The Scenic Route

From Pemba to Medjumbe in a helicopter – a memorable way to arrive at a holiday destination

- Bruce Dennill

Taking off in a helicopter is a completely different sensation to being a passenger on a plane. It’s especially noticeable when you’ve just climbed off an Airlink Embraer, which is still parked on the apron in front of you, and your body’s still appreciating the transitory feeling of being on something that doesn’t move.

But the pilot seems both confident and cheerful – a great combination – and the sensation of being in a bubble that allows you to see everywhere except directly behind you (including straight below you) becomes distracting in the best way as you lift off the tarmac.

Helicopter is the only way to reach Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort from Pemba. Or at least the only sensible way, if you’re on a schedule. Either driving up the coast (there are not many roads; it’s not at all direct) or sailing there would take days, and if you could find a speedboat with the requisite range, you’d need to be an expert skipper to steer it through the tidal channels around the reefs and sandbanks around your destination.