An Eye and a Lens - Main Fort, Ibo Island

This magical fort has a very dark history. Slaves for shipment as well as locals who refused to convert to Christianity were both imprisoned and executed here.

These photos were taken during late afternoon and sunset shot at an ISO rating of 100 with an f-stop of 22.

An Eye and a Lens – Ibo in Moonlight

It’s been too long since i have done a night shoot and i have forgotten how much fun they are. Despite the moon only being half full conditions look decent enough to give it a go on haunting Ibo Island. Both James and Pippa are keen photographers and are mad enough to accompany me for a midnight shoot around the main thoroughfares of the main village.

These photographs were taken on an ISO setting of 1600 at thirty second exposures on my somewhat basic mini-tripod.

Ibo Island

the view of the main harbour

Ibo has the same haunting and majestic feel as one might find in the Angkor complex in Cambodia. However rather than crumbling Buddhist temples one witnesses nature reclaim old colonial mansions, creating the sensation time has stood still for hundreds of years and one is living on an elaborate film-set.



ruins on Ibo

strangling figs

Ibo has always been the larger though lesser island to Ilha de Mocambique. With a similar history of trade with the Arabs as well of strategic position for the colonialising Portuguese it also shares a darker history during the slave trades. Many of the colonial mansions are clearly in a state of complete disrepair, over-run by meandering roots, plants and general dilapidation, providing a haunting backdrop to this tropical paradise.

the cemetary

The island boasts three villages (a total of some 4000 people inhabit the island) three forts, and interesting cemetery and a lighthouse. The main fort is particularly magical at sunset and has stalls selling silver, textiles and other local crafts.

Bicycles can be rented by the day starting at US$5 for the most basic model from Two Trees Hotel.





Up until two years ago the island boasted its own electricity supply but the generator fell into a state of disrepair a couple of years ago, Allegedly it will return again to the island at the end of this year.

Places to Stay and Eat

Staying in the Karibune Campsite near the large fort and next to the Ibo Lodge boutique Hotel, i take a quarto, a room in a divided mud hut for Mtc400. A chalet is Mtc800 and camping is Mtc120 per person. It is quite basic, but has a small restaurant and a generator providing some electricity in the evenings. The Mama is very obliging and her sons speak English.

A much cheaper community alternative is Tikidiri. The opposite side of town a chalet is Mtc150 and Mtc100 t camp. Homemade meals are available at Mtc100.




The very smart Miti Miwiri (Two Trees) looks quality. This privately owned French place charges US$50 per night, offers a decent breakfast at Mtc120 including a pot of filter coffee, has evening meals pre-ordered for Mtc300, and light snacks are available throughout the dat. Internet access is available for Mtc60 per hour. Same room prices are available at the centrally located Cinqo Portales.

The Ibo Lodge is an expensive boutique hotel with large quarters and charge some US$450+ per night all inclusive.

For a cheaper food alternative check out the centrally located Sukira Muryu pasteleria where prices are inflated, not fixed and run by an eccentric woman and her equally eccentric daughter. A fish burger seems to be about Mtc50, coke for Mtc35 - 40 and donuts for Mtc15. You need to push to receive change.

Arquipelago Das Quirimbas restaurant looks good, but was closed possibly because it is Ramadan at the moment.

two friends

local girl

my catch partners

There is no Vodacom signal that i can find on the island although i am told MSI connections work.

From Wimbi to Ilha Ibo

Fortunately Duncan a 20 something Londoner on a two week holiday is heading to Ibo also so we share a taxi a 4am taxi back to Pemba charging Mtc300. We than have a forty minute wait for the truck heading first to Quisanga and on to the boat departure point of Tandanhangue. We are joined by James and Pippa, touring South Africans.

The sealed road quickly vanishes as soon as you head out of Pemba, and the journey is yet another rough one. Although Quisanga lies just over 102kms north, the truck bumps and bounces humans and assorted baggage alike, is filled to breaking point of both. It takes a somewhat ridiculous 5 hours going through small villages and regularly stopping off to pick up unfeasibly more passengers and/or produce bags. A small frenzy of sellers greet the truck at every village selling identical and goods in each village, bananas, cassavas, reed mats, etc.

Again various bags are dropped off at everyone’s houses in the small and compact Quisanga before heading onwards to the somewhat surreal Tandanhangue some 30 minutes further onwards. It cost Mtc150 including bag.

Tandanangue is very much a one baobab tree village in front of rich mangroves with a ”shop” selling extortionate warm water for Mtc50 or coke at a reasonable Mtc30.

The Captain comes over to introduce himself and informs us in Portuguesa that the boat won’t leave till 3pm, so we share our supplies of biscuits, smoke, listen to James’ MP3 player chew the fat and take a few photos or the driest dock i have ever seen.

the dry dock at Tandanangue

Fortunately the shore is extremely flat and the tide comes in quicker clearly than many of us expected. By 12.45pm we are told we can board the motorised dhow and sail by 1.30pm for the hour crossing to Ibo island. The sea is calm and the scenery stunning.



crossing the sea at Tandanangue

a picnic on a sandbank at Tandanangue