I spent the past week with my grandmother and her friend in my favorite country [see post: Cities and Safaris: Cape Town to Durban]. With so much to see and do, I jam-packed our itinerary for South Africa. Leaving us with no time to recuperate before returning back home, I had to get creative with incorporating some rest and relaxation. For these longer trips, I always try to combine at least two or three new countries. This time, Mozambique was the only one that strategically worked.
Out of all the places in Mozambique, I chose Vilankulo (or Vilanculos). I am all for some rest and relaxation after a jam-packed itinerary, but I cannot simply sit on a beach and do nothing. While I wanted my grandmother and her friend to recuperate from the past week’s adventures, I had other plans on my mind.
After spending three days in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, we left Durban on the morning of Friday, January 25, 2019, and arrived at Vilankulo Airport later that afternoon.
It took us quite some time to get through the airport. Citizens of all countries can obtain a single-entry visa on arrival that is valid for 30 days if traveling for leisure purposes. Since it was significantly cheaper, we each opted for the $50 USD visa on arrival. Paperwork. Fingerprints. Photographs. Sounds easy, right? The process took so long that the immigration officer decided to just use my information, fingerprints, and picture for everyone’s visas—I still find this comical. Fortunately, our ride had more patience.
I strategically chose to stay in Vilanculos. The area is renowned for diving and kitesurfing—two of my favorite activities. I booked a three-night stay at Vilanculos Beach Lodge, situated near the picturesque Bazaruto Archipelago and the Bazaruto National Park.
While planning this trip, I allocated a day for scuba diving and another one for kitesurfing. Unfortunately, I did not realize that we would be traveling off-season—most dive centers were closed, while others were unwilling to take just one diver.
Visiting the Archipelago was at the top of my list. With scuba diving off the table, I had to look at other options for getting to the marine park. I ended up booking a ‘Day Safari’ with Sailaway Dhow Safaris for our second day in Mozambique.
From Vilankulo, it takes about two and a half hours to reach Bazaruto, the largest island in the Archipelago. We had the opportunity to get there in one of the oldest and most traditional ways—by a dhow. Although extremely uncomfortable, the experience was truly unique and unforgettable.
Upon arrival, we climbed the dunes to get a better view of the island from top.
My grandmother and her friend quickly decided that walking up mounds of sand under the scorching sun was not their idea of fun. After a few pictures, they headed back to the boat via a shortcut, while I continued down a different way.
Back on the boat, the on-board Chef prepared fresh barracuda and squid for lunch. We were all so fascinated watching him cook.
On the way back, the safari included a stop off Benguerra Island at Two Mile Reef for an opportunity to snorkel.
There, my grandma and her friend stayed in the boat while I swam around the reef. I was pleasantly surprised—the area was full of diverse coral formations.
What a day. After hours of sailing, we finally made it back to the hotel in time for dinner.
The following day was our second and last full day in Mozambique. After breakfast, I left my grandma and her friend at the beach to rest and relax, and made my way to Kitesurfing Centre Mozambique for my one-on-one kitesurfing lessons. I first tried kitesurfing on a trip to St. Lucia in early 2017. It only took one lesson for me to fall in love with the sport. Two years later, nothing has changed—I love it! With a smile on my face, I walked back to the hotel and spent the rest of the day laying by the pool.
Another trip flew by in the blink of an eye. The next morning, we headed to the city center for a quick walk before beginning the journey back home to Chicago via Johannesburg and London the next day.
