Vilanculos. This former quiet fishing town is a fast growing place and became known mostly as the gateway to the beautiful Bazaruto Archipelago. It’s a very laid-back place where life is still slow and authentic and fresh fish is being sold on the beach. We are facing the idyllic Bazaruto Archipelago with its paradise islands, turquoise blue water and pristine underwater world.

Vilanculos is a perfect place to relax and unwind, go for a quiet walk on the beach, enjoy a drink on the beach watching the dhows passing by and listening to the calming waves of the ocean. Use your time here for some self-care and self-love and join one of the yoga classes, a meditation practice with Gerry, or try one of the lovely Spa treatments in one of the beautiful hotels or on the beach. Read more about Vilanculos here.

The Bazaruto Archipelago is beautiful. Think of the Maledives or Seychelles of Mozambique, bounty islands with crystal clear white beaches, blue warm water surrounded by untouched protected coral reefs, whales, dolphins and the rare Dugong.

UNESCO world heritage-listed Ilha de Mozambique is one of the most fascinating and interesting places to visit on your holiday to Mozambique.  The Zanzibar of Mozambique but without the many tourists. Full of  beautiful accommodations. Foodies will love it here too!

Stay a couple of days in one of the uniquely restored historical buildings – now boutique hotels – and cross over to Cabaceira Grande or Lumbo for a peaceful and relaxing stay away from the hustle and bustle of Ilha. Here you will find the most beautiful beaches you will ever see.

Gorongosa is overwhelming. A safari in what is called Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story, is a unique and very special experience. Remote, wild, exclusive, diverse and off the beaten track. Bush and Beach at its best! Read more about our visit to Beira and Gorongosa National park here.

Have you ever dreamed of driving across a stunning white sand beach along the Indian Ocean?

BD point-or Bartolomeus Dias point, named after the explorer-is accessible only at low tide. After driving on a spectacular beach for 30 kilometers, you will arrive at a unimaginably beautiful tropical secluded lagoon with turquoise blue water, soft white sand and traditional swahili dhows slowly gliding by. Stay in Sussurro Boutique Hotel or Rio Azul Lodge.

Here, you truly feel at the end of the world.

Lively and vibrant Tofo with its huge beach, good choice of restaurants, hip vibe and affordable accommodation, is home of the whale sharks, mantarays, humpback whales and many more beautiful underwater creatues. This is THE place to do an ocean safari, dive the numerous reefs, go on a daytrip to the lagoon or just relax and chill.

Be a Robinson Crusoe and take yourself to a spectacular stretch of unspoiled coastline with white sand and huge coconut and indigenous trees, while buying your fresh fish from the fishermen.

This is the place to hide yourself from the world, watch the moon rising up from the ocean and view endless starry skies. The diving here is  fantastic and you can even join a yoga class with Peri Peri divers. Or why not dive into your inner self and combine Morrungulo with our unique well-being and well-doing package?

Unique, because here it is possible to see the two largest mammals in one day: The elephant and the whale!

Only 100km south of the capital Maputo, Maputo National Park, also called Maputo Special Reserve, is very accessible, yet still not busy with tourists. It combines lakes, wetlands, forests, mangroves and lots of wildlife. A safari here is a very relaxing experience and great start or end of your trip in Mozambique.

It feels a bit unfair to put Mozambique’s relaxed coastal capital on nr 9 but don’t read the list in order…Maputo is cool! Lots of artists and culture, great markets, great restaurants, interesting sites to visit for example the beautiful railway station and ‘Casa de Ferro’ (iron house) built by Gustave Eiffel. A relaxed vibe, live music and a fantastic fish market where you can buy the freshest of fish. While you have your cold beer they will cook it for you! A super local and cool experience.

Mozambique is full of deserted beaches, hidden getaways, fun places and surprises. Inhambane is a nice town to visit and see the amazing market with colourful baskets. Beira is a good base to visit Gorongosa National Park. The town of Mabote, halfway to Zinave National Park, is a friendly town in the middle of the Mozambican bush where you will really and truly experience local life. Zinave National Park is Mozambique’s rising star on the safari circuit.

Everything is different and unique. Let me surprise you. Welcome to Mozambique!

We traveled to Zimbabwe for my 50th birthday, the country I have so many fond memories of. I first visited Zimbabwe in 2000, went to Victoria Falls and apart from meeting the kindest and sweetest people on earth, I also met the American Cathy. We became dear friends and visiting her in the USA, I met Gerry, my life companion for 22 years already.

I wanted to return to the Bvumba Mountains – also known as the ‘misty mountains’ because usually, like Table Mountain in South Africa, they sit in the clouds. We visited this area in 2017 and I had so many nice memories of this area. It is actually just across the border with Mozambique. So from Vilanculos it’s not all that far in terms of distance, but the road is incredibly bad and full of potholes, so it takes quite a long time to get there. Because of the high mountain area it has a totally different climate than Mozambique, cool and dry with a very special biodiversity. Birdwatchers come here from all over the world to see rare and beautiful species.

Right after the border crossing, a sense of melancholy came over me as we arrived into Mutare across the other side. The atmosphere was different than in 2017 – poorer, more restless, and more agitated in terms of atmosphere.Zimbabwe has been struggling with hyperinflation for years, purchasing power has plummeted and you clearly see that locals are visibly struggling to survive, even though there are also a many Zimbabweans with a lot of money – that too is very visible.

The 100-year-old English-style hotel where we stayed, complete with flower curtains, classic style white tablecloths and beautiful flower gardens, suited my melancholic mood. It turns out that a ‘big’ birthday like this is full of moments when you just let life pass you by while also contemplating many moments in your own life. We had a drink in the garden and I saw a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the compost heap. I thought, “there you go”, we humans, as well as our memories, are equally as impermanent.

Gerry surprised with video messages from family and friends from all over the world – and I felt rich with so many people around me, far away and yet so close. We ate a celebratory cake at Tony’s coffee shop – famous throughout Zimbabwe and beyond. I met the owner of our hotel who had just been back from a visit to celebrate his sister’s 99th birthday party in England. We met nice guests who told me about areas in Zimbabwe I didn’t know yet and I thought how fun would it be to organize a (small-scale) group trip from Mozambique to Zimbabwe with Unique Mozambique! I got very excited about it!

After my birthday, we camped for 2 more nights in the area. The former house where now the shower and toilet breathed a state of decay, with books and posters on the wall from better times. But the place was beautiful and full of flowers, scents and birdsong.

We met a nice young Dutch couple there who have been travelling for 2 years through Africa and working digitally along the way.

A short despairing thought went through my mind – I am not very good with social media, we are no digital nomads and we have no pensions. Your mind is always playing tricks on you! I decided to make a Gin Tonic. The nice staff in the kitchen gave me a lemon which seemed just as old as I was.

After 2 very cold nights in the tent under overwhelming starry skies, we decided to treat ourselves and stayed one more night back in the same hotel, sitting  by the fireplace and contemplating life.

There is no going back, we can only keep going forward. Everyone has a different path in life – maybe hard, maybe easier, but still unique for everyone. Not better not worse, just different. Make the most of it, if you can.

Happy 50!