Experience the world with us

Monday, November 7, 2011

Mozambique lodges on some of the world’s best beaches

Great weather, palm trees, idyllic islands, coral reefs… It’s a fact that Mozambique has some of the finest beaches on the planet – great for swimming, surfing and diving. And the marine life is one of the biggest attractions: superb fishing opportunities,and one of the best places to see dolphins and whale sharks up close.


So popular have Mozambique safaris become that there are numerous accommodation establishments along the coastline, which makes it all the more important to heed the tips and advice on where to go from tour operators specialising in this area and who speak from personal experience.
African Encounters’ special packages are recommended by top travel agents country-wide and even just the names of the places they recommend are come-ons: Indigo Bay, Pemba Beach, Flamingo Bay, Massinga, Pescador, Casa Do Capitao…


Barra Lodge, for example, is 485km north of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. You can get there by car (although the road is pretty rough in places) or by plane, in which case the lodge staff will meet you at the historic Inhambane for the final leg of the journey. Imagine wide secluded beaches and groves of coconut trees to provide shade after a long stroll. Barra stands out as child-friendly and is suitable for conferences (cinema-style seating for up to 60 guests). Activities include diving, hobie-cat and laser dingy sailing, paddle skiing, surfing and fishing for sailfish or pelagic. Perhaps you’d like to go horse-riding, or quad-biking through coconut plantations, and also popular are the trips across the bay either on Barra’s large catamaran or on a traditional dhow boat.


Another recommendation by African Encounters is Casa Rex in the Vilankulos area, a favourite with couples wanting a romantic getaway. It overlooks the Bazaruto archipelago, perhaps best seen from the lodge’s terrace with a sundowner in hand, and the variety of things to do there is considerable.


Mozambique ranks among the Top 10 diving destinations in the world, it’s no surprise that there are scuba diving courses available at Casa Rex. Game fishing as well as whale- and dolphin-watching boat trips can be arranged with a marine biologist on board to add an educational aspect. Sunset cruises and dhow trips to the archipelago are popular, as is the canoeing and water-skiing. And guests can also adventure out on self-drive safaris – 4×4 vehicles for hire.

No comments: