At one point or another, we’ve all fantasised about being stranded on a tropical island. More and more, travellers are looking for a five-star experience in some of the most distant corners of the planet. Luxury is being typified by how far away from it all you can possibly get, while still being utterly pampered. Consider Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort: Located in Mozambique’s pristine, remote Bazaruto Archipelago – a protected marine park with superb diving and brilliant-white beaches – this is a castaway’s dream. Having a private island at your disposal is (naturally) one of the most undeniably exclusive experiences in existence.
When to Visit Bazaruto Island
Bazaruto Island is most enjoyable during the dry season, from May to October, when the weather is sunny, warm and pleasantly cool at night. This period offers ideal conditions for beach days, boat trips and underwater visibility for snorkelling and diving. Humpback whale sightings peak between July and September, making it a popular time for wildlife enthusiasts. While the rainy season runs from November to April, it’s still a good option – just hotter, more humid and with brief tropical showers.
First impressions
The islands in the Bazaruto Archipelago, a rarefied stretch that isn’t touristy, are perhaps the most beautiful in the entire Indian Ocean. Made up of just five small islands – Bazaruto (the largest in the group), Benguerra (about half its size), and then, smaller and smaller, Magaruque, Santa Carolina and tiny Bangué – the archipelago’s status as a national park has helped protect it from mass tourism, with the operating resorts passionate about keeping it that way. The islands lie just a few kilometres from the sleepy mainland town of Vilankulos, where there are sand-floor bars and simple thatched lodges. Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean”, the ecology of the islands is as diverse as it is immaculate. The powder-soft white sand is so clean it squeaks underfoot, and the technicolour coral reefs are said to be among the best preserved in the world. This is one of the rare habitats of the endangered manatee-like dugong, which sailors occasionally mistook for mermaids. The nearest airport is the tiny Vilankulo Airport (expect to whizz through those security lines), from where many of the resorts offer helicopter transfers. Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort is within easy reach – just a one-hour speedboat transfer or 20-minute chopper ride. After landing, you’re shown to Anantara’s private lounge at the airport, where the team takes care of check-in and transfer details. You’re then driven to the boat launch in an open-sided safari-style vehicle – a 20-minute ride through the outskirts of Vilankulos. At the shore, the staff load your luggage while you wade through the warm shallow waters to board. Wear sandals or water shoes and something light that you don’t mind getting wet. The whole journey is easy, efficient and sets the tone for the laid-back adventure ahead. Bazaruto Island appears on the horizon with the silhouettes of palm trees rising against the fading light of the ocean. A team of staff lines the beach as local Mozambican performers sing and dance to welcome guests. It all feels like something straight out of The White Lotus.
Do not disturb
Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort was designed to organically blend its tropical landscape and nearby aquatic reserves. Private villas fringe the sandy shoreline, hidden behind towering palms and lush greenery. There are 44 breezy thatched accommodations – 23 Beach Villas, 8 Beach Pool Villas, 12 Two-Bedroom Sea-View Pool Villas and one Two-Bedroom Anantara Pool Villa – linked by wooden walkways. The entire island is villa-only, and even our one-bedroom Beach Villa was ludicrously capacious at 58 square metres. Inside, they have king-sized beds within mosquito nets, flatscreen TVs, coffee machines, reliable Wi-Fi and – maybe most crucially – robust air conditioning. Don’t get us started on the large wardrobe. The décor is exuberant, with an emphasis on cool tones of blues and greens. Every attention to detail has been paid to create a paradisal experience for visitors – from an extensive pillow menu to a complimentary minibar full of locally made drinks and snacks. This is thanks to the small fleet of housekeeping staff who attend to every need twice a day at your preferred time. The bathrooms feature double basins, sunken tubs, and both indoor and outdoor showers. Meanwhile, the outside spaces appear just as thoughtful as inside. Private decks provide the perfect spot for work or in-villa dining, while shaded sun loungers are placed within steps, so you’re never short of somewhere to flop. You’ll forget there are other guests. This being Anantara, all villas come with round-the-clock butler service. Our butler popped up whenever we needed him – and, in many cases, before we realised we did. The butlers are available on WhatsApp for restaurant reservations, activity bookings, breakfast arrangements, same-day laundry, luggage assistance and pretty much anything else you could need during your stay. You’ll be hard-pressed to leave your super-luxe, super-private villa. But Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort truly rewards the curious, so if you’re anything like us, you’ll be straight out of your villa to explore the island.
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat
The resort is isolated – there’s no getting around that – but there are plenty of options to keep you fed and watered with enough variety across your stay, especially if it’s on the lengthier side. Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort is home to three restaurants and bars: Clube Naval, Sonhos Pool Bar & Seaside Restaurant and Golfinho Restaurant & Bar. Committed to sustainable practices and environmental conservation, the resort’s restaurants are free of plastic bottles and straws. You’ll quickly discover that one of the best ways to spend an afternoon is with your toes in the sand, sipping South African Pinot Grigio while dining on palm-size Mozambican prawns, lightly drizzled with spicy peri-peri sauce. Needless to say, this is hardly your typical all-inclusive. At the light and airy indoor-outdoor restaurant Clube Naval, you’ll find a seafood-based menu that will satiate your craving for crisp tangles of fritto misto or a hearty bowl of paella. Off-menu requests are happily fulfilled. As the day progresses, Sonhos Pool Bar & Seaside Restaurant pours Manica beer and piña coladas in a 100% Mozambican atmosphere. Watch the sun paint the sky in streaks of red and orange before dipping into the horizon with a sundowner in hand. Light lunches can also be ordered from the pool’s lounge chairs or swim-up bar. Golfinho Restaurant & Bar truly comes alive at night. Interactions feel authentic and warm, with local staff beaming with pride at being part of Anantara. Don’t miss the freshly caught fish that tastes even better in the ocean breeze. Sublime. The real culinary highlight, though, was our Dining by Design private dinner on the beach. Those ready to dive into the six-course lobster experience won’t be disappointed. The beach is set up with a single table for two, illuminated by lanterns, with the gentle sound of the ocean lapping at the shore just a stone’s throw away. On the menu is lobster salad, lobster bisque, lobster ravioli, a palate cleanser, truffled lobster risotto and passion fruit panna cotta. This is the epitome of romance.
The extras
While one could be forgiven for fully submitting to the ultra-relaxed pace – spending time flitting between books on hammocks, indulging in treatments at the spa, feasting at mealtimes and clinking cocktails by the pool – there’s a long list of activities to embrace should you wish. Sporty guests can enjoy water sports, mountain biking or a friendly match of tennis or soccer. Kayaking is popular for exploring the azure waters. There’s also a small gym for those wanting to keep up their routine. Of course, being a tropical island, you’d be remiss in not taking advantage of the exhilarating boating and diving activities. Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort is perfectly positioned to discover the underwater world with its wealth of marine life. Exotic fish dart through the coral, and if you’re lucky, you might see green turtles or manta rays. As with all the activities, instructors are on hand to help beginners make the most of the island. PADI courses are available for those who want to learn scuba, but snorkelling is equally popular. What makes Bazaruto Island particularly unique, however, is its dramatic landscape, filled with waves of sand. The majesty of the sand dunes running down its length is simply awe-inspiring. Dune sandboarding offers an adrenalin hit for the more adventurous, as well as horse riding designed to soothe. Planning a romantic surprise? Up the ante on that beach stroll and book a dhow sunset cruise. Chances are, you’ll come face to face with pods of dolphins. Aside from such once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences, it’s the locals that set this place apart. The skippers on the boats, the personal butlers and the talented chefs all make Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort feel incomparably authentic – and they thrive on elevating everyday experiences to something picture-perfect and completely unforgettable. Such as a beach breakfast waiting outside your villa. Or nightly turndown with bedtime stories. So much work goes on behind the scenes to make this the seamless experience that it is. You’ll be aching to return the moment you leave.
Book it
Bazaruto Island, Mozambique
NH Johannesburg Sandton: A stopover as good as the destination
Airlink operates daily direct flights from Johannesburg to Vilankulos, with morning departures every day and afternoon departures on selected days. Travellers from outside Johannesburg may need to overnight nearby at the start and end of their trip. When booking a stopover hotel, convenience, location and practicality are usually top of mind – but that doesn’t mean you need to completely forgo complete comfort and luxurious amenities. NH Johannesburg Sandton may not have the runway views or direct connections to terminals that you might be expecting. Still, it’s got the next best thing: A dependable airport shuttle service. The 329-room property, each room elegantly designed with sweeping views, is one of Sandton’s original grande dames. There’s a wide variety of guests here, from business travellers who like the central location to visitors who value the excellent restaurant and outdoor pool for unwinding. Wander around and you’ll be taken aback by the scale of the place, and the sheer number of ballrooms and meeting spaces. Rooms have generous amounts of floor space and come in shades of soft grey, peppered with dark wood. The workstations and television stands are all polished mahogany. But the best amenities are the simplest: The pillow-top beds, the top-class bedding, the views of Sandton’s buzzing business district and the spacious bathtubs – an open invitation for a long bubble-filled soak. The higher you get, the better the experience. The sixth floor offers an Executive Lounge – a lavish affair with complimentary drinks and snacks. All meals are served in the hotel’s signature Tradewinds Restaurant, where there’s an old-school glamour throughout. The morning breakfast buffet surpasses the norm. Think slabs of honeycomb, on-the-bone prosciutto, freshly squeezed juices, an egg station and a noodle bar. Piano music and the tinkle of teaspoons in coffee cups fill the air. For dinner, we’d recommend ordering the impeccable tuna tartare and tomahawk steak.
138 Rivonia Road, Sandton
011 322 1888
