Vamizi Blog

Vamizi - December 2009

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On arriving into Dar International off the overnight BA flight we were met airside by Charles, who represented Vamizi, and were immediately offered cold water and fresh towels from the cool box. One of the best welcomes I have had as I watched the rest of the plane’s passengers being checked over by officials in ‘anti swine flu gear’ as they queued in the early morning heat for visas. Charles disappeared with descriptions of our bags, and in my opinion not a hope in hell of finding them, and re-appeared 10 minutes later, much to my surprise, with all our stuff. We were then driven across to the other smaller terminal where we met the pilot and boarded the charter flight to Mocimboa de Praia. Every airport should have a Charles.

The flight down to Mocimboa was stunning with great views of the Bombay Sapphire Indian Ocean – a full spectrum of turquoise peppered with small coral islands. On landing I realized why our pilot had suggested that Mocimboa resembled a war zone. A shell that housed the immigration department, 2 men in high-vis jackets filling out visa forms for us by hand makes you really appreciate how remote and isolated this ‘international airport’ is.

On landing on Vamizi after a 10 minute flight from Mocimboa we were driven to the lodge, a bumpy 35 minutes later we arrived and the welcome drink was well appreciated as the vista was being gulped from the deck area at the bar. The reflection off the sand was absurd, having to squint to see a local dhow nodding lazily in the background. Set back from the beach in the islands thick flora the 16 villas are open plan and enormous, raised a few feet off the ground to assist with the natural circulation, an eco style air conditioner assisted by over head fans. They are split into a super comfy day area which is covered but open to the elements and your sleeping area which spoils you with a colossal bed surrounded by floor to ceiling linen billowing in the breeze – not a pane of glass in sight. Keeping in tune, the shower area has more than enough room to swing that proverbial large cat in but still offers more than limited privacy to those that want it whilst showering. All in all that clichéd term ‘barefoot luxury’ seems to have been invented for Vamizi.

For those looking for relaxation and lots of ‘me time’ this lodge really works. The 'rest' days at Vamizi are a fusion of relaxing in absolute privacy on your extended decking with a good book or lounging on a comfy rustic day bed drinking in more of that superb turquoise vista. This was how I spent my first afternoon and it certainly wasn’t to be the last. The lodge also has a superb masseuse as well as an alternative therapist meaning that yoga, shiatsu and reiki are all an option to help increase the relax factor.

The diving at Vamizi has been heralded as some of the best in the world. Don’t take my word for it, Mr Cousteau raves about the diving here. The reason its so good is that the islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago are towering peaks with steep cliffs rising up from the ocean floor several hundred metres below. The cool currents swirl up keeping the water at the optimum temperature for beautiful coral to thrive. All diving off Vamizi, whether you are a seasoned professional or a complete novice will blow your mind. One of the other guests dramatically described his first dive as a ‘sub-aqua orgasmic explosion’. Read into that what you wish, I certainly didn’t offer to buddy up with him for the next dive! The vibrant coral was a constant whilst Greenback turtles cruised gracefully by, a lone Lionfish skulked in the shadows and numerous shoals of Dog-tooth Tuna zipped past. This is to name but a few of the more than 400 species of fish in the waters surrounding Vamizi, representing over half the number of reef- associated species for the whole of Mozambique.

Another big draw at Vamizi is the fishing. After I had seen a lot of what there was to catch by being under the surface I headed out to sea on the 'Sanguine', Vamizi’s technology loaded 28 foot deep-sea fishing vessel. Due to the proximity of the deep drop offs deep sea fishing is a really accessible activity for all levels of angler and generally a half day on the boat is more than sufficient to haul in close to a dozen fish. The skipper and deck hands do all the ‘work’ and just pass the rods over to you when the reels are spinning with an angry tuna on the other end. The cool box is always full and the local brew tasted superb out on the calm seas. What a way to work up an appetite for the Sashimi that would be served in the bar before dinner…..it always tastes better when you have caught it yourself. The following day the King Fish was on the lunch menu. Vamizi operates a catch and release policy when they are not going to use the fish for food either for staff or guests.

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