October 14, 2008

Beautiful Northern Mozambique

Posted by Julia and filed under: Exotic Africa

Flying over the Quirimbas Archipelago in northern Mozambique has to be a “once in a lifetime it must be done” sort of experience!
As I was flown from Matemo Island along the delicate string of coral-ringed islands and atolls known as the Quirimbas Archipelago en-route to Pemba Bay, I could simply not get enough of the view below – utterly clear water graduating from the palest amethyst to deep indigo blue!

I had been invited to view some new properties as a guest of Rani Resorts, and truly I was in love!

A flight from Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International on Airlink gets you to Pemba International in 3 hours. Once you step off the plane, you get a sense of the laizzez-faire island-style that pervades the warm tropical air.

After clearing customs, we walked across to Domestic Departures and were soon on a Caravan flying west away from the coast and over the vast Niassa province of northern Mozambique. 1 hour 10 minutes later we landed on the Lugenda airstrip, surrounded by massive insulbergs (dark granite outcrops that seem to have erupted from the surrounding flat land). The airstrip is crammed between these mountains, landing is interesting!! But of course, the bush pilots know their stuff and soon you are on the ground surrounded by the welcoming committee.

Lugenda is a tented camp (maximum of 16 guests in 8 double tents) built along the banks of the Lugenda River in this vast province. It is almost 130000km sq and inhabited by around 1 million people. These subsistence farmers are engaged in a continual battle between their fragile subsistence lifestyle, and the wildlife of the province.

The camp itself lies along the river bed so one has a perpetual view of activity from terrapins to mammoth crocs and multitudinous birds each and every day. Game drives within the vast reserve are a welcome change, the chance of seeing any other vehicles besides the other Lugenda vehicle, are completely remote. Of course, game drives in such a vast space are also a real opportunistic experience which makes it so much more thrilling when you do come across game, which is no doubt there in abundance. On my two short game drives there was plenty to see!

Then I was off again flying back to the coast and then on to Matemo Island over that startling sea again! Landing on the seaside runway you are piled onto a colourful open bus and within minutes you are the lodge being offered cool fruit juices and gawking at the stunning lay-out of this resort.

Each cabin, fully equipped and well appointed en suite with bath and separate shower, has its own wooden deck with chairs and hammock and in literally ONE step, you are on the beach, perfectly white and shell-studded, and walking into the warm water!

Here you can be as active as you wish with the whole range of seaside activities offered, or you can be a “lounger” lizard enjoying this perfect combination of privacy, beach, warm water and sophisticated beach bar to enjoy every stunning sunset.
For others looking for a more holistic experience you can visit the local villages or take a short boat trip to Ibo Island, once the capitol of Mozambique, a slave trading station and now an eerily decaying look at the legacy of colonial Africa. The island is being slowly restored and is definitely worth a visit.

After this, it was back to Pemba by air and a last night at the Pemba Beach Hotel with its stunning sea-view rooms, excellent food and gorgeous rimflow pools.
Then back to reality – I could hardly believe that I had only been away for 3 nights!

Northern Mozambique is utterly beautiful, very underdeveloped and on the cusp of huge tourism development.

Go there now and you will be able to say you have visited one of the earths most beautiful areas!