Introduction
There are travel experiences that impress you. And then there are experiences that genuinely stop you — that make you question how something like this actually exists in the world.
The Manta Resort on Pemba Island, Tanzania, belongs firmly in the second category.
At the northern tip of one of the most remote and pristine islands in the Indian Ocean sits a small, low-density lodge that has quietly become one of the most extraordinary places to stay in all of East Africa. It is fully inclusive. It sits above a coral reef that ranks among the healthiest in the world. And it offers one single experience that no other property on the continent can match — the chance to spend the night sleeping beneath the surface of the ocean, with nothing between you and the Indian Ocean reef but glass.
This is The Manta Resort. And Ruby Voyages can get you there.
What makes this different: The Manta Resort is not a standard luxury hotel with an interesting feature. It is a carefully considered, conservation-driven experience built around a place — Pemba Island — that very few travellers will ever see. That remoteness is the point.
Where Is Pemba Island?
Pemba Island sits off the northeastern coast of Tanzania, north of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean. It is part of the Zanzibar Archipelago — but it is a world apart from the tourist infrastructure of Stone Town or Nungwi Beach. Pemba is remote, green, forested, and largely undiscovered by mainstream tourism.
The Pemba Channel surrounding the island is part of the Blue Economy Corridor — a marine zone where conservation, local fishing communities, and responsible tourism operate together to protect one of the most biodiverse stretches of ocean on the African continent. The coral reefs here are not just beautiful. They are among the healthiest and most intact in the entire Indian Ocean.
Water visibility in the Pemba Channel averages 30 to 40 metres on most days — the best in all of East Africa. Water temperature sits at a consistent 26°C. For divers, snorkellers, and anyone who simply loves the ocean, Pemba is as close to perfect as it gets.
The Underwater Room — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
The Underwater Room is the experience that put The Manta Resort on the world’s radar — and nothing about it has been exaggerated.
It is a three-level floating structure anchored offshore in the Pemba Channel. The top level is an open sundeck — nothing around you but open ocean and sky in every direction. The middle level is a lounge and bathroom. And the bottom level sits beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, where the bedroom windows look directly out onto a living coral reef.
At night, the reef illuminates. Fish move through the water inches from the glass. The ocean moves around you — not as a backdrop, but as the room itself. There is no other experience in Africa, and very few in the world, that compares to waking up with the Indian Ocean on the other side of your window.
The Underwater Room is a three-level offshore structure designed for quiet observation of the reef, with all proceeds from the experience supporting marine conservation in the Pemba Channel. You are not just sleeping underwater. You are directly funding the protection of the reef you are watching.
Conservation note: Every stay in the Underwater Room contributes directly to marine conservation in the Pemba Channel. The Manta Resort operates with a genuine environmental commitment — this is not greenwashing. It is built into the business model.
The Manta Resort Is Fully Inclusive — Here Is What That Means
One of the most important things to understand about The Manta Resort is that it operates on a fully inclusive basis. When your guests check out, they do not receive a bill. Everything is covered from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave.
| What Is Included | Details |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Pastry and fruit platter followed by a full English breakfast |
| Lunch | Choice of 2 options for starter and main course daily |
| Dinner | 3-course dinner with 2 options for starter and main course |
| All beverages | Soft drinks, juices, water, coffee, tea, cocktails, wines, beers and spirits |
| Kipepeo Spa | One treatment per person per day at the beach spa — included daily |
| Snorkel for Conservation | Daily guided morning snorkel at 7am in the Marine Protected Area |
| Ngalawa Sunset Cruise | One traditional dhow sunset cruise per stay |
| Lighthouse Walk | Guided walk included once per stay |
| Beach Dinner | One private beach dinner per stay |
| Kayaks | Available from the beach at any time |
| WiFi | Available in the main lounge and all rooms |
| Laundry | Full laundry service included throughout the stay |
Additional experiences including diving, fishing, sandbank excursions, and inland Pemba Island tours are available at an extra cost. Airport transfers are $45 per person per way. A conservation impact donation of $45 per adult per paying night applies — this goes directly to the Pemba Channel marine protection programme.
Accommodation at The Manta Resort
Beyond the Underwater Room, The Manta Resort offers a carefully considered selection of accommodation options designed around the island’s natural landscape and ocean setting.
| Room Type | Setting |
|---|---|
| Oceanview Villas | Elevated villas with panoramic Indian Ocean views and private terraces |
| Seafront Villas | Direct beach access with the ocean steps from your door |
| Seafront Family Villas | Spacious layout designed for families — beach and ocean access |
| Superior Garden Rooms | Set within the resort grounds — lush, private, and serene |
| Garden Rooms | Comfortable, well-appointed rooms in a natural garden setting |
| The Underwater Room | Offshore floating structure — bedroom beneath the Indian Ocean reef |
Experiences at The Manta Resort
The pace at Manta is shaped by nature, the ocean, and the rhythm of the island. Activities are designed around local conditions and small-group experiences — nothing is mass tourism, nothing feels rushed.
| Experience | Included / Extra |
|---|---|
| Snorkel for Conservation (7am daily) | Included |
| Ngalawa Sunset Cruise | Included (once per stay) |
| Lighthouse Walk | Included (once per stay) |
| Beach Dinner | Included (once per stay) |
| Kipepeo Spa Treatment | Included (one per person per day) |
| Kayaking | Included |
| Scuba Diving | Extra cost |
| Fishing | Extra cost |
| Sandbank Excursion | Extra cost |
| Pemba Island Inland Tour | Extra cost |
| Coral Reef Safari (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) | Extra cost |
Diving at Pemba Island — One of the Best Dive Sites in the World
For divers, Pemba Island is not just notable. It is genuinely world-class. The untouched coral reefs surrounding the entire island make Pemba one of the top dive destinations on the planet — not by marketing, but by the simple fact that the reef here has been protected, largely undisturbed, and left to thrive.
Visibility averages 30 to 40 metres on most days. Water temperature holds at 26°C year-round. The biodiversity on the reef — the variety of hard and soft corals, the fish life, the large pelagics that move through the Pemba Channel — is extraordinary. Whether you are a certified diver or a first-timer considering your open water qualification, Pemba Island is as good as East Africa gets.
How to Get to Pemba Island From Nairobi
Pemba Island is remote — and that remoteness is exactly what makes it special. Getting there requires planning, and that is precisely where Ruby Voyages adds the most value.
The most common route from Nairobi is a flight to Zanzibar (ZNZ) followed by a connecting flight or charter to Pemba Island (PMA). Flight options include connections via Dar es Salaam or direct charter services from Zanzibar. The Manta Resort can coordinate transfers from Pemba airport at $45 per person per way.
The logistics are manageable — but they require careful coordination to get right. Timing connections, managing baggage allowances on small island aircraft, and ensuring arrival before the resort’s transfer window all matter. This is not a trip to book on a self-service platform and hope for the best.
Ruby Voyages handles every element of the journey — flights from Nairobi, connections, island transfers, and resort coordination — so that by the time your guests step onto Pemba, the only thing left to think about is what to do first.
Why The Manta Resort Is One of East Africa’s Most Remarkable Stays
There is no shortage of luxury lodges and beach resorts across East Africa. What separates The Manta Resort is not just the Underwater Room — though that alone would be enough. It is the combination of genuine remoteness, conservation purpose, fully inclusive hospitality, and an ocean environment that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else on the continent.
Most guests who stay at Manta describe it as one of the best travel experiences of their lives. Not because of extravagance. But because of the feeling — of being completely disconnected from the world, surrounded by one of the most pristine marine environments on earth, cared for by a small team of staff who treat every guest like family.
That is what The Manta Resort sells. And it is genuinely delivered.
Let Ruby Voyages Plan Your Pemba Island Experience
The Manta Resort is the kind of experience that changes how people think about travel. It is also the kind of trip that requires someone who knows what they are doing to put together properly — flights, connections, transfers, timing, and resort coordination all need to work seamlessly for the experience to land the way it should.
That is what Ruby Voyages does. We are not a booking platform. We are a travel consultancy — and getting our clients to extraordinary places like Pemba Island, without a single logistical headache along the way, is exactly what we are here for.
If The Manta Resort is on your list — or if you want us to make it the trip your clients never forget — reach out today. We will handle everything from Nairobi to the ocean floor.
📞 WhatsApp us: +254 738 394711
📧 Email: info@rubyvoyages.com
🌐 Visit: rubyvoyages.com
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