About us
Local guides on a quiet island
Because I was born here. Because I know the stories, the people, and the land. Because Pemba is not a place you rush — it's a place you feel.
My name is Chalii Ali. I live in Zanzibar, on the island of Pemba, and this island is my knowledge. I am ready to pay attention to my customers — whatever they need, I am ready to serve them and make them happy.
Pemba is the northern island of the Zanzibar archipelago, and it is nothing like its famous neighbour. There are no resort strips and no cruise ships. The island is green and hilly, the reefs are among the least visited in East Africa, and the clove farms that made this coast wealthy two centuries ago are still worked by hand.
Chalii Pemba Tours is a small, local operation based here on Pemba. We run tours in small groups, at a pace that suits you, and we book everything over WhatsApp so you can ask us anything before you commit.
The reef we take you to is a protected one
Away from guiding, Chalii has a background in marine conservation here on Pemba. Much of the water along the north of the island sits inside a protected area, and the people who look after it are the people who live alongside it.
That shapes how the boat trips run: small groups, no anchoring on coral, nothing taken off the reef. Not because it makes a good line on a website, but because this is where people live.
Ask us anything — we'd rather have a conversation than sell you a package.
Message us on WhatsApp