The Manta Resort

Dive resort · Tanzania · Pemba, Zanzibar Archipelago · Official Website

Booking by Tour Leader Club

6 room types · More than 15 within an hour's boat ride, including the Njao and Fundu gaps dive sites · house reef

The Manta Resort sits on the northern tip of Pemba, an island of the Zanzibar Archipelago separated both from mainland Tanzania and from Zanzibar itself. Pemba is called The Clove Island: beyond the resort begin the spice plantations, the villages and the Ngezi rainforest.

The best-known part of the resort is the Underwater Room: a floating structure 250 metres offshore, built on three levels. On top there is an open deck for the sun and the stars, at sea level a lounge and an eco-bathroom with a shower, and four metres below the surface a bedroom with almost 360° of glass around a double bed. The room is designed for two: meals are delivered by boat, and guests have a stocked bar fridge, snorkelling gear, a phone to reach the staff and a personal concierge. At night the spotlights come on and the fish move in against the glass.

On land there are six accommodation categories: Garden Rooms and Superior Garden Rooms in the garden, Seafront Villas right above the beach, two-bedroom Oceanview Villas on the slope, Seafront Family Villas, and, apart from all of them, the Underwater Room. Roofs are palm-thatched, walls whitewashed, and almost every category has an outdoor shower and the EveningBreeze cooling system.

The resort runs all-inclusive: accommodation, all meals and drinks, one wellness treatment a day, laundry and daily snorkelling. Transfers, diving and guided excursions are charged separately.

The resort is honest about itself: “this is not a typical 5 star luxury resort — if you’re expecting bling bling bling you will be disappointed.” The rhythm here is a different one.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country: Tanzania
Location: Pemba, Zanzibar Archipelago
Nearest airport: Pemba (PMA) near Chake Chake — then about 1.5 hours by road to the north of the island
Transfer: $45 per person each way; children under 12 free
House reef: Yes — the house reef lies at the entrance to the bay, a sand patch at 5 metres and coral bommies; inside the Kwanini conservation area
Dive sites: More than 15 within an hour's boat ride, including the Njao and Fundu gaps
Dive centre: Dive 360 Pemba, a PADI 5 Star dive centre with a two-level training pool
Nitrox: Not stated on the website
Rooms: 6 accommodation categories, including the Underwater Room
Internet: Available in the lounge, intermittent; mobile coverage is patchy
Languages: English, Swahili; the dive team is multilingual

At the resort

Seaview Restaurant overlooking the ocean

Lounge with wifi and communal dining

Beach bar

Two-tier pool with a 3 m deep end

Spa with one free treatment a day

Dive centre on site

Daily snorkelling included

Daily laundry included

EveningBreeze cooling system in the rooms

Mosquito nets

Outdoor shower in almost every category

220 V and adapters in the rooms

Cashless operation throughout

Minimum guest age 7

Diving

Dive 360 Pemba, a PADI 5 Star dive centre

House reef right at the entrance to the bay

Sheer walls of the Pemba Channel

Njao Gap — five sites, 30 minutes away

Fundu Gap — five sites, an hour away

Scorpions Secret, 2 minutes from the resort

Two-level training pool with a 3 m deep end

Visibility often 20–40 metres

Water 25–29 °C year round

DPV underwater scooter from Open Water level

Pemba sits on the edge of a deep channel, and the reefs drop into walls almost straight off the shore. The near group of sites includes the house reef at the entrance to the bay, with a sand patch at five metres and coral bommies, Scorpions Secret two minutes away, The Swiss Reef, Shimba Hills and Shimba Wall, The Edge and Pole Pole Mountain. Half an hour out lies Njao Gap with five sites: Coral Garden, North Wall, South Wall, Slip Stream and Jahazi Reef. An hour away is Fundu Gap, also five sites: Mandela Wall, Pinnacle, Coral Garden, Crack and South Wall. The dive centre works with a multilingual team, and the training pool on site means courses can start right here. Certified guests can take out an underwater scooter or join the Coral Reef Safari — guided dives with an explanation of the reef and what lives on it.

Food

All-inclusive — meals and drinks

Seaview Restaurant overlooking the ocean

Breakfast with pancakes, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit

Tanzanian coffee

Fresh locally caught fish and seafood

Beef, chicken and vegan dishes

Dinners sometimes moved to the beach and the pool deck

Beach bar with cocktails and sundowners

Fruit drinks from mango, lime, pineapple and coconut

Communal dining in the lounge

Most meals are served at the Seaview Restaurant on the verandah above the ocean, but in good weather the tables move to the beach or the pool deck. The kitchen is local in spirit: fresh fish and seafood, beef, chicken and vegan dishes with a distinct Pemba touch. The lounge periodically hosts communal dinners so guests get to know each other, and that is also where you can ask your service fundi to teach you Bao. The beach bar specialises in sundowners and cocktails made from freshly handpicked island fruit.

Beyond diving

Daily snorkelling included in the stay

Snorkelling before breakfast with the captain and guides

Boat snorkelling excursions

DPV underwater scooter

Coral Reef Safari — guided educational dives

Sandbank excursion, 10 minutes by boat

Pemba Inland Safari — forest, spices, ruins and villages

Ngalawa sunset cruise

Deep-sea fishing on the Lunatic

Fishing from the dive boat and from an ngalawa

One spa treatment every day

Snorkelling at the resort is part of the stay: before breakfast with the boat captain and guides, and by boat during the day. The house reef lies inside the Kwanini conservation area. The sandbank excursion depends on the tide — ten minutes by boat to the northernmost point of the island, with a cooler box of fruit and refreshments. The Pemba Inland Safari starts at 08:30 and takes up to eight hours: the Ngezi rainforest, a spice farm, ruins, villages and viewpoints. In the evening there is a sail on an ngalawa, the traditional outrigger, departing around 17:00 with a bottle of bubbly. Deep-sea fishing runs on the 34 ft Lunatic with Captain Bob, a maximum of four anglers, in the North Pemba Channel; marlin season is mid-July to mid-April, and billfish are released. Simpler options are casual fishing from the dive boat, two to three hours for up to eight people, or hand-line fishing from an ngalawa for up to three. The spa includes one free treatment a day of your choice: a back, neck and shoulder massage, a pampering facial, an aromatherapy or deep tissue massage, a pedicure, a manicure or a Swahili head massage.

Rooms

Room in the garden

View: Garden

Beds: King bed

Rooms set back in the garden, a short walk from the beach. A king bed, an en-suite bathroom, a shaded veranda and a private garden with an outdoor shower. Ceilings are palm-thatched, walls whitewashed, and the EveningBreeze cooling system is fitted.

King bed En-suite bathroom Shaded veranda Private garden with outdoor shower Palm-thatched ceiling EveningBreeze cooling system Short walk to the beach

Superior room in the garden

View: Garden

Beds: King four-poster

A spacious open-plan room: a king four-poster bed, hand-crafted local furnishings, a high thatched roof and large wooden shutters. There is seating indoors and out, a private garden with an outdoor shower, mosquito nets and the EveningBreeze system.

Open-plan layout King four-poster bed Hand-crafted local furnishings High thatched roof Large wooden shutters Indoor and outdoor seating Private garden with outdoor shower Mosquito nets and EveningBreeze

Villa above the beach

View: Ocean

Beds: King four-poster

The villa stands directly above the beach. One bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, a king four-poster bed, floor-to-ceiling wooden shutters, a private plunge pool and direct beach access. The EveningBreeze cooling system is fitted.

Directly above the beach One bedroom with en-suite bathroom King four-poster bed Floor-to-ceiling wooden shutters Private plunge pool Direct beach access EveningBreeze cooling system

Villa on the slope

View: Ocean

Beds: Two bedrooms, king bed in each

The villa is elevated above the shoreline. Two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, with an indoor bar and dining area between them. Sliding doors open onto a wooden deck with a private plunge pool. A private path leads down to a beach banda — a shaded lounge with an outdoor shower and a mini bar fridge. Part of the villa runs on solar power.

Two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom Indoor bar and dining area Sliding doors onto a wooden deck Private plunge pool Private path to a beach banda Outdoor shower Partly solar powered

Family villa above the beach

View: Ocean

Beds: Two bedrooms, king bed in each

Two open-plan bedrooms, each with a king bed, its own bathroom and its own way out. The bedrooms are connected by a large private deck with a plunge pool and panoramic views over the Pemba Channel.

Two open-plan bedrooms King bed in each bedroom En-suite bathroom for each bedroom Direct outdoor access from each bedroom Shared deck with plunge pool Panoramic Pemba Channel views

Underwater room

View: Reef

Beds: Double bed

A floating structure 250 metres offshore, built on three levels. On the roof, a deck for the sun and the stars; at sea level, a lounge and an eco-bathroom with a shower; and four metres below the surface, a bedroom with almost 360° of glass around the bed. There is electricity throughout. Meals are delivered by boat, and the room comes with a stocked bar fridge, snorkelling gear, a phone to reach the staff and a personal concierge. At night the spotlights come on and the fish move in against the glass.

250 metres offshore Three levels Bedroom 4 metres below the surface Almost 360° of glass around the bed Rooftop sundeck Lounge and eco-bathroom at sea level Electricity on all levels Meals delivered by boat Stocked bar fridge and snorkelling gear Personal concierge and a phone to reach staff Night spotlights

When to go

Best time: Year round; the warmest water from January to April, the coolest from July to September
Water temperature: 25–29 °C, around 26 °C on average
Visibility: Often 20–40 metres

Pemba has two wind seasons. The Kusi blows from May to October — cooler, with some rain. The Kaskazi arrives from December to March: warm, calm and clear. June to October is cooler with short bright rains, November to March warmer and drier. The resort splits the year into two rate seasons: high from 1 July to 28 February, and low with 20% off in March, June and November.

Getting there

Pemba is an island of the Zanzibar Archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, separated both from the mainland and from Zanzibar itself. It is called The Clove Island: spices have been grown here since the time of the Sultan of Muscat, and inland stand the ruins of Ras Mkumbuu and Mkama Ndume and the Ngezi rainforest.

Most guests fly via Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam, then take a small aircraft to Pemba Airport (PMA) near Chake Chake. Flights are booked through tripindigo.com, Coastal Air or Auric Air. Ferries from Zanzibar also run, but flying is quicker.

From the airport to the resort is about an hour and a half by road to the north of the island — through spice fields, villages and forest. The road is rough in places, but the journey is part of the arrival. Transfers are arranged in advance.

A passport valid for at least six months with two blank pages is required. Baggage for local flights should be in soft bags, with a 15–20 kg limit. Pemba is a malaria area, and the resort advises prophylaxis and repellent. The Tanzanian authorities require a mandatory local insurance policy for everyone visiting Pemba; your own cover does not replace it. Drones are not allowed, and the resort is a cashless operation.