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Voykit pocket guide · Tanzania
Chake Chake
Spend 1–2 days in Chake Chake as a quick base on Pemba Island; one night in a budget hotel covers the town and nearby beaches.
Chake Chake is the main commercial and administrative hub on Pemba Island, close to the airport and surrounded by spice farms and mangrove coasts. The town is compact, walkable, and offers basic accommodation, making a short stay sufficient before heading to other island spots.
- Country
- Tanzania
- Best months
- Oct–Mar (dry season, cooler sea breezes)
- Avoid
- Apr–Sep (heavy rains, higher humidity)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TZS
- Money
- Currency is the Tanzanian shilling (TZS). Tourism is still quoted in US dollars, but since 2025 the central bank requires local transactions to be priced and paid in shillings — check how your lodge bills; dollar notes older than 2013 or damaged are refused.
- Daily spend
- Budget TZS 30,000–45,000 excl. bed · Mid TZS 45,000–70,000 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodacom, Airtel, Yas (Tigo) and Halotel sell SIMs at airports; registration takes fingerprints and a passport.
- Emergency
- Police / fire / ambulance 112 · Fire only 114
- Plugs
- Types D, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · UK three-pin is most common; some older round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$15–25 per vehicle per day from the group — check.; Kilimanjaro crew: About 10–15% of the climb price, shared per a published scale — check your operator's guide.; Camp staff box: About US$10 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 5–10% where no service charge.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; lodges provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western in hotels and lodges; long-drops at some gates and picnic sites; squat toilets at bus stops.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café) | TZS 2,000–3,500 |
| Fresh fruit juice | TZS 1,500–2,500 |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | TZS 8,000–10,000 |
| Mini‑bus town‑to‑beach | TZS 5,000–7,000 per person |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PMA · Pemba Airport (Karume Airport)
- ≈10 min by taxi to town centre
Typical fares
- Pemba Airport → Chake Chake (taxi)
- about TZS 12,000–15,000
- Minibus Chake Chake → Wete
- about TZS 8,000 per person
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Language, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk within town; taxis and local minibuses for longer trips; hire a car or arrange a driver for beach or plantation visits.
See and do
Known for
- clove production
- spice plantations
- mangrove bays
- local markets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wete | Minibus or hired car northward, about 45 min | ≈1 h |
| Mkoani | Minibus southward, about 1 h 15 min | ≈1 h 30 min |
| Ngezi Forest Reserve | Hire a 4WD eastward, 30 min drive | ≈1 h |
Sleep
- Hotel Archipelago
- Basic rooms, air‑conditioning, near town centre; no alcohol served
Language
Swahili is spoken by almost everyone and is the language of daily life, schools and government. English is solid with guides and hotel staff, thinner in towns and villages. A few words of Swahili change how you are received.
- 'Jambo' / 'mambo?' (hi), 'shikamoo' to elders (reply 'marahaba'), 'asante' (thanks), 'hakuna matata' (no problem).
- WhatsApp is standard for operators and drivers.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Shikamoo' to elders, a handshake and small talk first; avoid: Rushing straight to business
- Hands: Right hand for eating, giving and receiving; avoid: Using the left hand
- Dress on Zanzibar: Cover shoulders and knees in town; avoid: Beachwear in Stone Town
- Photos: Ask first; pay agreed fees in Maasai bomas; avoid: Photographing women on Zanzibar without asking
- Affection: Keep it private; avoid: Kissing in public, especially on Zanzibar
- Pace: 'Pole pole' — slow down; avoid: Showing anger in public
Scams and watch-outs
- Mobile 3G/4G coverage is spotty; bring a SIM for the main network.
- ATMs are limited to NMB and Barclays; carry cash.
- Roads to remote beaches can be rough; use a 4WD if self‑driving.
Pemba Island is generally safe for tourists; petty theft can occur in markets—keep valuables secure and avoid isolated beaches after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chake Chake yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- clove production
- spice plantations
- mangrove bays
- local markets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tanzania National Tourist Board: www.tanzaniatourism.go.tz/
- Wikivoyage: Chake Chake, revision 5337088 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5337088
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/chake-chake). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.