“I like to spend some time in Mozambique, The sunny sky is aqua blue. And all the couples dancing cheek to cheek. It's very nice to stay a week or two.There's lots of pretty girls in Mozambique. And plenty time for good romance.”
 Bob Dylan may have penned those lines somewhere down south, but the swaying palm trees, friendly ‘Bom Dia’ from the locals and idyllic white sand beaches that prompted him to “spend some time” in Mozambique are just as common in the unexplored north of the country.
The southern reaches of Mozambique have become the tropical playground for South African visitors over the last decade or two, but it’s only recently that the pristine north of the country has begun vying for the attention of local and overseas travellers.
And when you head north the town of Pemba is, without doubt, your first stop.
The capita of Cabo Delgado province, the town has become the transit point for tourists in search of sun, sea and sand. And my goodness, they’ve come to the right place!
The Pemba Beach Hotel is many visitors’ first taste of Pemba, either by choice or if the weather grounds their onward connecting flight.
A ??-room resort hotel built in a beguiling Arabic style, it’s an echo of the colourful history of the region. Arabs traded here, the Portuguese colonised and took over where the Arabs left off… even Chinese explorers sailed through these waters on journeys of exploration.
Any journey at the Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa should certainly lead you to the Sanctuary Spa, commanding a fantastic position overlooking the sands of Wimbe beach and the Indian Ocean beyond. A beachfront Jacuzzi, chill-out room with a view and ever-present healing hands make this a great place to ease into your island holiday.
For a true taste of island living though, you need to hop in a Cessna Caravan and hit the high road – about 3500-feet, to be exact – north with the trusty pilots of Rani Air.
Flying high to the islands
“That’s Matemo down below,” said the passenger next to me as we circled and lined up for landing.
Skimming the palm trees as the early trade winds fluttered the windsock, the ground rushes up to meet our Cessna as the plane comes to ground with a satisfying bump and taxis to the side of the runway.
“Welcome to Matemo!” says Tony Vernon-Driscoll the friendly manager of Matemo Island as the coconut palms wave hello in the background.
With a wide sandy beach, gentle currents and activities a-plenty, Matemo is well suited to families looking for a bit of bonding in the sunshine. Halyards flap on sailing dinghies waiting to be launched, kayaks stand at the ready and the fishing boat bobs at anchor, safely offshore from the low tide.
If you’d rather just sloth by the seaside, grab a good book and hit the hammock thoughtfully swaying from your private deck. Sitting cosily along the beachfront Matemo’s chalets are Robinson Crusoe gone five-star. Outdoor showers add a touch of romance, you can tumble from your bed to the beach and Makuti palm fronds rustle in the wind. It’s island style like no other.
After a busy day in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean your stomach will rumble at the thought of dinner; served either in the restaurant or perhaps under the stars at the poolside. Grilled crayfish, succulent prawns, fresh tuna… this is a paradise for pescatarians! Matemo is also an ‘all-inclusive’ resort, so you can ask for another local 2M beer (just ask for a ‘dosh-em’) without worrying about the bill.
After all, the Quirimbas are the place to escape the outside world; where bills and credit cards are to be forgotten. If dropping out of the world for a while is what you’re after, a castaway experience to remember awaits just 20 minutes north of Matemo.
My own private island… almost
When a resort comes with the word “private” before “island” you know you’re in for something special, and Medjumbe Private Island certainly doesn’t disappoint.
A slender sand-spit lying like a giant comma in the Bombay Sapphire waters of the Indian Ocean, landing at Medjumbe is not for the faint hearted. A short runway with sea lapping at both ends makes for a breathtaking bump back to earth, but the island is worth every heart-stopping moment.
Just 13 rooms dot the northern side of the island, gazing towards Tanzania a few hundred kilometres away. Hand-in-hand sunset walks – this is the perfect honeymoon destination – around the island will help you work up an appetite for the seafood feasts served by candlelight on the panoramic stone terrace.
When the sun comes up it’s time to get active. Medjumbe offers much the same activities at Matemo, but the island’s scuba diving is particularly outstanding.
“Our best dive is one we like to call ‘The edge of reason’,” says resort Divemaster Peter. “It drops from 16 metres into… well, we’re not quite sure how deep it goes but it’s the big blue!”
This dramatic wall dive offers both novice or experienced divers, with the chance to see large pelagic fish rising out of the depths. For the less adventurous, the large fringing reef surrounding Medjumbe offers fantastic snorkelling, and you can even fin away from the beach on an underwater safari of your own.
And that’s pretty much what a Quirimbas holiday is all about – a slice of ‘me-time’ in a tropical paradise. Whether it’s blowing bubbles underwater or enjoying a glass of bubbly surrounded by it, a visit to the Quirimbas is the ultimate island escape. Wouldn’t you also like to “spend some time in Mozambique”?
For more information on Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa, Matemo Island or Medjumbe Private Island, please visit www.raniresorts.com or call +27 11 467 1277.
- Published in Indwe magazine, the in-flight mag of SA Express, May 2009
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