said, witchdoctors will come to probe the deepest mysteries of voodoo. Nowadays everything is kept hidden from the Europeans, and even those who have spent most of their lives in the country have only now and then discovered hints of the wide, infinitely ramified cult which still flourishes below the surface."  

Seasons: Zanzibar can be enjoyed throughout the year, except for April and May, which are the rainy months. Rain may fall in November, but these showers do not last long. Annual temperatures average at around 25 degrees Celsius. 

Precautions: Malaria area - minimize mosquito bites by wearing light, long sleeved clothing and using effective insect repellents (containing Diethyltoluamide DEET) on exposed skin. Sleep under treated mosquito netting or ensure that the doors and windows of your accommodation are screened against mosquitoes. Having a fan or air-conditioner on at night will further suppress mosquito activity. Currently, the three effective anti-malaria tablets are Mefloquine (Lariam or Mefliam), Doxycycline and Malarone (Malanil). It is still possible to contract malaria while on malaria prophylaxis. Note that Lariam may present serious side-effects - please test before you depart.