We are taking a small eight-seater turboprop aircraft down the coast of Africa, to Mozambique. Flying low, as the vast East African mangrove swamps of Tanzania give way to white-sand, palm-lined beaches and turquoise waters that fringe small, tin-roofed towns and villages, it soon becomes evident that we're headed to a laidback, pleasantly otherworldly land.
By the time we land at Nuarro Luxury Eco Lodge’s private airstrip, and are driven down dusty roads to the reception atop of a dune overlooking the magnificent Memba Bay and down to the wooden Beach Bar, relaxation is the only word that comes to mind. While we may have been flying south, mentally we have taken a turn for the horizontal. Nuarro has an instant calming effect.
The snacks help – ruled by the Portuguese for nearly 500 years, they introduced cashew nuts from Brazil. Naturally salted by the sea, they are perfectly washed down with a cold beer. The first global empire in history, the seafaring Portuguese also introduced spices and seasonings such as onions, bay leaves, garlic, fresh coriander, paprika, chilli peppers. Food is to become one of the great delights of our stay.
As is the company of manager Isabel’s two cats, Flip and Flop, who resemble felines from Egyptian hieroglyphics. These graceful gods seem to worship the guests though, religiously following you to back to your chalet to make sure you settle in each night.
While we may have been flying south, mentally we have taken a turn for the horizontal. Nuarro has an instant calming effect.
It is difficult not to. At Eco Lodge, Nuarro’s 12 chalets are all constructed from natural materials by local craftsmen, with large doors in the longitudinal ensuring plenty of ventilation and negating the need for air conditioning. Dominated by a king size bed covered in a mosquito net, each has its own veranda looking out to sea, so you can leave the doors open and fall asleep to the sound of the waves.
Darkness having fallen, we settle into the hammock on our veranda and look out over the moonlit Indian Ocean as a fishing boat we cannot make out rows to shore, its presence made known only by the crew, who sing in unison; an enchanting song in their lilting Makua dialect, a branch of the Bantu languages.
A lot of time is spent on that veranda – relaxing, reading, enjoying the sea breeze coming up off the beach and – let’s be honest – snoozing. But there is also a raft of activities on offer at Nuarro, from snorkeling to sea kayaking, dhow sailing trips to beach picnics.
And diving of course. The Marine Activity Centre is a fully equipped PADI Centre overseen by friendly couple Susanna and Richardo, who cater for all levels of divers, from beginners who walk in right from the beach, to night and shipwreck dives for the more experienced.
Given that most of the stay is about getting away from it all, the village walk is an interesting highlight. One of those pub quiz facts about Mozambique is that it is the only country to have an AK-47 on its flag. That’s a result of the Mozambican War of Independence against the Portuguese, which lasted from 1964 to 1974.
Sadly, that hasn’t been the only war in the country’s recent history. Just two years after finally gaining independence in 1975, Mozambique descended into an intense civil war that wrecked its land for 15 years, until 1992. It was as bloody as it was protracted; some one million people died in fighting and from starvation, with countless others injured and losing limbs to landmines – a bleak legacy continuing to plague the nation to this day.
Suffice to say with such turmoil, this well endowed nation has struggled to reach its potential. While blessed with extensive natural resources, Mozambique ranks among the lowest in GDP per capita, human development, measures of inequality and average life expectancy.
The literacy rate of the country is also estimated to be just over 50 percent. One of Nuarro’s projects is the refurbishment of the local primary school in the neighboring village of Nanantha, attended by no less than 280 children. Five dollars from each overnight stay and two dollars from each activity are also donated to the local community, funding the building of a community centre and medical post as well as the school.
By the time we leave the village we have a fair procession of those 280 children following us back to the beach, where fishermen are bringing their catches, which brings us back to the food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served in a large open restaurant on a rocky outcrop at one end of the beach - fresh fish, lobster and huge prawns plucked straight from the sea and cooked to perfection.
Nuarro’s 12 chalets are all constructed from natural materials by local craftsmen. Each has its own veranda looking out to sea, so you can leave the doors open and fall asleep to the sound of the waves.
Migrating humpback whales pass the bay with their young, and on the final afternoon after lunch, rather than make the exhausting five-minute walk back to our verandas, we decide it is wiser to sit it out on a sofa on the restaurant terrace with a chilled bottle of white wine (or two).
Our idleness is rewarded when across the vast blue we see a great white plume shooting into the air. And then another. Superb white (wine) plumes shoot out of our own spouts in excitement at having spotted one of these majestic marine mammals.
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// Qu Fei Zhou are a newly-launched travel company offering tailored packages to Southern Africa. For more information contact Kat by email at info@qufeizhou.com or call her on 159 2173 9908 or visit www.qufeizhou.cn. To read about our visit to Tanzania with Qu Fei Zhou, click here
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