(click any picture to get enlargement)
You might say "where in the heck is Bazaruto?";
I know I did when Nicole
suggested we go there.
It is a small, 25 mile long, island just
off the shores of Mozambique; which is the country to the north
of South Africa.
Africa Map (kind of old)
Close-up view showing where Bazaruto island is, and the path by which we traveled to get there.
We were told that the cost of alcohol on the island was outrageous. We ended up taking six bottles of wine, a bottle of gin and a bottle of vodka, which used up most of our weight allowance!
Mozambique mainland; not many paved
roads.
The land was flat, with many coastal lakes.
The water looked warm and inviting though!
to begin looking for a new one.... again, sorry about the spot!
We went through customs & boarded the next flight, which was even smaller.
About 30 minutes out over the ocean the island first appears.
Sand dunes run along the far/east coast; the runway is on the near/west coast.
Nicole steers the plane in for a grassy
landing (ha). There were 8 people on this flight, which was about all it
could hold; there are only two resorts on this island.
We were picked up and in 15 minutes were at the lodge, which is located at the top/north of the island (see red on pic to right). The other resort is at the bottom of the island.
Entrance to Bazaruto Lodge; there weren't
many other guests.
View of lodge from ocean; note the empty beach!
Bar & social area
Bar Close-up
Pool area, with weaver birds in the tree and a parrot on the right
Game area; darts here, with a big screen TV and billiards in back of room
Dining area; half the meals were buffet and
half were ordered from a menu
Our "designated" table
Dining view (low tide)
View of the 25 "rooms"
Our temporary home
View from the patio
Parrot named Marta
Very friendly with Jay ...
... but just OK with Nicole
View of the left side of the beach. The weather was unusually nice during the six days we visited.
Close-up of the beach. There was little rain and a slight breeze which kept us from getting too hot.
The snorkeling area was around the tip to the
right; it was one of the best spots we have ever seen
(almost like diving).
Sunset over the sandbar; we had nice sunsets!
Swimming on the sand bar was very secluded :)
Kayaking gave us quick transport & nice views
At low tide we heard:
"who pulled out the plug?"
The ripples & remaining critters were interesting.
We ate lots of seafood,
the lobsters were HUGE!
Coastal native village...
... kept up very nice!
Tables used to dry fish
with a long band of sand dunes; some of which
got very high and were very tough to climb!
Lake amidst the dunes ...
... with birds & crocs ...
... and a few tourists.
Jeep ride to watch eclipse
Nice dune scenery
Eclipse-free view
Overall we had a very nice time on Bazaruto
and would highly recommend it to other travelers.
The island is in the
"malaria area" and, even
though we didn't see a single mosquito, we
took the medicines as a precaution.
The staff was friendly & the food
was delicious;
it was impossible not to gain weight!
Marta, say "Goodbye"