Indigo Safaris

  • Safari & Beach
    • South Africa >
      • Cape Town >
        • Cape Town Accommodation >
          • Deluxe Cape Town
          • Classic Cape Town
          • Low-key Cape Town
        • Cape Town Sightseeing
      • Cape Winelands
      • The Garden Route >
        • Deluxe Garden Route
        • Classic Garden Route
        • Low-key Garden Route
      • Eastern Cape Reserves >
        • Deluxe Eastern Cape
        • Classic Eastern Cape
        • Low-key Eastern Cape
      • KwaZulu-Natal >
        • KwaZulu-Natal Game Reserves >
          • KwaZulu Natal Safari Itineraries >
            • Deluxe KwaZulu Natal Safari
            • Classic KwaZulu Natal
            • Low-key KwaZulu Natal Safari
          • Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
          • Manyoni Game Reserve
          • Thanda Game Reserve
          • Phinda Game Reserve
          • Nambiti Game Reserve
          • Tembe Elephant Park
        • iSimangaliso Wetland Park
        • Battlefields
        • The Drakensberg
        • Durban
        • KwaZulu Natal Combinations
      • Greater Kruger >
        • Kruger National Park
        • Mala Mala Game Reserve
        • Sabi Sand Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Sabi Sand
          • Classic Sabi Sand
          • Low-key Sabi Sand
        • Timbavati Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Timbavati
          • Classic Timbavati
          • Low-key Timbavati
        • Klaserie Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Klaserie
          • Classic Klaserie
          • Low-key Klaserie
        • Balule Game Reserve
        • Thornybush Game Reserve
        • Kapama Game Reserve
        • Makalali Game Reserve
        • Manyeleti Game Reserve
        • Motlala Game Reserve
      • Madikwe Game Reserve >
        • Deluxe Madikwe
        • Classic Madikwe
      • Johannesburg
      • South Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Namibia >
      • Namibia Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Namibia
        • Classic Namibia
        • Low Key Namibia
      • Windhoek
      • Etosha
      • Kaokoland
      • Damaraland
      • Swakopmund and Skeleton Coast
      • Sossusvlei
      • NamibRand
      • Kalahari
      • Deep South
    • Botswana >
      • Botswana Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Botswana
        • Classic Botswana
        • Low-Key Botswana
      • Chobe National Park
      • Savuti
      • Khwai
      • Moremi Game Reserve
      • Linyanti & Kwando
      • Okavango Delta
      • Maun
      • Makgadikgadi Pans & Nxai Pan
      • Central Kalahari
    • Zimbabwe >
      • Victoria Falls >
        • Deluxe Victoria Falls
        • Classic Victoria Falls
        • Low-key Victoria Falls
      • Hwange National Park >
        • Deluxe Hwange
        • Classic Hwange
        • Low-key Hwange
      • Matopos
      • Mana Pools >
        • Deluxe Mana Pools
        • Classic Mana Pools
        • Low-key Mana Pools
      • Lake Kariba
      • Zimbabwe Combination Itineraries
    • Zambia >
      • Livingstone >
        • Deluxe Livingstone
        • Classic Livingstone
        • Low-key Livingstone
      • Lower Zambezi National Park >
        • Deluxe Lower Zambezi
        • Classic Lower Zambezi
        • Low-Key Lower Zambezi
      • South Luangwa >
        • Deluxe South Luangwa
        • Classic South Luangwa
        • Low-Key South Luangwa
      • North Luangwa
      • Kafue National Park >
        • Deluxe Kafue
        • Classic Kafue
        • Low-Key Kafue
      • Zambia Combination Itineraries
    • Malawi >
      • Malawi itineraries
      • Lake Malawi
      • Malawi National Parks
    • Mozambique >
      • Mozambique Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Mozambique
        • Classic Mozambique
      • Maputo
      • Ponta do Ouro
      • Vilanculos
      • Bazaruto Archipelago
      • Tofo & Barra
      • Quirimbas Archipelago >
        • Ibo Island
        • Quilalea Island
        • Vamizi Island
        • Medjumbe Island
    • Southern Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Tanzania >
      • Northern Tanzania >
        • Northern Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Northern Tanzania
          • Classic Northern Tanzania Itineraries
          • Low-Key Northern Tanzania itineraries
        • Arusha
        • Tarangire
        • Lake Manyara
        • Ngorongoro Crater
        • The Serengeti
      • Southern Tanzania >
        • Southern Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Southern Tanzania
          • Classic Southern Tanzania
          • Low Key Southern Tanzania
        • Selous Game Reserve/Nyerere National Park
        • Ruaha National Park
        • Mikumi National Park
        • Kilwa
      • Western Tanzania >
        • Western Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Western Tanzania
          • Classic Western Tanzania
        • Mahale National Park
        • Katavi National Park
        • Gombe Streams National Park
      • Tanzanian Islands >
        • Tanzanian Island itineraries >
          • Deluxe Tanzanian Islands
          • Classic Tanzanian Islands
          • Low-Key Tanzanian Islands
        • Zanzibar >
          • Stone Town
          • Zanzibar Beaches
        • Pemba Island >
          • Pemba Island History & Culture
        • Mafia Island >
          • Mafia Island Activities
          • Mafia Island History
        • Fanjove Island
        • Lazy Lagoon
      • Tanzania Combination Itineraries
    • Kenya >
      • Kenya Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Kenya
        • Classic Kenya
        • Low-Key Kenya
      • Nairobi
      • Maasai Mara Conservancies
      • Maasai Mara National Reserve
      • Amboseli National Park
      • Laikipia Plateau
      • Rift Valley Lakes
      • Samburu Buffalo Springs & Shaba National Reserves
      • Tsavo National Park
    • Uganda >
      • Uganda Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Uganda
        • Classic Uganda
        • Low Key Uganda
      • Entebbe, Kampala & Lake Victoria
      • Lake Mburo
      • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
      • Queen Elizabeth National Park
      • Kibale Forest Area
      • Murchison Falls
      • Jinja
      • Kidepo Valley
    • East Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Madagascar >
      • Antananarivo & Around
      • Madagascar East
      • Route National 7
      • Madagascar North
      • Madagascar West
      • Madagascar South
      • Madagascar Islands
    • Mauritius >
      • Mauritius Itineraries
      • Mauritius Beaches
      • Mauritius Interior
    • Maldives >
      • Deluxe Maldives
      • Classic Maldives
      • Low-key Maldives
    • Seychelles >
      • Seychelles Inner Islands >
        • North Island
        • Mahé
        • Praslin
        • La Digue
        • Silhouette
        • Round Island
        • Bird Island
        • Cerf Island
        • Chauve Souris
        • Cousine Island
        • Denis Island
        • Frégate Island
        • Ste Anne
      • Seychelles Outer Islands >
        • Alphonse Island
        • Astove Atoll
        • Cosmoledo Atoll
        • Desroches
        • Aldabra Atoll
        • Assumption
        • African Banks
        • D’Arros Island
        • Poivre Atoll
        • Remire Island
        • St Joseph Atoll
        • Coëtivy Island
        • Platte
    • St Helena >
      • St Helena Accommodation
      • Walks
      • Post Box Walks
      • Place to Visit
      • St Helena Nature
      • St Helena Diving
  • Diving & Snorkelling
    • Africa and the Indian Ocean >
      • South Africa Diving >
        • Cape Town Diving
        • Kwazulu Natal Diving >
          • Aliwal Shoal
          • Protea Banks
          • Sodwana Bay
        • Sardine Run
      • Mozambique Diving >
        • Ponta do Ouro Diving
        • Tofo Diving
        • Bazaruto diving
        • Quirimbas Diving >
          • Ibo Island Diving
          • Quilalea Diving
          • Medjumbe Diving
          • Vamizi Diving
      • Tanzania Diving >
        • Zanzibar diving
        • Pemba Diving
        • Mafia Island Diving
      • St Helena Diving >
        • St Helena Dive and Snorkel Trips 2023
      • Maldives >
        • Maldives Deep South
        • Maldives Liveaboards >
          • Blueforce 1
          • Carpe Diem
          • Carpe Novo
          • Carpe Vita
          • Blue Spirit
          • Blue Voyager
          • Emperor Explorer
          • Duke of York
          • MV Sheena
      • Seychelles Diving >
        • Alphonse Diving
        • Cosmoledo Diving
    • Caribbean & Americas >
      • Bahamas >
        • Travel Information
        • Bimini >
          • ​Bimini Hilton Resort World
          • ​Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina
          • Bimini Diving
          • Bimini Dive packages
        • Andros Island >
          • Small Hope Bay Lodge
        • San Salvador
        • Grand Bahama
        • New Providence
        • Long Island
        • The Exumas
        • Bahamas liveaboards
        • Bahamas Tiger Beach Shark Safari 2021
      • Turks and Caicos >
        • Humpback whale snorkeling
      • Dominica >
        • Dominica Sperm Whales
        • Dominica Diving
      • St Eustatia -Statia
      • Mexico >
        • Baja Sur >
          • Sea of Cortez Liveaboards >
            • Orcas and Mobulas - Sea of Cortez Photography Trip
            • Rocio Del Mar
            • Quino el Guardian
          • Socorro
          • La Paz
          • Cabo San Lucas >
            • The Pelagic Safari
            • Cabo San Lucas Diving
            • Cabo San Lucas Dive Rates
      • The Galapagos >
        • Galapagos Liveaboards >
          • ​AGGRESSOR III
          • Humboldt Explorer
          • Galapagos Master
        • Galapagos Land Based Multi-Island
        • Galapagos wildlife cruises >
          • MY San Jose
          • MY Eden
          • SY Nemo I
          • MY Archipell I
      • Cocos Island >
        • Cocos Dive sites
        • Okeanos Aggressor I
        • Okeanos Aggressor II
        • Sea Hunter
        • Argo
        • Cocos Expedition 2021
    • Indonesia >
      • Bali >
        • Seminyak Luxury Accommodation
        • Bali Dive Safaris
      • Komodo National Park >
        • Komodo Liveaboards >
          • Pratiwi
          • Lalunia
          • Sinar Pagi
        • Kalimaya Resort >
          • Kalimaya Resort Accommodation
          • Kalimaya Resort Diving
      • West Papua and Raja Ampat >
        • Dampier Straits dive sites
        • Indonesia Liveaboards
        • Papua Explorers
        • Kri eco resort
        • Sorido Bay Resort
        • The Baliem Valley >
          • The Baliem Valley Tour 1
      • Lembeh >
        • Lembeh Diving
        • NAD Lembeh Resort >
          • NAD Lembeh Diving
        • Lembeh Resort
        • Cocotinos Lembeh Resort
        • Two Fish Lembeh Resort
      • Bangka Island >
        • Bangka Accommodation
        • Bangka Diving
      • Siladen Island >
        • Siladen Resort
        • Siladen Diving
      • Manado >
        • Two Fish Resort Bunaken
        • Cocotinos Manado Resort
        • Murex Manado Resort
        • Manado Diving
      • Indonesia Liveaboards >
        • Raja Ampat Aggressor
        • Emperor Raja Laut
        • Ondina Liveaboard
        • Sea Safari 8
        • Sea Safari VI
        • Sea Safari VII
        • Cheng Ho
        • Amira Liveaboard
        • Indo Aggressor
        • Tambora Liveaboard
        • Seahorse Liveaboard
        • Adelaar Liveaboard
        • Damai I Liveaboard
        • Damai II Liveaboard
        • Tarata Liveaboard
        • Ambai Liveaboard
        • Gaia Love
        • Putri Papua
        • Indo Siren Liveaboard
        • TemuKira Liveaboard
        • Solitude Adventurer
        • Pearl of Papua
        • Seven Seas
        • Pindito Liveaboard
        • Mermaid I Liveaboard
        • Mermaid II Liveaboard
        • Dewi Nusantara
        • Coralia liveaboard
        • Blue Manta
        • True North
    • Oceania and The South Pacific >
      • Papua New Guinea >
        • PNG Dive Specials
        • Tufi >
          • At Tufi Dive Resort
          • Tufi Reefs And Muck Diving
          • Tufi Wrecks
          • Tufi Fishing
          • Tufi Village Guesthouses Stays
          • Tufi Birding and Wildlife
          • Tufi Gallery
          • Tufi Videos
        • Walindi >
          • At Walindi Plantation Resort
          • Walindi Tours and Walks
          • Walindi Bird Watching
          • Walindi Diving
          • Walindi Gallery
          • Walindi videos
        • Lissenung Island Resort >
          • Lissenung Island Life
          • Lissenung Island accommodation
          • Lissenung Diving
          • Lissenung Surfing
          • Lissenung Fishing
          • Lissenung Tours
          • Lissenung Gallery
          • Lissenung Videos
        • Rapopo Plantation Resort >
          • Rapopo Diving
          • Rapopo Tours
        • Papua New Guinea Liveaboards >
          • MV Oceania >
            • MV Oceania Itineraries
          • MV FeBrina >
            • On Board The Febrina
            • MV FeBrina Itineraries
            • Mv Febrina Gallery
            • Mv Febrina Videos
        • Madang >
          • Madang Accommodation
          • Madang Diving
      • Palau Snapper Spawning Trip May 2023
      • Truk Lagoon Escorted trip November 2023
    • South East Asia >
      • The Philippines >
        • Puerto Galera >
          • Puerto Galera diving
          • Puerto Galera Tours and activities
          • Atlantis Resort Puerto Galera Special Offer
        • Atlantis Azores, Christmas and New Year Special
        • Anilao, Batangas >
          • Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort >
            • Aiyanar diving
        • Philippines Liveaboard >
          • Philippines Siren
          • Siren Southern Visayas
          • Siren Leyte
          • Moalboal >
            • Magic Island Resort Accommodation
            • Magic Island Resort Diving
          • Siren Tubbataha
        • Bohol >
          • Magic Ocean Resort Accommodation
          • Magic Ocean Resort Diving
        • Negros >
          • Atlantis Dumaguete >
            • Atlantis Dumaguete Accommodation
            • Atlantis Dumaguete Diving
          • Punta Bulata >
            • Punta Bulata Accommodation
            • Punta Bulata Diving
    • The Red Sea >
      • Sudan Diving
  • Specials & Faves
    • Safari & Beach Specials
    • Solo Safari Specials
    • Family Safari Specials
    • Dive Specials
  • Testimonials
  • Giving back
  • Indigoblog
  • Why Book With Us?
  • Safari & Beach
    • South Africa >
      • Cape Town >
        • Cape Town Accommodation >
          • Deluxe Cape Town
          • Classic Cape Town
          • Low-key Cape Town
        • Cape Town Sightseeing
      • Cape Winelands
      • The Garden Route >
        • Deluxe Garden Route
        • Classic Garden Route
        • Low-key Garden Route
      • Eastern Cape Reserves >
        • Deluxe Eastern Cape
        • Classic Eastern Cape
        • Low-key Eastern Cape
      • KwaZulu-Natal >
        • KwaZulu-Natal Game Reserves >
          • KwaZulu Natal Safari Itineraries >
            • Deluxe KwaZulu Natal Safari
            • Classic KwaZulu Natal
            • Low-key KwaZulu Natal Safari
          • Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
          • Manyoni Game Reserve
          • Thanda Game Reserve
          • Phinda Game Reserve
          • Nambiti Game Reserve
          • Tembe Elephant Park
        • iSimangaliso Wetland Park
        • Battlefields
        • The Drakensberg
        • Durban
        • KwaZulu Natal Combinations
      • Greater Kruger >
        • Kruger National Park
        • Mala Mala Game Reserve
        • Sabi Sand Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Sabi Sand
          • Classic Sabi Sand
          • Low-key Sabi Sand
        • Timbavati Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Timbavati
          • Classic Timbavati
          • Low-key Timbavati
        • Klaserie Game Reserve >
          • Deluxe Klaserie
          • Classic Klaserie
          • Low-key Klaserie
        • Balule Game Reserve
        • Thornybush Game Reserve
        • Kapama Game Reserve
        • Makalali Game Reserve
        • Manyeleti Game Reserve
        • Motlala Game Reserve
      • Madikwe Game Reserve >
        • Deluxe Madikwe
        • Classic Madikwe
      • Johannesburg
      • South Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Namibia >
      • Namibia Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Namibia
        • Classic Namibia
        • Low Key Namibia
      • Windhoek
      • Etosha
      • Kaokoland
      • Damaraland
      • Swakopmund and Skeleton Coast
      • Sossusvlei
      • NamibRand
      • Kalahari
      • Deep South
    • Botswana >
      • Botswana Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Botswana
        • Classic Botswana
        • Low-Key Botswana
      • Chobe National Park
      • Savuti
      • Khwai
      • Moremi Game Reserve
      • Linyanti & Kwando
      • Okavango Delta
      • Maun
      • Makgadikgadi Pans & Nxai Pan
      • Central Kalahari
    • Zimbabwe >
      • Victoria Falls >
        • Deluxe Victoria Falls
        • Classic Victoria Falls
        • Low-key Victoria Falls
      • Hwange National Park >
        • Deluxe Hwange
        • Classic Hwange
        • Low-key Hwange
      • Matopos
      • Mana Pools >
        • Deluxe Mana Pools
        • Classic Mana Pools
        • Low-key Mana Pools
      • Lake Kariba
      • Zimbabwe Combination Itineraries
    • Zambia >
      • Livingstone >
        • Deluxe Livingstone
        • Classic Livingstone
        • Low-key Livingstone
      • Lower Zambezi National Park >
        • Deluxe Lower Zambezi
        • Classic Lower Zambezi
        • Low-Key Lower Zambezi
      • South Luangwa >
        • Deluxe South Luangwa
        • Classic South Luangwa
        • Low-Key South Luangwa
      • North Luangwa
      • Kafue National Park >
        • Deluxe Kafue
        • Classic Kafue
        • Low-Key Kafue
      • Zambia Combination Itineraries
    • Malawi >
      • Malawi itineraries
      • Lake Malawi
      • Malawi National Parks
    • Mozambique >
      • Mozambique Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Mozambique
        • Classic Mozambique
      • Maputo
      • Ponta do Ouro
      • Vilanculos
      • Bazaruto Archipelago
      • Tofo & Barra
      • Quirimbas Archipelago >
        • Ibo Island
        • Quilalea Island
        • Vamizi Island
        • Medjumbe Island
    • Southern Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Tanzania >
      • Northern Tanzania >
        • Northern Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Northern Tanzania
          • Classic Northern Tanzania Itineraries
          • Low-Key Northern Tanzania itineraries
        • Arusha
        • Tarangire
        • Lake Manyara
        • Ngorongoro Crater
        • The Serengeti
      • Southern Tanzania >
        • Southern Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Southern Tanzania
          • Classic Southern Tanzania
          • Low Key Southern Tanzania
        • Selous Game Reserve/Nyerere National Park
        • Ruaha National Park
        • Mikumi National Park
        • Kilwa
      • Western Tanzania >
        • Western Tanzania itineraries >
          • Deluxe Western Tanzania
          • Classic Western Tanzania
        • Mahale National Park
        • Katavi National Park
        • Gombe Streams National Park
      • Tanzanian Islands >
        • Tanzanian Island itineraries >
          • Deluxe Tanzanian Islands
          • Classic Tanzanian Islands
          • Low-Key Tanzanian Islands
        • Zanzibar >
          • Stone Town
          • Zanzibar Beaches
        • Pemba Island >
          • Pemba Island History & Culture
        • Mafia Island >
          • Mafia Island Activities
          • Mafia Island History
        • Fanjove Island
        • Lazy Lagoon
      • Tanzania Combination Itineraries
    • Kenya >
      • Kenya Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Kenya
        • Classic Kenya
        • Low-Key Kenya
      • Nairobi
      • Maasai Mara Conservancies
      • Maasai Mara National Reserve
      • Amboseli National Park
      • Laikipia Plateau
      • Rift Valley Lakes
      • Samburu Buffalo Springs & Shaba National Reserves
      • Tsavo National Park
    • Uganda >
      • Uganda Itineraries >
        • Deluxe Uganda
        • Classic Uganda
        • Low Key Uganda
      • Entebbe, Kampala & Lake Victoria
      • Lake Mburo
      • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
      • Queen Elizabeth National Park
      • Kibale Forest Area
      • Murchison Falls
      • Jinja
      • Kidepo Valley
    • East Africa Combination Itineraries
    • Madagascar >
      • Antananarivo & Around
      • Madagascar East
      • Route National 7
      • Madagascar North
      • Madagascar West
      • Madagascar South
      • Madagascar Islands
    • Mauritius >
      • Mauritius Itineraries
      • Mauritius Beaches
      • Mauritius Interior
    • Maldives >
      • Deluxe Maldives
      • Classic Maldives
      • Low-key Maldives
    • Seychelles >
      • Seychelles Inner Islands >
        • North Island
        • Mahé
        • Praslin
        • La Digue
        • Silhouette
        • Round Island
        • Bird Island
        • Cerf Island
        • Chauve Souris
        • Cousine Island
        • Denis Island
        • Frégate Island
        • Ste Anne
      • Seychelles Outer Islands >
        • Alphonse Island
        • Astove Atoll
        • Cosmoledo Atoll
        • Desroches
        • Aldabra Atoll
        • Assumption
        • African Banks
        • D’Arros Island
        • Poivre Atoll
        • Remire Island
        • St Joseph Atoll
        • Coëtivy Island
        • Platte
    • St Helena >
      • St Helena Accommodation
      • Walks
      • Post Box Walks
      • Place to Visit
      • St Helena Nature
      • St Helena Diving
  • Diving & Snorkelling
    • Africa and the Indian Ocean >
      • South Africa Diving >
        • Cape Town Diving
        • Kwazulu Natal Diving >
          • Aliwal Shoal
          • Protea Banks
          • Sodwana Bay
        • Sardine Run
      • Mozambique Diving >
        • Ponta do Ouro Diving
        • Tofo Diving
        • Bazaruto diving
        • Quirimbas Diving >
          • Ibo Island Diving
          • Quilalea Diving
          • Medjumbe Diving
          • Vamizi Diving
      • Tanzania Diving >
        • Zanzibar diving
        • Pemba Diving
        • Mafia Island Diving
      • St Helena Diving >
        • St Helena Dive and Snorkel Trips 2023
      • Maldives >
        • Maldives Deep South
        • Maldives Liveaboards >
          • Blueforce 1
          • Carpe Diem
          • Carpe Novo
          • Carpe Vita
          • Blue Spirit
          • Blue Voyager
          • Emperor Explorer
          • Duke of York
          • MV Sheena
      • Seychelles Diving >
        • Alphonse Diving
        • Cosmoledo Diving
    • Caribbean & Americas >
      • Bahamas >
        • Travel Information
        • Bimini >
          • ​Bimini Hilton Resort World
          • ​Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina
          • Bimini Diving
          • Bimini Dive packages
        • Andros Island >
          • Small Hope Bay Lodge
        • San Salvador
        • Grand Bahama
        • New Providence
        • Long Island
        • The Exumas
        • Bahamas liveaboards
        • Bahamas Tiger Beach Shark Safari 2021
      • Turks and Caicos >
        • Humpback whale snorkeling
      • Dominica >
        • Dominica Sperm Whales
        • Dominica Diving
      • St Eustatia -Statia
      • Mexico >
        • Baja Sur >
          • Sea of Cortez Liveaboards >
            • Orcas and Mobulas - Sea of Cortez Photography Trip
            • Rocio Del Mar
            • Quino el Guardian
          • Socorro
          • La Paz
          • Cabo San Lucas >
            • The Pelagic Safari
            • Cabo San Lucas Diving
            • Cabo San Lucas Dive Rates
      • The Galapagos >
        • Galapagos Liveaboards >
          • ​AGGRESSOR III
          • Humboldt Explorer
          • Galapagos Master
        • Galapagos Land Based Multi-Island
        • Galapagos wildlife cruises >
          • MY San Jose
          • MY Eden
          • SY Nemo I
          • MY Archipell I
      • Cocos Island >
        • Cocos Dive sites
        • Okeanos Aggressor I
        • Okeanos Aggressor II
        • Sea Hunter
        • Argo
        • Cocos Expedition 2021
    • Indonesia >
      • Bali >
        • Seminyak Luxury Accommodation
        • Bali Dive Safaris
      • Komodo National Park >
        • Komodo Liveaboards >
          • Pratiwi
          • Lalunia
          • Sinar Pagi
        • Kalimaya Resort >
          • Kalimaya Resort Accommodation
          • Kalimaya Resort Diving
      • West Papua and Raja Ampat >
        • Dampier Straits dive sites
        • Indonesia Liveaboards
        • Papua Explorers
        • Kri eco resort
        • Sorido Bay Resort
        • The Baliem Valley >
          • The Baliem Valley Tour 1
      • Lembeh >
        • Lembeh Diving
        • NAD Lembeh Resort >
          • NAD Lembeh Diving
        • Lembeh Resort
        • Cocotinos Lembeh Resort
        • Two Fish Lembeh Resort
      • Bangka Island >
        • Bangka Accommodation
        • Bangka Diving
      • Siladen Island >
        • Siladen Resort
        • Siladen Diving
      • Manado >
        • Two Fish Resort Bunaken
        • Cocotinos Manado Resort
        • Murex Manado Resort
        • Manado Diving
      • Indonesia Liveaboards >
        • Raja Ampat Aggressor
        • Emperor Raja Laut
        • Ondina Liveaboard
        • Sea Safari 8
        • Sea Safari VI
        • Sea Safari VII
        • Cheng Ho
        • Amira Liveaboard
        • Indo Aggressor
        • Tambora Liveaboard
        • Seahorse Liveaboard
        • Adelaar Liveaboard
        • Damai I Liveaboard
        • Damai II Liveaboard
        • Tarata Liveaboard
        • Ambai Liveaboard
        • Gaia Love
        • Putri Papua
        • Indo Siren Liveaboard
        • TemuKira Liveaboard
        • Solitude Adventurer
        • Pearl of Papua
        • Seven Seas
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pemba island history & CULTURE

PEMBA ISLAND HISTORY & CULTURE


​History - A potted history of Pemba, by Raf Jah
​

Both Zanzibar and Pemba have been known since the earliest explorers tales as “the land of Zenj”. “Bar” is the Arab word for coast, it was literally known as the “black coast”, or “the coast of the blacks”. By 900 ad Pemba, Zanzibar and the whole Swahili coast was a vibrant trading region. This was long before Europeans appeared (Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch). The trade in this part of the Indian Ocean was well established and connected China with the coast of Africa via Yemen and as far south as Mozambique.

For a long time the islands were only interesting to traders as safe havens; just far enough from the mainland to stay out of reach of malicious local chiefs, fertile enough to produce fresh food and supply water, and sporting enough hideaways and deep anchoring bays to give a ship a few days respite – or to allow suspicious cargo ships to hide away from prying eyes.

The Arab traders came down the coast with each monsoon, and life had a quiet rhythm based on these rules of transport. Goods, peoples, techniques, language and religions were all handed over, tried, weighed, balanced, kept, rejected or adapted. Today, the Swahili people eat curries like Indians, tell stories and poetry like the old Persians, sail in boats which are almost exact copies of ancient Indonesian boats, count in Arabic and are, overall, united by the Islamic faith.

Besides the trade in commercial goods like perfume, spices, gold and cloth, Zanzibar rose to the height of her power because of her darker side. The slave markets. Thousands of slaves were bought or raided in the interior of east and central Africa , marched to the coast and then shipped to Zanzibar to be auctioned and further transported. The trade in slavery was so profitable, that when the Sultan of Muscat had a minor altercation with his people and his couriers, there was little to hold him from moving his entire court to Shangani in 1832. He handed over Muscat to his eldest son. This started a direct administrative link between the Trucial Coast and East Africa . The sultan built himself a palace and considered Pemba as an attached, small, interesting but not so profitable back yard…. Good for hunting or sailing trips.

The Sultan decreed that every inhabitant of the island was to plant 3 clove trees before he came to settle on the islands, because he loved the scent of cloves. By the time he moved, 2 years later, there were already a quarter of a million trees on the islands, all originating from the Moluccas (even today, most of the old trees on Pemba can still be traced to their ancestor trees – they are over 100 years old and form a magnificent sight) The Sultans’ focus was on the slave trade of Zanzibar, and thus Pemba was quietly left to its own devices.

When you look at a map of the Indian Ocean, both Pemba and Zanzibar stand out as the first landfall point coming from the East. This meant that even though Pemba was now under Omani Arab control (via Zanzibar ), it was still exposed to trading dhows from all corners, and gave it the characteristic Swahili mixture of cultural traits.

With the coming of the Europeans to the Indian Ocean , the rules of the game changed. For centuries, the Arabs, the Indians and the Africans had traded. Naturally conflicts were a regular thing, but their uniting faith and mission (trade) kept the game more or less fair. The Europeans came in looking for the passage to the east, to find the famous lands where spices came from and, in the process, make the world a Christian place. The former traders of The Indian Ocean never had the latter idea, trade was merely the unifying idea, and in times, most traders became Muslim as a natural process.

The only access European powers had to Eastern trade goods was via Constantinople , or the passage through the Red Sea . The Europeans had engaged in endless wars against the Muslim traders, and were adamant that they wanted to find the way to the East on their own.

The European explorer/traders were involved in countless schemes against their own Nations to keep any knowledge about this passage secret. This created a breed of explorers focused on brutal warfare, power and commerce. This disrupted trading links and inevitably changed the roles of Zanzibar and Pemba .

Zanzibar remained a major centre of Slave trade for anther century or so, but with the coming of Dr.Livingstone, the European public exercised an enormous pressure to eradicate this trade (in 1873 Sultan Bhargash agreed to the eradication of slavery). Both islands resisted this pressure for a long time. Pemba, with more distance to the coast, came to play a greater role in the now illegal slave trade. Because of this, more and more bantu people from the mainland came and stayed on Pemba, and a new ethnic mix was created.

Slavery was officially abandoned in Zanzibar (and Pemba ) in the year 1873 and other sources of income had to be found. The European Powers now practically ran Zanzibar but Pemba ’s dark secret crept on unnoticed. Pemba was, for another century, undisturbed. It remained a lightly populated island , surviving on fishing and farming, but with a trade network stretching as far North as the Red Sea . The island made a name for itself with its boat builders, (the “stitched” boats of the Swahili Coast ), the clove trees (sailors would smell Pemba in the clove harvesting season), its witchdoctors and beautiful women. Consequently the Pembans had enormous exposure to the larger world surrounding them, either through their trade, their relatives or the neighbouring Zanzibaris. In many ways, the Pembans were better off than the Zanzibaris.

Europeans rarely landed on Pemba , except for food, water and a few days rest from a storm. This was in direct contrast to Zanzibar where the Europeans exerted influence and in some cases administrative control. Pemba continued to be a backwater, until the value of cloves was discovered and she made fortunes for her people by selling these spices.emba continued to be a backwater, until the value of cloves was discovered and she made fortunes for her people by selling these spices.
​Swahili Culture on Pemba, by Raf Jah

​Swahili Culture is a mix of various traditions, religions, local beliefs and commercial contacts. Food, dress and language are all similar along the coast and in the islands. The women wear colourful kangas with proverbs printed on them. In this way, she can subtly lets her husband know what she thinks, or gives him a public chastising.


Families are large, and are centred around the eldest man of an extended family (Mzee). The family includes his wives, his brothers  and their wives, and all their children. Sisters and daughters move out when they marry, to live with their husband's extended family. When trouble occurs, such as divorce, hunger, mourning or death, she returns to her father’s home.

She always keeps the right to the harvest of his extended family’s coconut trees, and survival is thus based on a patriarchal lineage.
A husband and wife more often then not, choose each other for economical reasons, especially in the villages. Many men have a number of wives and these form a considerable working force. For a woman, the eldest women in a family group have a leading and advising role, but only in private; the men and the Mzee make decisions and run public life.

Of course, there are degrees to this: not every Swahili lives in the same way. This is a description of a more traditional Swahili lifestyle.
Women and men lead a segregated life. Certain tasks are performed only by women whilst others are the domain of the man. They do interact, but tasks related to food and guests are dealt with by women while men deal with problems and work. Public life is mainly male dominated, although this is rapidly changing in some places. The Swahili culture has many Bantu African characteristics. Some are relics of the days before the Arabs came to trade, while others are inherited from the Bantu slaves that stayed behind in great numbers.

The belief in Witchcraft is widespread on Pemba, and the island was long known as a home of famous and feared witchdoctors. Still an interesting mixture is found. For example, both hospital and witchdoctor are visited. If one does not work, certainly the other one will! When a death or theft occurs a Pemban will seek both the police and the witchdoctor out for advice or action; one can never be sure how unexpected misfortune entered one’s life!​​ 
The popular local story of the “popabauwa” may well originate from the early slave days: a pale skinned ghost, looking like a woman’s husband, comes in the night and silences the husband. He then abuses her (she thinks it is the husband) and sometimes him as well and disappears to the next house and village. The only protection is to sleep outside your house and make as much noise as you can every hour or so. Many people speculate about the origin of this story: slavers raiding villages, taking men away, the pale skin…. In 1997 a mass hysteria broke out and the whole population of Stone Town slept outside on the streets and the barazas for weeks! Only when the elders (mzee) decided the “popabauwa” had moved on, did people dare to sleep inside again. These strong local beliefs coexist quite happily with western ideas.

Food is another major cultural issue: who eats with whom, when, what, etc. At home, the women cook, usually three meals a day. Rice made with coconut milk, fish or meat curry, beans and millet are staple foods. The women serve the men and in most households either eat separately, or after the men have finished. If in rare cases a woman joins the men, she is last in the ranking. Water to wash your hands is passed around, and the sequence of using the water is strict. Women and children are last and get the smallest morsels of fish. The Fisheye is saved for either the guest, or the highest ranking person.

Story telling is a beloved part of Swahili life, and almost every question and discussion can easily turn into a long story with ample side tracks and repetitions. Both Arab and African cultures have a strong oral tradition. Arabs were the first literate people to settle or visit Pemba and the islands, however the ability to read and write was reserved for the upper classes or the traders. Arabs are known for their stories and poetry, and these soon became incorporated in the Swahili mix of cultures. But for the Swahili who could not read or write, memory was vital …This is the role of the elderly: to remember, not only your own history, but also rules, teachings, examples, people, ancestries, songs and poetry. Anything important will be repeated over and over again, until you remember. Still today, a simple shopping list is, with enormous speed, spoken out aloud, time and time again, until there is no mistake: whatever needs to be bought, from whom, for how much, even the change is calculated and noted in advance! Gossip is passed from person to person in the same way and one juicy titbit will take about an hour to relay. A simple “yes” or “no” or a quick summary of the facts, is not easy for a Swahili. There is simply so much more to say, all part of the art of relaying a story!
​
The beautiful part here is, that one can go to a village, and ask any old mzee to tell a story, which is considered a completely normal thing; old men tell stories! Wonderful tales will emerge which explain the world, life, rules, names, anything.

And, they have been told for centuries !
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