Anantara Bazaruto Island ResortInhambane, Mozambique

An island chain along the Mozambique coast — Bazaruto Island offers all of the advantages of an Indian Ocean tropical paradise escape with far fewer people and often at much lower prices.

Down Mozambique’s 1,550-mile-long coastline are the Bazaruto islands, an aquatic playground bathed in brilliant watercolor hues. Protected within the confines of a marine reserve and national park, the islands flaunt a pristine beauty that’s hard to find on planet Earth these days.

Located on the Ilha de Bazaruto (“Island of the Mist”), the luxurious Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort lies 18 miles off the mainland. Here guests can swim with dolphins and observe the annual migration of humpback whales from July to September. They can set sail for the sunset, wander among the island’s rolling dunes, and in the process surrender to nature’s beauty in one of the last untouched nirvanas.

The cuisine at Anatara’s Bazaruto Island Resort on Mozambique’s Indian Ocean coast is inspired by the surroundings.

Fresh-from-the-boat locally sourced seafood, as well as the indigenous herbs and spices from the resort garden, infuse the complex layered flavors of Mozambique, Portugal and beyond at the resort’s two restaurants.

Tartaruga Restaurant & Bar

Wander to the deck for a lunch of fresh seafood spiced with Portuguese flavors accompanied by a glass of crisp white wine. Dinner under the stars takes place on the beach, with tantalizing local dishes as well as flame-grilled imported meats.

Among the menu highlights are Piri-Piri Baby Chicken served with roasted parsnip and tomato relish; Mozambican Tiger Prawns served with chili sauce and chips; and Beetroot Panna Cotta with honeycomb, honey carrot puree and coconut sorbet.

Golfinho Restaurant & Bar

Offers flavors from around the world, morning and evening. Wake up to tantalizing aromas ranging from freshly brewed coffee to pastries hot from the oven. For dinner, themed evenings feature Mozambican, Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine.

Create your own journey at Anantara’s Bazaruto Island Resort.

Explore the natural beauty of Bazaruto Island! Bask in the sun’s rays, barbecue beneath the stars, wakeboard, water ski or whale watch. Choose how you’d like to spend your days and let Bazaruto Island Resort make it happen.

Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort

Fulfill your escapist dreams on the exotic island of Bazaruto. Located on a barrier island off the Indian Ocean coast of Mozambique, its boutique villas offer dazzling views of the area’s natural beauty. Cruise the offshore waters in search of dugong, turtle, dolphin and whale watching trips. Explore the island on horseback or enjoy a range of thrilling water sports. Revitalize at the expansive spa with specialist hydro facilities to invigorate and refresh.

Meet Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort’s Dive Instructor. Diving with Zambezi in Mozambique.

During a visit to Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, guests are met by warm turquoise waters, a variety of sea life and unspoilt coral reef.

Life on the island can be tough for young girls and boys who live on the island, walking many kilometers in the morning and afternoon to school. One of these young boys was Zambezi, now a dive instructor at Anantara Bazaruto. His dream as a young boy was to work at the resort, a dream which came true 12 years ago when he was appointed as a dive assistant. This was a natural fit for him. Growing up him and his friends spent their days free diving at the bottom of the sea, catching beautiful starfish, crabs, and octopus.

Influenced by his cousin Antonio who was a skipper at the activities department, he studied and acquired a formal Divemaster qualification. That equipped him with the necessary skills and knowledge about diving and communicating underwater. With the support of the resort, Zambezi went on to obtain his Dive Instructor certificate and went on to lead the resort’s diving department.

The crystal-clear waters in this part of the Indian Ocean are alive with dazzling soft coral ridges and thousands of tropical fish species and provide ideal conditions for investigating this enthralling underwater world. Water temperatures range from 26 to 27 degrees, with 20 meters of visibility, and conditions cater for first time and seasoned divers. Always challenging himself to discover new dive spots in this beautiful part of the world, Zambezi and his team are leading guests in exploring one of Mozambique’s best-kept secrets, the Bazaruto Marine National Park, one of the world’s premier snorkeling and diving destinations.

As a dive instructor Zambezi doesn’t merely take his guests on diving excursions, his role also ensures that his divers are in good physical condition to go on the dive and takes them through the theory and practical aspects to ensure that guests experience a memorable dive. He is passionate about helping divers create a balance between humanity and the ocean and believes that diving can change the way people see and interact with the world, both above and below the surface.

Zambezi believes that Bazaruto sets itself apart from other diving destinations because of its geographical location, spotless beaches, coral reefs, and elusive marine life such as the largest dugong population on the African east coast. The Bazaruto Archipelago is also the first marine reserve to fall under African Parks’ management and has a strong conservation policy to ensure sustainability.

Zambezi’s top dive spots are:

• Manta Reef, the reef is vast and flat, boasting kaleidoscope gardens of sea anemones and coral that attract large numbers of bright clownfish, as well as green turtles and populations of graceful manta rays, and requires two dives to complete.
• Zenguelemo Reef is home to Reef fish, Crocodile Fish, Scorpion Fish and more. The depth reaches about 21 meters and the site is suitable for advanced divers and up.
• Two-Mile Reef is a flat-topped barrier reef renowned for its fantastic snorkeling at sites such as the Aquarium as well as exciting dive sites on the outer edge. The dives vary from 6 to 21 meters in depth. Highlights include a variety of hard and soft corals and many schools of reef and pelagic fish passing through. The reef caters for various skill levels.
• Bazaruto Northern Tip Reef is a beautiful reef on the north side of Bazaruto Island, where you can dive with thousands of different fish and reef sharks. The depth is approximately 25-35 meters.

Guests can enjoy scenic air or water transfers to Bazaruto Island with a boat or helicopter transfer. The boat transfer begins with a short 15-minute road transfer in air-conditioned vehicles from Vilanculos Airport followed by a shared boat transfer. This transfer takes approximately 45 – 60 minutes to reach the island, depending on the tides and the cost is USD 39.00 per person per way.

A bird’s eye view of the Bazaruto Archipelago can be enjoyed during helicopter transfer at a cost of USD 199 per person, one way, and USD 358 per person, return.

Where is paradise, exactly?

Turns out it's about a two-hour flight from Johannesburg, plus a quick jaunt by helicopter or boat ... The Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, lazing 30km off the Mozambique coast, isn't the absolute quickest beach idyll to reach, but it's more than worth the extra effort it takes to get there. It has an authentic feel to it, it's the ultimate island escape: it's not highly polished and refined luxury, but its charmingly gorgeous, with beachside villas, a sensuous spa and exquisite barefoot dining; bathed in tropical sunshine and lapped by dazzling blue-green-turquoise seas; and integrated with the local community, within a jaw-dropping national park. This is spectacular, responsible, adventurous Crusoe-castaway luxe.

The Anantara is one of only two properties on Barazuto, the archipelago's biggest island, which it shares with around 3, 700 people. Staying here affords a great opportunity to sample delicious local dishes, watch the fishermen haul in their catch, visit traditional villages and soak up laidback archipelago life. The property works closely with these communities, helping to build wells and schools; as well as founding the first health centre here – previously, the only option for residents was to make the journey over to the mainland.

But the support goes far deeper than this. 95% of employees at the hotel were born on Bazaruto, demonstrating beyond doubt the commitment of the business to the islanders. The easy option would be to employ a team experienced in hospitality from other regions; people who understand what luxury hospitality looks like and who already have a strong command of the English language surely? "Yes maybe, but easy doesn't equal right" says General Manager Yiannis Kosmas. "We work closely with new recruits to help them both with their language development, and with their guest experience delivery skills". Yiannis joined the resort twelve months ago, after spending almost five years in Thailand and Malaysia and has already made huge inroads; employing Executive Chef, Jean Piere, from their sister property in the Maldives, elevating their culinary offering and helping to refine the skills of the existing staff. He's also investing in his people, sending team members to other Anantara properties on placement in order for them to see customer experience being delivered at the highest levels.

Of course the beaches and pools offer some welcome R&R, but the island is a diverse and tropical playground too. You can go sand-boarding on rippling blonde dunes, paddle across the shallows by kayak or SUP, try your luck at world-class deep-sea fishing, horseback ride through the shallows, and sail off into the sunset aboard an elegant dhow. The wider area is truly special.

Declared a protected area in 1971, the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park spans 1,360 sq km of ecologically unique waters – the biodiversity and volume of marine life is astonishing. It's now managed by conservation organisation African Parks, which works closely with communities and commercial operators – such as Anantara – to ensure that this remarkable place has a more sustainable future. This includes instigating ranger patrols to help stop illegal activities occurring within the park and developing a detailed code of conduct for tourism to ensure activities such as boat trips, snorkeling and diving don't negatively effect the environment.

This is good news, because you will want to explore these teeming waters. Head out from the Anantara and you may well encounter manta rays and dolphins, sharks and sailfish, nesting turtles and rare dugong. The snorkeling is some of the best I've every experienced: clear waters, huge volumes (every size and in every color of the rainbow) varieties of fish; Time it right and you might also meet humpback whales, which migrate past from July to September.

Yes, you'll spend a little longer getting there. But a true ocean paradise will be your reward. It may not deliver the impeccably polished, highly refined offering of resorts in the other parts of the Indian Ocean, but what it does provide is a high end, charming and "real" island getaway .... not to mention some of the best shellfish I've ever tasted! By Liz Harper

Our signature driving trip to the northern most point of Bazaruto Island. This is the experience of a lifetime. Drive by the lakes, villages, dunes, beaches, including Sailfish Bay and Dolphin Bay, all the way to the very tip of the northern point of Bazaruto Island to the famous Dom Carlos Point. The sea and currents are on three sides.

Our team members will set up a shaded tent and a picnic lunch while you enjoy swimming, snorkeling, witnessing majestic bird and marine life with the Bazaruto lighthouse as your backdrop.

• Duration: half day (6 hours) inclusive of beach picnic lunch
• Price: USD 160 per person Inclusive of a selection of house drinks and a picnic lunch.
• Add a bottle of champagne at an additional cost to make this an unforgettable experience.

Explore the unique flora, fauna, and people of Bazaruto Island, enriched by the insight of a knowledgeable local guide. Discover beautiful lakes, home to a large population of exotic birds and Nile crocodiles. Weave through the tropical landscape to towering sand dunes, marveling at rural inland villages along the way. A visit to the Zengelema primary school and community center, will provide you with knowledge on local island life and Anantara’s community initiatives.

• Duration: 3 hours
• Price per person: US$ 40

  Ask our Community Services Guide to find out more about our initiatives and how you can get involved. Inclusive of a selection of house drinks.

  Please Note:

• All prices are inclusive of IVA
• All prices are quoted in USD and subject to change without prior notice
• All clients must sign indemnity agreements
• Minimum and maximum numbers of passengers apply
• Specific beverages and catering must be ordered a day before
• All activities are subject to availability of equipment
• Certain activities incur park fees

  Cancellation Policy

• Please note that once booking is confirmed, cancellation fees will apply as per standard cancellation policy
• 24 hours in advance, no fee will be applied
• 12 hours in advance, 50% of the full price will be applied
• Please note that our activities team will confirm all the bookings for the next day’s activities during dinner the evening before
• In case of intermittent weather conditions, the resort will cancel activities for safety reasons. No cancellation fee will be applied

It almost goes without saying that Anantara’s Bazaruto Island Resort in Mozambique makes an ideal beach holiday or romantic honeymoon. But thanks to its Culinary Journeys program, it’s a flavor destination, too.

Culinary Journeys takes guests on a delicious discovery of local cuisine and fresh Indian Ocean ingredients via special meals and cooking classes. Mozambican cuisine reflects the people and their culture. Like the country itself, traditional dishes are rich and spicy. A Taste of Mozambique, one of the signature menus, features coconut prawns, stuffed crab, piri-piri chicken and sweet potato cake, while the Seafood Feast includes oysters, prawn gazpacho and grilled lobster.

For carnivores at heart, the Meat Lovers menu blends traditional and exotic fare: Springbok antelope served three ways plus quail and rack of lamb. At the other end of the eating spectrum, the Vegan Lifestyle meal includes vegetable gazpacho, stuffed tomato, pumpkin gnocchi and poached pear. Guests can also choose an in-villa Barbecue Experience that features a variety of surf-and-turf bites, from grilled crayfish piri-piri and local line fish, to lamb chops, beef steak and Portuguese style chicken.

And Culinary Journeys ventures beyond lunch and dinner. There’s a sumptuous Champagne Breakfast and a Gin & Tonic Experience with a selection of curated gins and signature gin cocktails. Meanwhile, guests can add new flavors to their culinary repertoire with a richly immersive,

step-by-step cooking class during which participants learn traditional Mozambique cooking techniques, craft authentic African recipes and enjoy their own creations during a chef-hosted meal.

. . . But its gorgeous beaches and Anantara’s Bazaruto Island Resort are actually very easy to reach from South Africa.

From O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, it’s a short 90-minute flight on Air Link — South Africa’s best airline in terms of service and on-time performance — to Vilanculos on the Mozambique coast.

After passing through customs and immigration (visas are available on arrival), Anantara offers a comfy air-conditioned airport lounge at the airport before a 15-minute transfer in a safari vehicle to Vilanculos Beach Lodge.

There’s plenty of time for a restroom break or a drink at the lodge’s open-air bar before wading through the shallows (be sure to wear shorts!) to the Anantara speedboat and a scenic transfer (around 45 minutes) across a short stretch of Indian Ocean to Bazaruto Island Resort.

Greeting you on the beach are a local dance troupe and Anantara staff with cool drinks and refreshing face towels. You can grab a quick bite to eat at the resort’s seaside Clube Naval restaurant or go straight to your waterfront bungalow on the beach.

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Picture in your mind the ideal beach: Pristine white sand as far as the eye can see, warm azure-colored water, enough of a breeze to take the edge of the tropical heat, and not a manmade thing in sight. And did we mention the possibility of having that beach all to your own?

We’ve found it: Sailfish Bay on the Indian Ocean coast of Mozambique.

Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort can arrange a perfect getaway to Sailfish Bay as part of a cross-island journey that includes many of the island’s natural treasures and cultural landmarks.

Led by veteran guide Lourenço Zivane, the first stop is a string of small, brackish lakes that shelter many bird species — including herons, egrets, ibis, gray headed gulls, and even the occasional flamingo — as well as catfish, tilapia and crocodiles.

The giant dunes behind the lakes, created by relentless winds that blow westward from the Indian Ocean, tower more than 300 feet (100 meters) above the surrounding terrain. And they continue grow in both height and width, slowly covering more and more Bazaruto.

Samango monkeys inhabit the area around Lago Imbite and you might be lucky enough to spot an entire troupe scampering across the adjacent dunes.

But the main event is Sailfish Bay. Framed by two sandy headlands — Ponta Gunica and Ponte Govane — the hook-shape bay sparkles with blue-green water and waist-high whitecaps.

Parking the Anantara safari vehicle in the lee of the dunes, Lourenço leads the way through a gap in the sand to a pristine white-sand strand. The only other humans you’re likely to see are locals fishing with cast nets near the bay’s southern end.

If the breeze is up, Sailfish makes for great board, wind and kite surfing. If not, take a long walk along the shore, picnic beneath the dune-top pine trees, or try counting the little red crabs that scurry at the edge of the surf.

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Exchange vows on a deserted sandbank. Celebrate afterwards in a private villa. Cruise into the sunset as you begin your honeymoon of a lifetime.

Imagine the most fairy-tale of destination weddings, and Anantara – among Mozambique wedding venues - brings it to life in brilliant Indian Ocean hues.

These are our suggested venues:

• Deluxe Sea View Pool Villa Wedding: hold an intimate ceremony on the spacious wooden deck of your private villa, overlooking the stunning Bazaruto Bay. Ideal for up to 25 guests.
• Pansy Island Wedding: a sandbank on the southern tip of the island, a swirl of turquoise and sapphire surrounding. Ideal for up to 25 guests.
• Dhow Cruise Wedding: the most intimate of ceremonies takes place on the deck of a traditional wooden dhow, the sunset on the horizon the perfect backdrop. Ideal for up to 4 guests.
• Wedding With A View: take your vows in a lush environment looking onto the gentle Indian Ocean with unparalleled beauty. Ideal for up to 25 guests.

Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort’s luxury hospitality with a mindful approach.

Sustainability at Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, today: Anantara scholarship programme.

At Anantara Bazaruto, we are dedicated to preserving Mother Nature, local communities and lessening our carbon footprint for future generations.

Environmental, conservation and supporting responsible travel are at the heart of our practices. With a sustainable stay at our resort, savor the luxury of peace of mind.

Aujan - Anantara Scholarship Programme.

A scholarship program that aims to provide the youth from the local Zenguelemo, Pangala and Stone communities with access to college education upon completion of their secondary education. Students study a hospitality course for three years at Instituto Industrial e Commercial “Eduardo Mondlane” de Inhambane, in Inhambane City.

Portuguese flavors meet fresh African ingredients and modern cooking methods at Bazaruto Island Resort on Mozambique’s Indian Ocean coast.

Fresh-from-the-boat locally sourced seafood, as well as the indigenous herbs and spices from the resort’s own garden, infuse the complex layered flavors at the resort’s two restaurants.

Perched on a tree-shaded bluff overlooking the Mozambique Channel, Golfinho Restaurant offers flavors from around the world, morning and evening. Wake up to tantalizing aromas ranging from freshly brewed coffee to pastries hot from the oven. For dinner, themed evenings feature Mozambican, Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine.

Among the menu highlights are Piri-Piri Baby Chicken served with roasted parsnip and tomato relish; Mozambican Tiger Prawns served with chili sauce and chips; and Beetroot Panna Cotta with honeycomb, honey carrot puree and coconut sorbet.

There’s also Mozambique comfort foods like carne moida (minced meat), feijoa cozido (baked beans), batatas salteadas (sautéed potatoes), cogumelos salteados (sautéed mushrooms).

Down on the beach, Clube Naval serves casual fare for lunch or early dinner. In addition to pizza, pasta, burgers and salads, the breezy café offers large plates like grilled lobster or prawns, lamb chops and cashew chicken, mussels in white wine, catch of the day, and a seafood platter for two.

During a visit to Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort, guests are met by warm turquoise waters, a variety of sea life and unspoilt coral reef.

Life on the island can be tough for young girls and boys who live on the island, walking many kilometers in the morning and afternoon to school. One of these young boys was Zambezi, now a dive instructor at Anantara Bazaruto. His dream as a young boy was to work at the resort, a dream which came true 12 years ago when he was appointed as a dive assistant. This was a natural fit for him. Growing up him and his friends spent their days free diving at the bottom of the sea, catching beautiful starfish, crabs, and octopus.

Influenced by his cousin Antonio who was a skipper at the activities department, he studied and acquired a formal Divemaster qualification. That equipped him with the necessary skills and knowledge about diving and communicating underwater. With the support of the resort, Zambezi went on to obtain his Dive Instructor certificate and went on to lead the resort’s diving department.

The crystal-clear waters in this part of the Indian Ocean are alive with dazzling soft coral ridges and thousands of tropical fish species and provide ideal conditions for investigating this enthralling underwater world. Water temperatures range from 26 to 27 degrees, with 20 meters of visibility, and conditions cater for first time and seasoned divers. Always challenging himself to discover new dive spots in this beautiful part of the world, Zambezi and his team are leading guests in exploring one of Mozambique’s best-kept secrets, the Bazaruto Marine National Park, one of the world’s premier snorkeling and diving destinations.

As a dive instructor Zambezi doesn’t merely take his guests on diving excursions, his role also ensures that his divers are in good physical condition to go on the dive and takes them through the theory and practical aspects to ensure that guests experience a memorable dive. He is passionate about helping divers create a balance between humanity and the ocean and believes that diving can change the way people see and interact with the world, both above and below the surface.

Zambezi believes that Bazaruto sets itself apart from other diving destinations because of its geographical location, spotless beaches, coral reefs, and elusive marine life such as the largest dugong population on the African east coast. The Bazaruto Archipelago is also the first marine reserve to fall under African Parks’ management and has a strong conservation policy to ensure sustainability.

Zambezi’s top dive spots are:

• Manta Reef, the reef is vast and flat, boasting kaleidoscope gardens of sea anemones and coral that attract large numbers of bright clownfish, as well as green turtles and populations of graceful manta rays, and requires two dives to complete.
• Zenguelemo Reef is home to Reef fish, Crocodile Fish, Scorpion Fish and more. The depth reaches about 21 meters and the site is suitable for advanced divers and up.
• Two-Mile Reef is a flat-topped barrier reef renowned for its fantastic snorkelling at sites such as the Aquarium as well as exciting dive sites on the outer edge. The dives vary from 6 to 21 meters in depth. Highlights include a variety of hard and soft corals and many schools of reef and pelagic fish passing through. The reef caters for various skill levels.
• Bazaruto Northern Tip Reef is a beautiful reef on the north side of Bazaruto Island, where you can dive with thousands of different fish and reef sharks. The depth is approximately 25-35 meters.

With safaris, open ocean and thunderous waterfalls, the wonders of Africa are ripe for exploration. Set out on the journey of a lifetime, with Anantara as your guide.

Zambia

The Victoria Falls are unrivalled in majesty, and the Royal Livingstone Hotel by Anantara provides exclusive access. Dine by candlelight directly overlooking the falls. Soar over them in a helicopter, or bungee jump for the greatest of thrills.

Mozambique

The Indian Ocean coastline of Mozambique is a swirl of color, and just off the mainland lie untouched island paradises. Days at Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort unfold leisurely with barefoot strolls and inspirational seafaring adventures.

Bask in the sun’s rays, wakeboard, water ski or get up close and personal with migrating whales at Anantara’s two paradise island resorts in Mozambique.

Fulfill your escapist dreams on the exotic Bazaruto Island off the southern coast of Mozambique and revel in boutique villas with their dazzling ocean views. Set out on dugong, turtle, dolphin and whale watching trips. Explore the island on horseback or enjoy a range of water sports. Revitalize your mind and body at the resort’s expansive spa.

Uncover the romance of a private island escape in the heart of Mozambique’s Quirimbas Archipelago. With only 12 private villas fronting the Indian Ocean, Anantara brings rustic luxury to new heights. Dive the world-class waters of the surrounding marine park. Relax into soothing beachfront spa time. Indulge in a Robinson Crusoe-inspired picnic or captain your own sunset boat cruise.

Africa affords visitors the pleasure of viewing game from the comfort of a modern safari vehicle or lounging on a beach. But for those who want to get active, Anantara offers adventures that are sure to get your adrenaline pumping.

Need a break from the tropical tranquility of the Bazaruto Island Resort?

Explore the island’s freshwater lagoons (and keep a sharp eye out for crocodiles and monkeys) during a 4×4 safari into the Bazaruto backcountry. Try your luck at dune boarding down the island’s massive sand dunes. Scuba dive the marine park (and keep an eye out for dugongs) in the marine park that lies offshore. Venture farther away from shore in search of the whale sharks and humpbacks that migrate past the isle at certain times of year.

Sandboarding, spectacular Indian Ocean beaches, monkeys and crocodiles and copious bird life — just a few of the things that make the sand dunes on Bazaruto Island one of the outdoor adventure and natural wonders of southern African.

Bazaruto Island’s topography is unique, with the interior home to freshwater lakes, grasslands and rolling dunes. At more than 300 feet (100 meters) in height, the dunes make the ideal adventure for thrill seekers.

Slide downhill at breakneck speed on a sandboard or opt for gentler slopes. It’s an ideal day out for the whole family and a favorite activity for many guests at the resort.

Crocodiles often sun themselves along the shore of the lakes along the leeward (western) side of the dunes, and troupes of samango monkeys can sometimes be seen scampering across the sand.

The dunes offer a great perch for watching the many resident and migratory birds that frequent Bazaruto — more than 180 species total — from mighty fish eagles and lesser flamingoes to prehistoric-looking pelicans and colorful paradise flycatchers.

Bazaruto Island Resort arranges both sandboarding adventures and 4×4 wildlife watching safaris to the dunes.