 The Kervan Saray has many
individuals who make up the unique team that takes care of you.
At their head are Farhat and Francisca Jah. Known as Raf and
Cisca to their friends they operate the Kervan Saray and Swahili
Divers. Raf first came to Pemba while driving a Land Rover from
London to Uzbekistan. He got waylaid and ended up in Cape Town.
He was so taken by the beauty of the Islands that he knew
straight away that he wanted to work here. Raf has a degree in
politics, which he says comes in very useful for those coffee
induced discussions watching the sun go down. Though his
heritage is heavily Turkish (and slightly Indian) he lived in
London until 1994 and trained in the English Channel and
Atlantic Ocean. Raf primarily concentrated on the diving, until
the world changed and he knew he needed a hotel. He is a keen
and published photographer and writer. A gallery of his pictures
can be seen at www.farhatjah.com.
He has built up a wealth of dive experience that he likes to
share with divers from around the world. Raf is an adventurer:
Whether he is exploring hidden valleys on the banks of the
Euphrates, getting vertigo in the Himalayas or finding new dive
sites in Africa, Raf is equally at home.
Cisca is a Dutch anthropologist with a
speciality in marine anthropology. After spending a year in a
Namibian village studying fishermen who lost their lake, she
returned to Amsterdam to get her masters degree. Then she came
to Zanzibar to live in yet another primitive village watching
fishermen and women who had a very large sea and very small
boats. On a weekend away from the dust and straw roofs she met
Raf in Zanzibar town. She invited herself along on one of Raf's
trans-sahara crossings and they married three years later. (What
is it about Landrovers and romance?) Cisca brings with her a
feminine, European dimension to the Kervan Saray. She speaks
fluent Dutch, English, German and Kiswahili and acts as the
liaison between the Pemban and International staff.
Raf and Cisca travel for dive shows and
the occasional expedition, but during the season they can be
found in the Kervan Saray or the Swahili Divers Dive Base seven
days a week ready to answer questions, help out, make tea or in
Raf' s case lead dives.
Raf and Cisca welcome you. |
