Zanzibar – off the coast of mainland Tanzania – is without doubt the number one beach location in East Africa. It is an archipelago of islands with tropical white-sand beaches, fringed by coral reefs, greened by lush, fertile plantations, and with an incredible history and a fascinating culture. The warm tropical air is suffused with the intoxicating aroma of fruit and spices. The islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper and, for this reason, the Zanzibar archipelago is sometimes called the Spice Islands.
The main island of Zanzibar and the other islands, which have exotic names like Mafia Island, Pemba and Mnemba, are a rustic, unspoilt paradise, enabling you to experience an exotic and luxurious Indian Ocean island holiday without the crowds. The coastline is dotted with resorts, where the focus is on snorkelling and diving. The crystal clear tropical waters surrounding the islands of Zanzibar are home to some of the world’s most diverse sea life and colourful reefs. At Mnemba Atoll Marine Park, turtles are a common sight. Dolphins are seen on almost all boat trips and the majestic whale sharks migrate past the island twice a year.
The monsoon winds of the Indian Ocean enabled a triangular trade route to spring up at the beginning of the 11th Century between Zanzibar & mainland Africa, Arabia & Persia, and India. Many Arabs settled in Zanzibar and intermarried with the local people, leaving the archipelago with a long history and a rich cultural mix. Stone Town, the historical centre is a World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa. With its labyrinth of alleyways, charming city centre and ancient harbour, this is worth a visit.
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Meet the Team
+27 41 581 2581 shuttle@pemburytours.com
I run Pembury’s transfer department. I have to ensure that all road transfers are booked on our system and that they correlate to flight times etc. It’s critical that clients booked on road transfers are collected on time so I have to be well organised. I look after our team of tour guides and drivers and make sure they have clear instructions so that everything runs like clockwork. It is all about systems, systems, systems!
+27 41 581 2581 office@pemburytours.com
I assist Lelanie in the accounts department and perform a variety of accounting tasks. We rely on having excellent relationships with all the hotels and service providers that we use and one of my tasks is to ensure that our suppliers are always paid on time. I also make sure that invoices presented for payment have all the correct company information on them and have been known to send them back to the tour consultants!
+27 41 581 2581 accounts@pemburytours.com
I am a qualified accountant and run the accounts department. I am in charge of all “debits & credits” in the business and get our company books ready for the auditors. I produce management accounts for our monthly meetings so that the entire company can see historical and future performance. I also authorise the salaries – so everyone pretty much keeps on my good side!
+27 41 581 2581 vanessa@pemburytours.com
I assist the tour consultants in the preparation of the travel documents that are presented to their clients upon arrival in Africa. Based on the itinerary that the tour consultants send me, I draw up the travel vouchers and print out any air tickets. I also compile a folder of interesting tourist information and detailed maps of the areas the clients will be visiting and write detailed travel directions from one point to the next. I have never managed to get a client lost!
+27 41 581 2581 vernon@pemburytours.com
I started Pembury from scratch with Susan way back in 1996. Susan and I have always shared a love of travel and with me having a business and accounting background, I started to think about how to make a living in tourism. I am extremely proud of how we have grown to become one of the leading incoming tour operators to South and East Africa.
My role is more behind the scenes – ensuring that the business aspect of Pembury works and that it runs efficiently. I also oversee the marketing aspect although this is a fairly limited role since we rely mostly on word-of-mouth referrals as our main source of business.
+27 87 353 7868 melanie@pemburytours.com
I first started with Pembury Tours as a Personal Assistant to the MD on a mornings-only basis way back in November 2004. This very quickly turned into a full time position and I gained extensive behind the scenes knowledge supporting the tour consultants in the office.
I took a short break in 2014, but realised that Pembury was so close to my heart and jumped at the chance of becoming a consultant in 2016. Until very recently I was based in the UK experiencing a little of the northern hemisphere way of life.
I simply love organising! Researching destinations, preparing itineraries, and taking care of clients’ arrangements are just some of the key aspects of my work. It’s also about getting to know my clients from the word ‘go’, to ensure that we create a holiday to meet their expectations.
Although I have a strong administrative background, I also studied tour guiding and this has given me a good understanding of local history and the sights. This has been really helpful when preparing tours for clients and I’m especially pleased to hear back from my clients after a tour with the highlights of their experiences.
+27 87 353 7872 heidi@pemburytours.com
My passion for travel began at a young age. I was fortunate enough to visit Mozambique when I was 10 years old and I fell in love with Africa and travelling. Not being sure what I wanted to study after leaving school, I decided to travel to Israel and work on a kibbutz. The travel bug bit and for the next 10 years I worked abroad in various countries.
Africa has always been in my heart and I returned home and began working in the travel industry. I have been in the travel industry since 2005. My career started as a travel consultant where I mostly focused on flight bookings and sending South Africans out into the world. After 10 years I was ready for a change and changed the direction of my clients travelling. I now have the privilege of bringing the world to Africa. I began my journey with Pembury Tours 2 years ago.
I am family-oriented and enjoy a good laugh. My passion is people and travel so putting together an African dream holiday tour is a joy and a blessing!
+27 87 353 7875 anya@pemburytours.com
My love for wildlife, nature, travel and adventure began at a very young age. My parents used to take me to various game reserves within South Africa. I was immediately drawn to our country’s natural beauty and wildlife. I soon fell in love with the idea of travelling. I have been fortunate enough to travel through most of South Africa by road, go on a safari in Kruger, Madikwe, Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, relax on the beaches of Zanzibar and explore the United Kingdom.
I decided to take Tourism as a subject in school. This made me realise that Tourism is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life! I went on to study Tourism at college with the long term goal of becoming a Tour Consultant. I started at Pembury Tours straight out of college as an admin assistant. I assisted the tour consultants with documents, directions and basic admin. I was soon promoted to the position of Tour Consultant.
I may be young, but I am super-organised. The feeling I get when planning someone’s dream vacation, whether it is for a couple, a group of friends or for a family, cannot be put into words. Interacting with clients, catering for their needs and sharing my experience with the clients are all part of the joy this job brings me!
+27 87 353 7874 laurette@pemburytours.com
I joined Pembury Tours in June 2014 as a total “rookie” in the travel trade. Having been born in England and emigrating to South Africa way back in 1964, with my family, I am lucky to have had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United Kingdom, Europe and Southern Africa over the years. Before joining Pembury Tours, I was secretary to the headmaster of a prominent boys’ school and kept both him and the boys toeing the line! I later did the marketing for the school and ran the school Old Boys’ association. I think, however, that the travel bug has always been dormant in my blood, so when I was offered the chance to join Pembury Tours, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and have never looked back. I only wish I could have done this years earlier!
Pembury Tours has given me the scope to travel to varied destinations on educational and site-inspection trips both within the borders of South Africa and beyond. This has helped me tremendously when tailor-making itineraries for my clients as there is nothing better than first-hand experience when recommending properties, activities etc. I have been on site-inspection visits to Victoria Falls twice (on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides), Cape Town, along the Garden Route, Johannesburg and Kruger National Park, so I have an excellent product knowledge and can pass this knowledge on to my clients to ensure they get a tour that “ticks all the right boxes”.
+27 87 353 7869 gail@pemburytours.com
I have been with Pembury Tours since we started in 1996. Over the years I have taken on various roles within the company – from tour consulting, guiding, website design & marketing and general marketing. Apart from giving me a good grounding in all the sections of the company, it has also given me the opportunity to travel all over the world – always returning to this amazing country I call home.
Safaris are my passion and I am also qualified as a safari guide. I know from experience what you as a guest are looking for and what is important to you when on safari. I understand that this is most often the main reason for your trip to our part of the world and it is my job to ensure that your safari experience not only meets, but exceeds your expectations.
Family trips and safaris are also something that lies close to my heart – as a mother with two young children, I know the importance of finding child-friendly accommodation for family holidays.
+27 87 353 7870 tammy@pemburytours.com
I joined Pembury Tours in 2002 as a trainee tour consultant after returning to South Africa from the United Kingdom. Whilst living in London I loved researching and planning holidays and sightseeing trips for myself, and I am now really enjoying planning memorable tours for clients. I did a degree in micro-biology, so I suppose, in tourism terms, I was a “blank canvass” when I started at Pembury!
I really enjoy the interaction with clients and I take particular delight in arranging itineraries for my repeat clients. One develops an intuition for someone’s likes and preferences and it is so rewarding getting feedback letters from clients once they have returned home.
I had great fun planning my own honeymoon in 2010 and have researched the numerous romantic getaways available in Southern Africa, so I especially enjoy assisting honeymoon clients who would like to plan their romantic holiday-of-a-lifetime.
+27 87 353 7871 kerry@pemburytours.com
I have been involved in the hotel and tourism industry since 1993 and with Pembury since 2001. Since qualifying as a hotel manager, I have been fortunate enough to have worked in many of the best hotels and lodges in different areas of South Africa. This has given me a great local knowledge of my country. I have a lifelong dedication to travelling in Africa and, after having lived in game reserves for more than 4 years, they are still a passion for our family getaways.
As a natural progression, I joined Pembury Tours as a consultant, after settling in Port Elizabeth. My responsibilities include tailor-making itineraries to suit the client’s requirements. From making the reservation, compiling the travel documents, including maps and directions, to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable holiday, I know that the perfect holiday is made up of many facets and the effective combining of these services ensures the clients their “great African vacation”.
I am currently running our Botswana office and I specialise in holidays to this area.
+27 87 353 7873 susan@pemburytours.com
I am one of the owners of Pembury Tours and set up the company in 1996 with my husband shortly after our return from a 6-year stay in the United Kingdom, during which time I worked in London and also did a Master’s Degree in Linguistics at Cambridge University.
My principal function at Pembury Tours is ensuring that we maintain a consistently high standard of work. This means I work very closely with my tour consultants as well as my administration staff. I manage to spend about half my time tour consulting, something that I really enjoy! I love the challenge of compiling an itinerary for clients that meets all the criteria they have given me. My love of wildlife means that I especially enjoy working on safari itineraries but I also like drawing up itineraries that include a “bit of everything” for first-time visitors – Cape Town, beaches, game viewing, African culture and historical insight. As a mother with teenage children, I know the importance of looking for more adventurous activities that will keep them entertained and ensure a great family holiday. I am extremely well-travelled and particularly enjoy using my knowledge of travel to put together complex itineraries for discerning travellers.
