It’s been five weeks and four days since I found myself watching the sun set from the comfort of a pool lounger with a drink in one hand and a book in the other. Mind you, I never really got to reading the book. I was too lazy to even turn a page - I guess that’s the thing about idyllic island holidays.
Oh how I long for those lazy summer days like pining over a lost lover. Sad is what I feel, so sad that I’m scared that if I don’t think about it, the memories will vanish just like that. And one morning I’ll wake up and forget I was ever in paradise.
My obsession started about a year ago when the hubby and myself decided to treat ourselves to an island holiday, and so our plan to visit Mozambique came into being. Because of its close proximity to SA and the Rand to the Met exchange rate, it ticked all the boxes. After researching many of the coastal resorts and the outlying islands, we finally had our hearts set on Inhaca. Pictures of pristine beaches and deserted hideaways was exactly what we were after. Instead of going the touristy route like Bazaruto or Inhambe, we knew right away that Inhaca was the place for us. But first we had to make a quick stop in Maputo.
On arriving in the Mozambican capital, at first glance, it was a shock to the senses. It was Africa, but not the foggy Cape Town skyline or congested streets of Jozi. This was the REAL Africa. Dilapidated buildings and dirty streets is what greeted us as our hotel shuttle scooted through the traffic. And if you thought traffic was bad in SA - think again. Every hour is peak hour in Maputo. It’s like a big “Welcome to Mozambique! Now mind where you walk and you won’t get knocked over!” Our overnight stay would be the Pestana Rovuma. Smack-bang in the middle of the CBD, the hotel is situated opposite the historical Catedral da Sé, which is one of the oldest buildings in the city.
Billed as a four-star hotel which specialises in business travel, the Rovuma wasn’t exactly what we would call “spacious”. Our room wasa cubbyhole wedged between a broom closet and a lift - or at least that’s what it felt like. Happy that we wouldn’t be stuck in the dingy room for too long as we spent the next 24 hours exploring the city and drinking in the sights from the rooftop pool area and restaurant. The evening we decided to take a cab down to the coast and settled into a sunset dinner at a local restaurant. Here I scoffed down the freshest prawns I had ever tasted - so fresh that you could still taste the sea. With the Rand being three times the Metical, our bill came to a reasonable R500 - this after drinks and a three-course meal.
For those who are not familiar with Mozambican culture, everyone speaks Portuguese, so we were forced to pick up on some of the basics - either they didn’t speak English or refused to. Taken aback at first by being stonewalled everytime we enquired about something, we later realised that the local attitude towards us was just a matter of being very laid back. A word of warning: time goes really slowly, which for most of our trip felt like living in the Twilight Zone.
Maputo itself is a melting pot of culture and history. Everywhere you see remnants of its former colonial masters. The Portuguese architecture can be seen in the shell-shocked buildings which were once mighty bastions of powers before the country won its independence.
Mozambique is a nation proud of its history and as testament to this, there are monuments and statues scattered around the city commemorating its once great leader Samora Machel. They have public holidays in celebration of him and in every shop you’re bound to find a picture of him taking pride on the wall. I find it just a pity that a city which was once a thriving metropolis and a symbol of freedom now is just a shell of its past. Hopefully one day it will be restored into something beautiful again.
The next day it was off to Inhaca, and after a few hiccups, a tantrum and an angry phonecall at the airport, we took a chartered plane to the island which is literally 15 minutes away from the city.
Most people asked why we chose this little-known destination as our choice, but as soon as we landed, the sight that greeted us took our breath away. Little mud houses dot the island with our resort taking pride of residence on the azure coast, which also happens to have the only harbour on the island.
Pestana Inhaca is a four-star resort set among palm trees and mangroves as far as the eye can see. Cocooned by the little village on the one side and the shore on the other, it’s like a picture-perfect version of my idea of paradise. Modelled on comfort and exclusivity, the resort is a self-contained oasis of calm of serenity. From the gigantic natural salt water pool to the very spacious bedroom chalet, there was nothing that we could fault. Oh, except for one thing - the mosquitoes. I suppose there’s a reason why they call it Mozambique.
The main idea of going on holiday is doing things you want to and not follow anyone’s rules or just simply not do anything at all. And I’m not ashamed to say that this is exactly what I did. Our days consisted of swimming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean or splashing about in the pool. Then we’d head over to Luca’s, the quaint, and only, restaurant in the village for a spot of lunch. Here we met our first Mozambican friend, Hilario, who was happy to regale us with stories of living in a small village and island life in general. To say we were the least bit envious of his life is a gross understatement - we were downright jealous! It was the life we wanted, and the only thing that was missing was our little three-year-old who was giving his gran a hard time back home.
In between the swimming and eating and napping and... eating, we managed to fit in a few extra activities. On one occasion we took the boat out to Portuguese Island and I erred for the sake of relaxation by spending the entire afternoon in the ocean without sunblock. Let’s just say I paid for it that evening, screaming blue murder everytime I turned in bed.
Island life is a simple affair on Inhaca and because the area is a protected marine reserve, the hotel is not allowed to have any shellfish on the menu, but on the odd occasion, dinner did include aromatic crab, which I was told is flown in from the mainland, and tender calamari.
The village itself consists of one main dusty street, a restaurant, bar, corner cafe and a bank - that’s it. Ten minutes and that’s your tour of the village done and literally dusted. There are more or less 4 000 inhabitants on the island with one school and a clinic. The locals are a lively bunch with their outdoor market stalls and parties that carry on late into the night. It’s life in the slow lane and on the surface it looks like they have no cares in the world.
On our fourth and final day, we were lucky enough to encounter fellow South Africans who visited the island for the day after disembarking from the MSC cruise ship which docked just off Portuguese Island. It was weird seeing Saffas dressed in khakis and wide-brimmed hats trying to negotiate and barter with the locals for the cheapest deals for trinkets on offer. In a way we were happy to be leaving as the hordes descended on the quiet island after we’d practically had the run of the place for the past few days.
Reality soon brought us back down to earth as the thought hit home that we’d be returning back to our real lives. it’s a sucky deal, but hey, I guess that’s why they call it a holiday.
This southern African gem has so much to offer, and we’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg. But one thing’s for sure - I’ll be back, and this time I might just stay forever. Obrigado, Mozambique... I’ll see you soon! - IOL
If You Go:
SA citizens don’t need visas when entering Mozambique
Malaria medication advised for coastal regions
SAA and LAM fly direct from Joburg to Maputo daily
Air transfers to Inhaca with CFA Air Charter every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
Pestana Rovuma:http://www.pestana.com/en/pestana-rovuma
Pestana Inhaca: http://www.pestana.com/en/pestana-inhaca-lodge/pages/home.aspx
Readers’ special:
Spend five glorious nights at the Pestana Inhaca Lodge on Inhaca Island from R10 590 per person sharing. This package includes return flights to Maputo, charter flights to Inhanca Island, five nights accommodation at the Pestana Inhaca Lodge with breakfast and dinner daily. To book call Flight Centre on 0860 400 747 or visit www.flightcentre.co.za .
Valid for travel between now and 31 July 2012. High season surcharge of R1250 per person extra for travel between now and 9 April 2012 (school holidays)