Ibo island is a little paradise, old Portuguese colony, hidden in the mangrove of the archipelago and national park of the Quirimbas. It can be reached from the town of Pemba or from the Tanzanian border. Ibo is the main hub for discovering the Quirimbas and offer a wide range of activities including sailing trips (Baobibo has its own traditional dhow), diving, trekking (highlight being walking to island south of Ibo on low tide), historical tours, kayak, bicycle, etc... The space Baobibo is a small guesthouse, set in a large garden overlooking the entrance of the bay (and the best sunsets). It consists of: - 2 double bungalows (each with 1 queen size bed) - 1 family/friend bungalow (1 queensize bed & 3 single beds) - 1 double budget room (1 queensize bed) - 1 triple budget room (3 single beds) All bungalows/rooms have their own bathroom and a private outside space/veranda with sea or garden views. Our bungalows have complimentary coffee/tea with a kettle. Baobibo offers large breakfasts (included in room price), has a trust fridge with water, beer, coke and juice, and nibbles, and serves delicious lunches and dinners on request. Baobibo is ECO-labelled and we try to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Because the future availability of clear water on Ibo is a burning issue on ibo with the increasing tourism, we have opted for rain-water collection in a large underground tank. But it does not cover the dry season so we have to carry water from a central well manually. The showers are traditional (stylish basins) and our toilets flush manually. We do ask our guests to be careful with their water consumption (don’t let the tap run, don’t put soap into your water basins, don’t do laundry but hand it for central washing, etc..). Baobibo has decided to leave zero waste on Ibo so all the garbage is incinerated, and the remaining taken to Pemba. We do not sell nor allow aluminium-can drinks at Baobibo and recommend you take your own water bottle to get cheap refills at baobibo from our water-filters (especially for those who are used to drinking tap water around Africa 😉 ). Guest access Baobibo common spaces include a kitchen (available for self-catering when no meals are ordered) and a large covered outdoor lounge where meals are served and where you can relax on comfy benches, with games & book-exchange. The perfect place to watch the world go by, overlooking the bay and the gorgeous sunset. We sometimes have the visit from guests from other places for a breakfast or for a drink at sunset but our compound remains mainly private for guests. Baobibo is the only place on Ibo offering self-catering. If you intend to cook, we would however recommend you to some basics, veggies & fruits and dairy products with you as they are rare/not available on Ibo (tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, jogurts, butter, apples, jams, cereals, snacks, etc...). You can do a quick shopping at Shoprite in Pemba (2km from airport) before you leave to Ibo. On ibo, you can find rice, oil, UHT milk, pasta, tomato paste, oignons, garlic, juice and great seafood (fish, octopus, calamari, crab and shrimps (seasonal)). There isnt any market for seafood so the easiest is to ask Zaza or Ancha to order it for you or buy from our freezer :-) Other things to note Baobibo has its own traditional boat (dhow) and organise 1-day or 2-day sailing trip to the dolphins, the sandbank, to our own camp in Matemo island (overnight) and up to the incredible island or Rolas. For more information kindly check Baobibo website and contact me by email should you want to make a reservation (cancelled in case the weather is not good). Baobibo also has 2 bikes and 3 kayaks for rent. Please check with Ancha or Bina. We do recommend a few routes and Benjamin/Albai would be happy to guide you. On Ibo, the visitors and the local population of 5’-6’000 all share about 2 square kilometres. The population is friendly and it is very easy to interact with a few words, a few smiles, etc…. There are more and more community tourism available through a local NGO such as learning how to cook, how to apply the traditional mask, etc.. and more and more cultural happenings. There must be about 10 cars/tractors on the island, and most tourists walk, bicycle, or rent the little red tricycle to move around. All hotels/restaurants are within walking distance from each other (max. 15 minutes). Ibo has not experienced any security problems and it is quite safe to walk the streets both day and during the night, which makes it the perfect destination for families or single travellers. Kindly note that Ibo’s community is Muslim. While the population is quite tolerant and welcomes tourism, it is important to be respectful of their dressing code whilst in public to avoid offending the more conservative (longer shorts/t-shirt, also valid for men). Avoid walking in swimsuits anywhere, including on the jetty and the sea-walk (only ok on the beach).