Ngezi Forest

Forest Reserve home to the Pemba Flying Fox

The lush green swathe of tropical forest spanning the Ngezi Peninsula is almost all that remains of a thick blanket of indigenous forest which once almost covered Pemba.  The reserve, spanning 1440 hectares was declared a protected area in the 1950s after much of the island's natural vegetation was cleared to make way for clove plantations.  Extending over half the reserve, a jungle-like canopy draped with creepers and vines, with thick undergrowth below provides a haven for a wide variety or rare and protected species of plants and wildlife.  The rest is made up of coastal evergreen thickets, mangrove forest, swamp, marsh and heathlands. 

Despite its coastal location, many species of trees in the reserve are similar to those found in lower mountain regions of the mainland, as well as others from as far afield as India and Madagascar.  The dense forest primarily consists of towering hardwood trees, including the endangered mvule teak species, while others are endemic to the area, including the giant Pemba Palm (Dyopsis Pembanus), known locally as Mapapindi Palm.  Small plantations of Eucalyptus, coconut and fruit trees are also dotted around the reserve. 

Troupes of Pemba vervet monkeys and a small population of Zanzibar red colobus monkeys share the lofty heights of the canopy with the endemic Pemba Flying Fox (actually a large fruite bat), and Galago bushbabies.  In the gloomy depths below, a thick tangle of almost impenetrable undergrowth below provides a retreat for the shy Pemba blue duiker and feral pigs introduced b y the Portuguese.  Most of the 27 species of birds recorded in Pemba have been spotted in the forest, including the Russets Scops Owl, Pemba White-Eye, Pemba Green Pigeon and the violet breasted Sun Bird.  The Crowned Hornbill, Mangrove Kingfisher and violet backed Starling are also commonly seen.  Among the more exotic sounding reptiles known to live in the reserve are the Pemba Island writhing skink, endemic only to the island, Pemba speckle-lipped skink and the East African flap-necked chameleon. 

Sites of interest are the tombs of two shariffs (Islamic leaders) who according to local legend, escaped death at the hands of the Portuguese after being buried in the ground by God?  A two kilometere walking trail near the entrance passes fresh water ponds, the ruins of an old sawmill and takes around an hour.  Guided nighttime and evening owl-spotting walks can also be arranged in advance.  Or for the very lazy, a sandy road leading through the forest to the peninsula provides the opportunity for safari style viewing from the comfort of a car.

Ngezi Forest Lodges with Style

Our team at Specialist Tanzania regularly visit Pemba's growing choice of accommodation to check on hotel quality, service levels and new developments. Here's our choice of Ngezi Forest lodges which offer a nice mix of style, location, ambience and service. To include your choice in any of the holidays we offer, just contact us for a quote!

> Manta Resort