Personal Notes from Paradise - Thoughts and stories from Mozambique

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen guests arrive at our little corner of paradise looking… well, tired.  Not just physically tired, but soul tired . The kind of exhaustion that comes not only from overworking, but from overstimulation - where your brain won’t shut up, your sleep isn’t restful and the days blur into each other in a carousel of to-do lists and notifications. It always reminds me why retreats matter. Why we need them now more than ever. Rest Isn’t Laziness - It’s Necessary For many of us, holidays have become another task. We try to do too much. We race to squeeze in sights, snap Instagram-perfect photos, eat at all the places we bookmarked six months ago… and we come home more tired than when we left. But what if we reimagined our time off not as a break from work, but as a return to ourselves? At Bahia Mar, I’ve watched guests slowly unfurl over days - some in the rhythm of yoga and breathing exercises, others in long, slow swims or sunset walks. It’s...

Magaruque Island, also known as Ilha Santa Isabel, is part of the Bazaruto Archipelago off the coast of Mozambique. It's the closest island to Vilankulo and has a permanent deep water channel which offer a great snorkeling experience to our guests. . . . #togetherintravel #gotomozambique #traveltomorrow #wearemozambique #wearehere #Bahiamarclub #mozambiqueholidays #beachholiday #bazarutonationalpark #Bazarutoislands #Lifeaftercorona #Keepdreaming #BahiaMariswaiting #Imagine #Whenitpasseswerehere #iammozambique

Bahia Mar is proud to showcase the extraordinary talent of local artists and manufacturers in the gallery shop situated in the hotels’ foyer. Here you can purchase craft, beauty products and food made exclusively in Mozambique, utilising only locally sourced products, plants and ingredients. In keeping with Bahia Mars’ philosophy - ‘protect, preserve, recycle’, the items sold are made with sensitivity to the environment and with consideration to sustainability.   Silver Beautifully hand crafted silver jewellery, created by skilled artisans on Ibo Island in northern Mozambique, who learned their craft from early Arab traders, is always a popular purchase. The delicate, filigree design of the unique pieces, which cannot be found anywhere else in the world, is testimony to their skill - a unique, affordable gift for someone special. Recycling Founded in 2007, ALMA is a Tofo based company backed by concerned individuals and businesses anxious about th...

Bahia Mar Retreats , in the small coastal town of Vilankulo off the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique, recently launched their bespoke fitness and wellness retreats. These retreats are tailor made to the specific requirements and expectations of any guest and range from 7 to 14 days. Unique Retreats in Mozambique What makes the retreats so unique and sought after by wellness travel enthusiasts, is the careful combination between a guided exercise program, ayurvedic and aromatherapy treatments and day excursions in and around the waters of paradise in the Bazaruto Archipelago. “Our guests can enjoy two training sessions on the premises every day. We balance cardio, weights and circuit training in the program. Morning workouts are one on one with your personal trainer before breakfast, targeting a specific muscle group every day. Evening fitness programs in the retreats are in groups, looking more at guided aerial fitness, yoga or REAX raft training on our infinity pool...

Stunned by the facts detailed herein, Bahia Mar has been making every effort  to be ‘plastic pro-active’ and environmentally sensitive. Our commitment Here, where we are surrounded by nature’s majesty, we feel a special responsibility. We are very concerned about the critical situation in our oceans and accordingly have a strict recycling policy. We are one of only two companies in the area who contract an outside organisation to handle our recyclables, the other being global giant Sasol. Furthermore we are currently looking for ways to reduce our plastic dependence. ‘Indestructible’ glass straws have been ordered and our bottled water purchases are under review as we investigate filtered glass drinking water. We are also in the process of changing our take-away containers to biodegradable and we have moved away from individual amenities in the rooms in favour of bulk dispensers. Beach cleaning To assist our ocean dwelling creatures and to do our share to protect our...

We entered our beautiful monohole luxury speedboat, Mothassane, into the annual Big Blue Vilankulo Sailfish Competition - in aid of our beloved community project Bonguilli, aiding pre-school education in the area. Our three fisherwoman (Susana, Gretha and Dee) were as new to fishing as their vessel and not many believed they actually stood a chance. Never the less, they prepared for 5 days of hard fishing on the high seas and Mothassane and the ladies, exceeded almost everyone’s expectations: The Mothassane Mermaids landed an overall second place and caught the biggest Whahoo of the week, weighing in at 21,5 kg! “I learnt so much about fishing and the greater Billfish family in the 5 days at sea.” Dee Lourens  (our social media manager and photographer ) said after an exhausting week. “Our Captain Alex was meticulous and patient, teaching us exactly what to do when a fish strikes, why it was important to tagg them and what scientists from the Billfish Foundation actually do ...