Some important things to know about Ibo island lodge

Some frequently asked questions on visiting to Ibo island lodge on a holiday.

The Landing Procedure: -

You will arrive at Pemba International Airport in the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique. Pemba is the gateway to the QuirimbasArchipelago. When you disembark the plane, walk across to the small Pemba arrivals room. Clear customs and immigration formalities in Pemba before leaving the arrivals area if you are booked on a direct flight to Pemba. If you have flown via Maputo you will normally have cleared formalities there.

Meet our representative: - 

Indeed there is! Once you have collected your luggage and cleared formalities, an Ibo Island Lodge representative named Oscar Soares will be ready to escort you to your transfer.His cell number is + 258 82 661 9500. In the unlikely event that he does not arrive, please call Lutfiyyah Davids on +27(21) 785 5498 or mobile: +27(0) 82 704 5863.

You will then be escorted to the plane, or to the waiting room, depending on the time of your air transfer to Ibo Island. If there is no immediate connection, you can choose to take a transfer to the Pemba Beach Hotel via their bus, or if time allows, an optional city tour of Pemba will help while away your time.

All transfers, city tours,day facilities, meals or drinks ordered in Pemba or at the hotel are to your own account and must be settled directly before departure to Ibo Island Lodge.

1     Light aircraft transfer to Ibo Island from Pemba : -

There are no set times for air transfers to Ibo Island Lodge, and they are based on individual guest requirements and availability.  The transfer charter flight company takes into consideration the joint requirements of the islands, therefore operates on a ‘coach share’ situation. Schedules are only confirmed the day before for the following day’s service. Ibo Island Lodge will submit your inbound flight details to the transfer company, so that they can link up your air transfer as close to your international flight as possible. 

Type of aircraft used : -

A Caravan Cessna with carrying capacity of 9 people and 100 kg (cargo) or a Piper for 4 people and 60 kg (cargo) are used.

Currency & credit card facilities : -

The Official Currency is the Metical (MT) = 100 centavos.

Ibo accepts US Dollars but only notes from 2008 onward.

Local currency is preferable and must be purchased before you travel.

Remember: traveler’s cheques cannot be changed in Pemba, there are no ATM’s at Pemba airport and ATM’s in Pemba town are often off line!

You can buy unique Ibo jewelry and local crafts on Ibo. Guests also need to settle extras and activities on their bill. Please take adequate cash with you, in either US$ or local currency, to settle all extras and activities. There are no facilities whatsoever for drawing money once on the islands. There is a credit card facility available at Ibo Island Lodge with a surcharge of 5 %.

1        Are we expected to tip staff and how much is recommended?

Tipping is totally discretionary and personal - it is difficult to advise guests about how much they should tip. A good idea is to use the $20 per guest per day baseline. Please note that whilst on dhow safari the tips are split equally between 6/7 staff members and when at the lodge by over 30 staff members. Management does not receive a share of the tips. It is also a good idea to tip guides and any other person who has shown you personally outstanding service individually. Tipping dhow safari crew individually is advisable as the crews do change and these guys work hard on safari.