In November I had the opportunity to travel to &Beyond Vamizi Island in Mozambique. My travel crew and I met in Johannesburg and took a commercial flight with SA Airlink to Pemba airport in Mozambique. Here we were quickly met and assisted to our charter flight on a cessna caravan to Vamizi airstrip, the flight from Pemba takes just less than an hour of flying over the Quirimbus Archipelago, a chain of little islands dotted in the Indian Ocean.
Vamizi is one of the islands that is furthest north, and very close to the Tanzania border. On arrival we were greeted by Matt, the general manager, as well as our driver, and of course a beautiful welcome drinks table and refresher towels were on hand. We hopped into our private vehicle and were whisked away to our villa nearby which would be home for the next 4 days.
The 6 villas are all unique, space is plentiful, and they welcome in the sea breeze and azure blue vistas beyond the white beach out front. Each villa comes with its our host, chef, butlers and housekeepers who are there to ensure you are comfortable, watered and fed to your hearts content.
During our stay we enjoyed delicious picnics set up at various picnic sites each on beautiful beaches around the island, snorkeling over the colorful coral reef, a dhow sunset cruise, and lots of time spent walking an swimming without another soul in sight. Aside from the teaming life under the ocean, the island is also home to a variety of bird life, samango monkeys, and the giant coconut crab
Other activities available:
• Scuba diving
• Whale watching (seasonal)
• Kayaking
• Traditional dhow cruises
• Sailing
• Castaway picnics
• Guided nature walks
• Local community visits (there is a small community on the south side of the island)
• Deep-sea fishing, ethical spear-fishing, fly-fishing
• Private in-room yoga sessions
• In-room spa treatments
• Seasonal turtle nesting and hatching excursions
The thing that struck me about Vamizi Island is the uniqueness of this experience, a small island in the Indian ocean off the remote northern Mozambique coast, it is exclusive, pristine, and the reef is just incredible, there cannot be too many places on earth where one can still experience this sort of natural beauty, unspoiled by commercial tourism or over fishing.
The beaches are powder white, the ocean is warm and clear, and 10 minutes by boat off the shore line you have the most incredible coral reef which is protected and teaming with life. Part of the reef, Neptune’s arm, is among the top 10 dive sites in the world. To learn more about this incredible ecosystem you can watch this short trailer of a documentary on Vamizi Island – Cradle of Coral
For anyone looking for a private, relaxing, barefoot luxury beach island experience with a small group of friends, family, or couple Vamizi is the ideal destination!
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