Suppose you could choose the ingredients for the perfect beach holiday. Beautiful sandy beaches and blue water would start the list, followed by warm and sunny weather. You’d want coral reefs – obviously – plus water sports and other activities. Food should be good – no, great – and it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to add some cultural experiences – perhaps a local market or two, some interesting architecture.
Well, if you are planning a safari in Africa and want to combine it with a beach holiday then you no longer need fly all the way to the Seychelles – it’s lying on the Mozambique mainland. Set on a tropical peninsula, Coral Lodge lies on pristine beaches surrounded by the balmy Indian Ocean. You can eat wonderful local dishes, snorkel on reefs and paddle a canoe along a mangrove forest – and it is just a short boat ride from the history and culture of Ilha de Mozambique, the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the country.
It’s thatched-roofed villa accommodation at Coral Lodge – five of the villas face the open sea (best for sunrise), the other five look out over the lagoon (better for the sunset). Each has a king-size bed and comes with what you’d expect: a private bathroom, open-plan lounge and private deck with an outdoor shower – in fact, you can choose to have any of your meals on the outdoor deck, a nice nod to privacy.
And you’ll want these meals. Coral Lodge buys much of its produce locally and aims to get the freshest food onto your plate. The emphasis is usually on seafood and local dishes but they can cater for a variety of diets and there’s an opportunity to enjoy a private island lunch too: sort of Robinson Crusoe meets luxury picnic hamper and chilled drinks.
So there’s a romantic side to the lodge as you can see, and – just in case they needed more incentive – honeymooners are offered a 40% discount for the bride’s stay. But that’s not to say that families aren’t welcome at Coral Lodge. Quite the opposite: two of the villas have been modified for family use and sleep four: an en-suite master bedroom and a children’s room with bunk bed and separate toilet. There are books and board games available but with safe swimming beaches just outside the front door, children usually spend most of the day outside.
There’s plenty to do at the lodge: choose between more active pursuits such as canoeing, snorkelling and stand-up paddle boarding or take things easy with a wellness treatment and massage – perhaps in the shade of a tree. Spoil yourself with a local handmade garment – the lodge has an in-house tailor – and end the day with an evening sunset cruise. Visit between August and October and you have a good chance of seeing migrating humpback whales – the lodge organises trips to see them.
And there’s much to see and do away from Coral Lodge too. Sit back on a complimentary boat transfer to Ihla Mozambique – a tiny scrap of an island with centuries of history and culture etched into the walls of its chapels and forts. Local guides are available for tours – highly recommended – and make sure you pay a visit to the local Coral Lodge community too: they’ll warmly welcome you and you can repay the kindness with some involvement – perhaps donating to the orphanage or bringing school stationery.
Equally accessible by air from East Africa as it is from southern Africa, Coral Lodge makes a great choice for that beach holiday add-on whether your safari is in Kenya or the Kruger. After all, Coral Lodge has got it all.
