Tuesday  8th January 2008

Best of Bazaruto: Mozambique’s Adventure Playground written by Sandra Mallinson

Mozambique has more than its fair share of beautiful beaches.

Stretching some 2 500km along the southeastern coast of Africa, this ribbon-like country is fringed with endless expanses of squeaky white sand and the clear, warm waters of the Indian Ocean.



The Bazaruto Archipelago is a chain of five islands that form part of a National Marine Park, and the surrounding waters protect an incredible variety of ocean life, hosting some of the finest diving and deep sea fishing in the world.

Beach Riding
We were here to take a look at Bazaruto after the cyclone of 2007 and to try out some of the finest activities the islands have to offer. First though, we wanted to see a bit of the Mozambique mainland and go horse riding along Vilanculos Beach with Mandy and Pat of Mozambique Horse Safari.

Being ex-polo ponies, the horses are incredibly well trained and even respond to verbal commands. A couple of my colleagues hadn't ridden for a while, and chose the 'bomb proof' ponies, while I was introduced to the more energetic, up-for-a-gallop, 'Martini'.

Pat 'El Vaquero' looked every bit the cowboy as he tugged on his leather boots, a Camel dangling from the corner of his mouth. But once settled comfortably in the saddle, his gentle manner and careful instructions had a calming effect on both us and our horses.



The hour flew by as we walked along the beach, past moored dhows and clumps of curious kids staring from a safe distance and shouting friendly 'hello's. There was even a stretch of sand perfect for a little gallop, much to Martini's delight, followed by a cooling walk in the translucent sea. 

A Remarkable Story
It was strange meeting the owners of the horses for the first time, when I felt I already knew so much about them. A few weeks before a colleague had shown me their Letters from Africa website, and I'd become enthralled by the remarkable stories.



Pat and Mandy were living in Zimbabwe in a farming area renowned for polo and gymkhana events. During the land invasions their neighbours were forced to flee, and the couple took responsibility for the horses left behind. 

By the time they moved to Mozambique, Pat and Mandy had collected around 100 horses, and spent two years bringing every one of them across the border. 

Sail Away
Later that same day we found ourselves in a 20-seater aircraft, flying low over a brilliant blue sea stained with dark coral reefs. 

Just eight minutes after takeoff in Vilanculos, we touched down on Benguerra Island. Stepping onto the grass runway, I felt I'd left any remaining stress on the mainland, and was more relaxed than I'd been in a very long time.

On our first night on Benguerra we were treated to a sunset cruise on board a dhow. G&Ts flowed as the sun dipped brilliant orange behind the dhow's triangular sail. We lounged on plump cushions, lulled by the sound of the ocean sloshing against the ancient wooden hull.



Bazaruto Diving
The next day we set off to explore the thrilling world just below the Indian Ocean's shimmering surface. It had been quite a long time since I'd last strapped on scuba gear, and my stomach was a mixture of nerves and excitement as the speedboat flew over choppy seas towards Two-Mile Reef.

Two-Mile runs between Bazaruto and Benguerra islands and has a number of dive sites ranging between six and 21m in depth. 

Over 600 species of fish have been recorded here, and it's fairly common to spot giant turtles, moray eels and reef sharks - even whale sharks and dugongs.

Tumbling backwards into water far too warm for a full wetsuit, my nerves settled as I remembered the elation of breathing underwater. We were unfortunate with just about four metre visibility after a rainstorm, as opposed to the more typical 10m.

However, we still enjoyed the sight of huge unbleached corals forming a colourful backdrop for brilliant blue surgeonfish, wrasse, comical parrotfish and a host of other stripy, spotty and strangely shaped creatures too numerous to mention.

Two of my colleagues opted for snorkelling another part of the reef and they returned with stories of incredible sightings, including a huge octopus and kite-shaped stingray. 

Back on the boat, after stopping briefly at shell-scattered Pansy Island, three curious dolphin popped up and swam alongside, playing in the boat's bow wave.

Hook, Line & Sinker
While at Benguerra Lodge an American guest came over to chat about his fishing expeditions. Cigar in one hand, glass of bourbon in the other, he showed us some of his photos - each featuring a bigger fish and brighter grin than the one before.

The grand finale was a 35kg giant trevally, which he proudly claimed to be his second largest catch ever. 

Benguerra Lodge, which started as a somewhat rustic fishing lodge, has evolved into a luxurious island retreat. In addition to plunge pools and pampering spa treatments, most of the lodges in the Bazaruto Archipelago are also well equipped for fishing, and the surrounding waters are famous for billfish such as giant kingfish and marlin.

Bear in mind that, being a marine reserve, most of the fishing here is catch and release. Your options include shallow water flyfishing or deep sea game fishing.

Island Life
With its beaches, marine life, delicious seafood and exciting activities, the Bazaruto Archipelago is one of Africa's hottest up-and-coming holiday destinations. 

I can now completely relate to Prince Harry who, in 2005, said his trip to Bazaruto Island was "My best holiday ever”. 

Travel Fact File
Sandra Mallinson travelled to Mozambique for five days in December 2007. Part of her research was to look at how the lodges on the Bazaruto Archipelago have recovered from Cyclone Favio, which hit the islands in February 2007. Look out for her article in a forthcoming Go2Africa newsletter.

December often sees the start of the rainy season - although this is usually from January to the beginning of March. The weather in December tends to be hot with short showers. The rains do affect visibility when scuba diving.

Mozambique is a malaria area. Most of the lodges on the Bazaruto islands spray their surrounds so the risk is lower than on the mainland. If you're planning to dive please inform your doctor so the correct malaria medication can be prescribed.

Visit the Go2Africa site for more information about Mozambique, the islands of Bazaruto and the Quirimbas Archipelago.

Find out more about Mozambique Horse Safari on http://www.mozambiquehorsesafari.com and read Mandy's Letters from Africa on http://www.mandyretzlaff.com 

Vilanculos is a two-hour flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. You can also fly direct from Kruger National Park in South Africa to Vilanculos International Airport on Pelican Air, which has flights twice a week.