General travel information

Getting here & away - flights

Kaskazini can book your international and domestic flights at discounted fares if purchased in conjunction with accommodation. Please contact us for information. Whilst we can assist with flight bookings, we are not a ticket-issuing travel agent.

For flights originating from Pemba, book directly through LAM, at their main ofice in the centre of town, or at Pemba Beach Hotel where they speak English.The South African Airlink office is located at Pemba Airport.

Scheduled flights: There are daily flights to Pemba from Maputo (except on Thursdays). There are direct flights to Maputo with TAP from Lisbon, Portugal, and with LAM from Johannesburg, South Africa. South African Airlink is operating a direct flight from Johannesburg to Pemba (a ±3 hour direct flight) and back on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Dar Es Salaam and Nairobi route is operated by LAM.

British Airways, KLM, Gulf Air and United Emirates Air fly to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from where there are several flights weekly to Pemba.

Airport departure taxes:
International and domestic departure taxes are now included in the ticket price for LAM and South African Airlink passengers.  A border tax of approximately $3 per person is also levied and has to be paid in cash upon arrival and departure from Pemba airport (only). You will still need to pay a $10 per person domestic departure tax if you are taking a charter or plane transfer with one of the smaller Aviation companies to one of the islands or bush camps within Mozambique. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT CLIENTS VISITING THE QUIRIMBAS ISLANDS WILL BE TRAVELLING BY LIGHT AIRCRAFT AND ARE STRICTLY LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM LUGGAGE ALLOWANCE OF 15KG PER PERSON IN SOFT BAGS (including hand luggage).

Car hire & getting around

There are three official car rental companies in Pemba and several private operators: Moti Rent a Car and Imperial Car Hire at the airport, and Omar Rent a Car in town. Rates are generally high and make sure to check whether insurance is included. All the car rental companies have 4x4s and 4x2s for rent within or outside the town.
Kaskazini has access to a fleet of 4x4 Suzukis available at good prices!

Public transport mainly consists of chapas, which can be anything from a Honda Hiace minibus to a beaten-up pick-up. There are also public buses which run from Pemba town to Maringanha and Pemba Muxara regularly. There are taxis with meters, with the main taxi rank located next to the mCel building.
Pemba town is small enough to explore on foot, but be aware that this can be very tiring in hot weather. Hitching a lift is a generally safe option and many drivers will help out foreigners in need.
The Mecula buses depart early in the morning from the Mecula Bus depot in town (behind Osman Yacob Supermarket, next to Trak Auto) for destinations such as Mueda, Mocimboa da Praia, Nampula and Nacala (Ilha de Moçambique). Make sure to be there at 04h30 or before to get a seat.

There are also several Tanzanian buses (around 30 seats) which operate the same routes as well as in and around town.

Visas

All nationalities, except members of SADC countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Namibia) need visas for Mozambique. Visas can be obtained on some of Mozambique's borders (not Mtwara though), including the international airports such as Maputo and Pemba, but if possible get your visa in advance in order to get through the queue faster. Currently visitors pay $25 plus $3 Immigration fee. A border visa will be valid for 30 days, renewable once for another 30 days, but a visa obtained at a Consulate or Embassy can be renewed twice, for 30 days each time. To renew your visa, go to Migração, located at the top of the steps that lead down to the baixa. It will cost around US$20, but be warned: for every day that you over-run your current visa you will be fined US$40, so keep an eye on this.

Money

Mozambique's currency is the metical - plural: meticais ("meticash").
It is advisable to travel with US dollars, as these are always changed by banks and in the market at a good rate and are widely accepted as a form of payment. However, Barclays Bank and Standard Bank, on Av. Eduardo Mondlane can change Dollars, Sterling, Euros and Rands. It is not possible to change travellers' cheques or use American Express and Diners Club cards anywhere in the north of Mozambique.
BIM bank, BCI, Barclays Bank, and Standard Bank all have cash machines for VISA and Mastercard withdrawals. There is a new cashpoint at the airport as well. Other than the larger shops, hotels and resorts, credit cards are not widely accepted.
The best dollar rates are to be found in the market near Cabo Delgado Hotel, but beware of pickpockets, and be aware that this is the black market.

Current rates: $1 = 25 MZM

Internet, post & telecommunications

There are two post offices in Pemba, one down in the port area, with poste restante facilities, and the other around the corner from Cabo Delgado hotel in the main part of town. Do not expect to find stamps, they rarely have them...
There are public card phones all over town, or the TDM (Telecomunicações de Moçambique) booth by MCel as you arrive at Av. Eduardo Mondlane, is a good place to call from, and also offers Internet access. Casa Feroz, next to Osman Yacob supermarket offers fax facilities.
Internet access / Cellular networks
Internet access is getting better in Pemba - slowly we are catching up with the technological revolution, but be aware that connections can still be very slow.
Pemba Beach Hotel Business Centre offers a fast wireless connection. Not cheap at around $6 per 30 minutes, although may be cost-effective time-wise!
Sycamore Services: nice new building in the centre of town, next to MCel, and opposite Standard Bank. Probably the second fastest connection in Pemba.

Cellphone networks
There are 2 cellphone network providers at the moment - mCel and Vodacom, both of which have quite good coverage in and around Pemba. mCel is a conspicuous yellow building at the bottoms of the main avenue in town; Vodacom is based in town as well next to the KK supermarket. Vouchers for pay as you go - "Giro" for mCel as well as recharge vouchers for Vodacom are available in almost every outlet, with sim cards now cheap as chips. Both networks offer Internet services.

Tourist information

Kaskazini is Pemba's only comprehensive tour operator and official tourist information centre (this has been formalised through an agreement with FUTUR - the Mozambican National Tourism Fund). You can find us at Pemba Beach Hotel. Our office hours are Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 to 15h00, and on Saturdays from 09h00 to 12h00. When the guide books let you down, please feel free to pop into our office as we have all the up to date information on infrastructure, developments, and transport routes. We can also assist you with most bookings.

Health & safety

Malaria is the number one health concern in this part of the country. Even if you are taking prophylaxis, it is a good idea to cover up and/or use repellent at night, and always sleep under a mosquito net. Some treatments (including artemether and coartem) are available in the pharmacies or at the hospital. AIDS is as common here as in most African countries, and condoms are on sale very cheaply everywhere.
The hospital offers basic services in less than ideal conditions. You can get a malaria test here and at the clinic (Centro de Saúde Natite) near Mbanguia market. There is a private clinic (Clinica Cabo Delgado) which offers malaria tests, full blood screening, and generally good advice in clean and sanitary conditions. You can make an appointment to see a Doctor, and they claim to do house calls. The clinic also has air-conditioned private rooms, new equipment, and round-the-clock nursing care. Travel and health insurance though is highly recommended.
There are three pharmacies: Farmacia Nova (private) located on the main avenue in town, The Farmacia Carlos Lwanga (private) on the road behind Osman Yacob's supermarket, as you go into town, and Farmacia Pemba (state) in the old part of town one road back from the port. They stock a reasonable range of medicines and toiletries, including antibiotics and malaria treatments.
There are dentistry services at the clinic near Mbanguia market. The dentist assures us they have an autoclave and plenty of anaesthetic!
There are the usual hygiene problems - check in restaurants if drinking water and ice have been boiled, or stick to bottled. Eat freshly prepared foods whenever possible, but Pemba's restaurants are generally fine, and the seafood is almost always fresh and delicious.
Small crime, especially theft and pick-pocketing, is unfortunately common in town, especially in the markets. Watch your bags, wallets and cell phones, and leave valuables at home. Don't leave your belongings on the beach while you swim - on Wimbe you can leave things safely at Pemba Dive and Pemba Dolphin. Cars are often broken into on the more remote beaches and items on the back of a pick-up are considered fair game.

On a darker and smellier note, please do be aware that certain beaches (not Wimbe Beach) are used as latrines, so watch out for the human land-mines and sea urchins.

Climate

Located 13 degrees south of the Equator, Pemba can get very hot and humid. Generally, the best time to visit is between May and November, when the temperatures average 25-30°C, Although situated in the tropics, the north of Mozambique can get cooler at night during the winter months, so it is advisable to bring some long-sleeved clothing for warmth as well as to protect you from biting insects. Winter months are from June until August. The hottest months coincide with the rainy season, which falls between December and April. Southerly winds prevail from May to October and from October to May, there is generally a northerly wind.

The best time to visit if you are dive oriented is from September to December when the water is normally calm and clear. The rainy season from February to April can reduce the visibility, especially in the regions where rivers are entering the sea.Water temperature ranges from 21° during the winter months, the coldest being August, up to 29° during the summer and especially around late December. Most operators supply 3mm wet suits.

Time

Mozambique is GMT + 2. In the summer months, the sun sets just before 18h00, and in the winter months, it is closer to 17h00.

Language

The official language spoken in Mozambique is Portuguese. In the north, you will hear several local dialects, such as Macua, Makonde and Swahili. English is spoken in all the larger resorts and hotels (but not very well).

What to pack

Insect repellent, sun cream, a hat, camera, binoculars, a torch and batteries are recommended. Clothing wise - long-sleeved shirts and long trousers for the evenings, casual clothing for the day time, shoes for the beach (dive booties), and swim wear. The power supply is 220V AC, with round 2 pin plugs. It is advisable to bring a travel adapter.