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Forget the hassle of persistent vendors on Kenya’s beaches or the commercialism of South Africa, for the perfect post safari wind-down Mozambique’s Bazaruto archipelago offers aquamarine waters, pure white sand beaches and uninterrupted tranquillity. Once regarded as the pride of Africa’s Indian Ocean seaboard, the ultimate respite for hunters and colonialists seeking a rest from the dust and the flies, a seventeen year civil war put Mozambique out of bounds for far too long. Now at the dawn of the new millennium peace has returned, and Mozambique once more tempts the weary traveller to kick off their shoes, shrug off all worries and relax.

Mozambique is pure Hemingway. At Vilanculos Airport the liveliest thing in the sleepy Immigration hall is a bright orange tree frog clambering its way determinedly onto the Customs Officer’s desk. A short hop across the Mozambique Channel takes you to Benguerra Island where a landrover waits at the bush strip to spirit you to Benguerra Lodge, a haven of comfort in this tropical idyll. Thatched huts, raised up on stilts and open to the warm breeze, overlook a crescent shaped beach of brilliant white sand, fringed by palms. In front, small dhows sail gracefully across the bay.

Lunch of fresh seafood, grilled on a barbecue and eaten under the shade of a grove of milkwood trees, prepares you for a gentle dip into the relaxing waters of the Indian ocean prior to a well deserved siesta - after all,restoration of body and soul is what it is all about.

The Mozambique Islands draw fishermen from all over the World. Big Game enthusiasts pit themselves against tuna, sailfish and marlin. Recently a marlin estimated at 540 kg was landed after a fierce 6 hour battle - it was so large that it could not be lifted onto the boat in one piece, had it been it might have been a contender for a new World Record. For fishermen preferring finesse to power, the challenge is to catch bonefish, kingfish and the sleek torpedo-shaped bonito on the fly. Either way the action is fast and furious.

For those seeking their entertainment under the water, there is limitless diving on coral reefs teeming with exotic fish of every shape and hue. Further off-shore, you can encounter turtles, manta rays, sharks and dugongs - nature’s original mermaids.

Exploring the island by landrover unveils high dunes, inland lagoons and deserted beaches where you can take romantic picnics unobserved except by engaging pink crabs who scuttle away on tip toes as you approach. In the evening, sun-downers supped on the weather beaten deck of an old dhow as it glides serenely across the bay sets the mellow tone for dinner: sushi and seafood served to your table on the beach by charming waiters, knights in white tunics and glorious cummerbunds, under the light of flaming torches and a silver moon. Mozambique is back on the scene.

What to take: Those novels you have been waiting for the time and space to read, a CD of Bob Dylan’s Mozambique written on the neighbouring Paradise Island, a khikoi, mosquito repellent for sand flies at night. The best months are from May to the end of October which ties in with the southern African safari season.

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