Benguerra Island: Life in a Postcard

Glossy brochures and travel websites frequently promise that ultimate escape to a "tropical island paradise of soft sandy beaches lapped by the warm turquoise ocean, where you can snorkel unspoiled coral reefs, sip sunset cocktails beneath gently swaying palms and tuck into plates piled high with succulent seafood."

OK, so that description contains bucketfuls of island cliche. The thing is, besides being the life ring of the lazy travel writer, the reason these phrases are repeated so often is because they sound pretty damn idyllic. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend a week lazing about on a beautiful beach?

So lets see how my few days on Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago matches up to the picture postcard imagery of the perfect island escape.

"Footprint-free beaches"
Check. There are only 3 lodges on Benguerra Island (Azura, Benguerra Lodge and Marlin Lodge) and a few small local villages, so there's no fighting for towel space on these beaches. We went for an early morning walk, and apart from a couple of local fishermen, saw no one else.

If you really want footprint-free, I'd recommend a picnic on Pansy Island. This island is a sandspit which only emerges at low tide and is covered with seashells, especially the perfectly shaped pansies after which it is named.

Image copyright: Benguerra Lodge

"Colourful coral reefs"
Check. There are a number of reefs (the most famous are 'Two Mile' and 'Five Mile'), with sites at a range of depths to suit both beginner and experienced scuba divers. You've got a good chance of swimming with giant turtles and will see a whole host of brilliantly coloured reef fish, darting about against a backdrop of unbleached coral.

The best snorkelling spot is 'The Aquarium' on Two Mile Reef. Keep an eye out for dolphin playing in the wake of your boat on the trip out to the reef.

Image copyright: Benguerra Lodge

"Succulent seafood"
Check. We ate everything from tuna sashimi to fragrant crab curry. My top seafood experience was a beach barbecue at Azura, where we plucked perfectly cooked lobsters and giant prawns straight off the fire, popped them on our plates, then headed back to our table on the sand - lit by hurricane lanterns and starlight.

Image copyright: Benguerra Lodge

"Warm turquoise waters"
Check. Flying across from Vilanculos to Benguerra Island we flew low over an impossibly blue ocean, with darker stains hinting at hidden coral reefs. Even when scuba diving, the water was far too warm for a full wetsuit.

Image copyright: Marlin Lodge

"Barefoot luxury"
Well, when I think of barefoot luxury, I think of walking from the polished wooden floor of my luxurious beach chalet straight onto powdery sand, or reading a book on a sun lounger next to my private swimming pool, in which case ... check!

Image copyright: Azura

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• 1. aaaaah, to go back to Mozambique! One of my best holidays ever - warm sea, warm air, incredible seafood, you've said it all!
  

  
  emmagass

  January 14th, 2010 at 10:07am

  

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• 2. Thanks so much for capturing the amazing ambience of this place - it really is like heaven on a beach.
  I think I need to arrange a trip to Mozambique - it's like summer all day every day!
  

  
  kimberoo

  January 14th, 2010 at 11:02am

  

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• 3. Thanks Emma.
  You definitely should Kimberoo, in fact I'm hoping to go up again in July / August (the dry winter months are the best time to travel). There are also some lodges on the mainland near Vilanculos which look worth checking out, like Dugong Beach Lodge, and I can highly recommend going horse riding on the beach with Pat and Mandy Retzlaff who run an incredible operation called Mozambique horse safaris.
  

  
  SandraMallinson

  January 15th, 2010 at 10:09am

  

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