Getting there

Let’s backtrack a little bit. Starting with getting to Magaruque in the first place. It began a few days earlier with a commercial flight on a small jet from Johannesburg (JNB) to Vilankulos (VNX). Just one hour and 35 minutes in our two aisle seats on Airlink, currently Southern Africa’s best airline. As we’ve come to expect from Airlink, the flight was on time, the boarding process was as painless as it could be, there was  a friendly – even affable – voice from the cockpit and the flight attendants were professional to a point.

Airlink’s catering continues to impress. On this relatively short flight they served a  light meal with complimentary beverages as well as tea and coffee. Two options: chicken or beef sandwich. When the flight attendant got to our row # 5, he asked about my drink preference and then promptly produced the pre-ordered plant based sandwich. 

We landed 15 minutes early in Vilankulo, the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, consisting of the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque and Santa Carolina. Visa formalities were relatively simple. Predictably, a perfunctory form had to be completed; the lettering was miniscule and hard to read. Then, you hand over your $11 in cash. A bored looking official adds a couple of new stamps to your passport (which has to be valid 6 months beyond your anticipated departure date) and you’re on your way out the door.

Less than 30 minutes later, after a slow drive through this sandy town, we turned right into the Santorini property. Almost immediately, we were met by the manager on duty bearing a couple of virgin mojitos. After a short introduction and walkthrough, we were taken to our room at the beautiful Villa Na Collina. It turned out that Santorini had five suites in the Main Villa and three private villas: ours (Villa Na Collina, often used for honeymooners), the 2-bedroom Chapel with room for 4 guests and a family villa, the 4-bedroom Villa Da Praia, which sleeps up to 8.

Meals and activities at Santorini

It took just one excellent lunch – with fantastic views over the ocean – to realize that we were in for a culinary treat over the next few days. And so it was. Under the direction of head chef Russell Schmidt, the kitchen at Santorini turned out one stellar meal after the other. A special mention has to go to the superb chocolate fondant, the homemade ice creams and the Pasteis de Nata, a popular Portuguese custard tart. Some of the other highlights:

An excellent dinner on our first night, with a choice of beef curry and seared tuna. Delectable. A really well executed malva pudding – a South African classic – was served for dessert.

Our beach-side lunch at Magaruque was delicious. Shrimp kabob with aioli. A watermelon & feta salad. Chorizo and chickpeas. Smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches on seed bread. With passion fruit and pineapple for dessert.

• Likely the most memorable meal was a vegetable garden lunch -served al fresco in a shady spot in Santorini’s large organic herb, vegetable and fruit garden. With two choices of espetadas as the main course. A drippingly tender beef and tasty fish option. Espatada being Portuguese-style kabobs.

Santorini Mozambique can be as relaxed or as adventurous and exploratory as you’d like to make it. Simply enjoy the gorgeous setting, the relaxed beach town ambience and the fantastic hospitality. Or head out on an adventure. The choices are ample: boat charters, scenic helicopter flights, a horseback safari, romantic dinners, snorkeling and scuba diving, a sunset dhow cruise and fishing excursions.

On the day we arrived, we took a walk down along the red sandy beach in a northerly direction. At the bottom of the walkway – with some steps along the last five meters or so – there are cabanas with showers, equipment for snorkeling, kayaks, and games. The dry sandy part of the beach was tough to walk on with the tide coming in. Probably easier to jog along the beach in low tide.

A fun half-day outing to Magaruque Island

The following morning we headed down to the beach to embark on our day outing to Magaruque island. The tide was low which meant that we had to hike a quarter of a mile or so out to some shallow water – along a soft sandy bottom- to clamber into Aphrodite’s Child, the speedboat which would take us out to the island. 

Skipper Zefa was extremely skilled behind the wheel which was just as well as we had to negotiate some sizable swells for a good 20 minutes. I think someone prone to seasickness or just nervous about being banged around a bit may not be altogether comfortable making the trip. Snugly ensconced in ponchos which kept some ocean spray out of our faces, Kathy and I gripped a convenient hand rail, looked at each other with raised eyebrows and hunkered down. It was worth it.

Barely ten minutes later we were floating in a strong current skirting the northwest edge of Magaruque island, enjoying a snorkeling experience which delivered one extraordinary sighting after another. Snorkeling in a current of up to 3 mph – the locals refer to it as the Magaruque express – is a novel experience. You don’t have to kick or pretty much do anything. Just let yourself slide along with the current – and observe. At one stage we found ourselves right on the edge of a massive school of Natal moonies, hundreds of them flashing by us, their silvery scales lighting up the blue-green environment. The coral reef on the edge of Magaruque is home to dozens of colorful species of tropical fish. We saw many of them, some exceptionally well and others a little less so due to some turbulence in the water created by windy conditions and overcast weather. A few of the ones we were able to identify were parrot fish, devil firefish, butterflyfish and angelfish. The snorkeling equipment, and particularly the abbreviated type of wetsuits provided, kept us nicely protected in water which was just about perfect at around 80 Fahrenheit.

Prior to a delicious lunch served al fresco on the beach – under a canopy which shielded us from direct sunlight – we spent 30 minutes or so exploring the beach and some sandy areas uncovered by the low tide conditions. We soon realized that the beach is littered with sand dollars – in a matter of 20 minutes or so we saw several dozen of them. Together with many other fascinating shells. Surprisingly, considering the ideal conditions, there were no other visitors around. A deserted tropical island – all yours.

Our leisurely lunch – overlooking the gorgeous beach – was about as relaxing as it gets. With a cool south breeze keeping us more than comfortable, the only thing missing was a hammock. When our guide started to unpack the lunch hamper we  immediately realized there was no way we were going to finish it. Fortunately both the skipper and the guide were happy to help us with the task and I know everybody enjoyed the shrimp kabobs with aioli, a watermelon salad with feta, another salad with chorizo and chickpeas and the ‘piece de resistance’, smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches served on seed bread. I don’t know how we did it but there was some capacity left for a passionfruit and pineapple dessert.

I would have to give the Vilankulo village tour a mixed review. It started with a visit to the family compound of a young local tailor. His enthusiasm and joie de vivre were infectious but there were simply too few items for sale. Even so we purchased a few things. After all, supporting the local economy is job #1 for visitors. Over the next hour or so we walked around the downtown organic market where a multitude of vendors line up their wares ranging from fabrics and clothing to fresh vegetables, fruits and staple foods like grains and tubers. This being coastal Mozambique the star of the show was the many varieties of freshly caught fish and crabs displayed by several vendors. There was an unexpected reluctance on the part of local inhabitants to be photographed which really put a cramp in my style. For that reason I don’t rate the experience as highly as I might have otherwise. Nonetheless it was colorful, fascinating and very real.

At noon we said our goodbyes to all the wonderful people at Santorini and were driven literally four minutes to AsDunas, Santorini’s neighboring property just a few hundred meters further up the coast.

AsDunas Lodge, Mozambique

AsDunas created a particularly good first impression with a thorough briefing by the camp manager and then a walkthrough with the owner Elena Ratti. As we were soon to discover, AsDunas is quite intimate and very ‘hands on’ with the owners on site practically all the time. The tented rooms are very much in the style of a safari camp so it makes for a seamless transition from bush to beach. The property is well run and managed and is truly fully inclusive (all meals, snacks, drinks, even a proper 1-hour daily massage by expert local masseuses); the only extras are third party excursions such as visits to the nearby islands for snorkeling and diving. We would recommend doing two island excursions: one to Magaruque for a beach barbecue and some walking on the sandy beaches – truly a gorgeous area – as well as snorkeling on the edge of the coral reef. For guests spending three nights or more, we’d also recommend visiting the nearby island of Bazaruto to hike the sand dunes and to snorkel along its famous 2-mile reef. The beach at AsDunas – as is the case at adjacent Santorini – is subject to heavy tidal depth differences but the property has a really nice elevated beach spot which they refer to as the Riviera. Just the place to relax with a cold beverage and some summer reading.

Our stay at AsDunas was too brief to enjoy any additional activities, but what we experienced was certainly insightful about what future visitors can expect there. The rooms are tucked into a dense coastal forest which adds to the sense of exclusivity and privacy. Even though the property itself is not huge, with the tents relatively close to each other, you can barely see one from the other. The meals were excellent, with a Mediterranean focus; many of the vegetables, local fruits and herbs are grown in the property’s own vegetable garden.

Even though it was overcast and the sun wasn’t visible, we enjoyed the sundowner cocktails (alcoholic and alcohol-free options available) served at a viewpoint from one of the panoramic red dunes, a short walk away from AsDunas. As is the case for all of the Mozambican resorts, AsDunas offers a full menu of activities including a cultural village tour, Mozambican cooking lessons, birdwatching, sailing and snorkeling trips to the nearby islands, as well as whale watching in season (June to October), deep sea fishing, scuba diving and river canoeing.

We think Santorini and AsDunas are both ideal extensions to a South Africa trip for all but the Mozambique cyclone season from January through March. If you want to inquire about that option, or need price information or have any other questions about the central Mozambique coast and the Bazaruto Archipelago, send an email to bert@fisheaglesafaris.com or leave a message with our answering service any time of the day or night at 1-800-513-5222 or 713-467-5222.