Benguerra Island

At about 55 square miles, the Benguerra Island is one of the largest islands in Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique. It broke apart from the mainland thousands of years ago, and now it is located about 9 miles offshore Mozambique. Main attractions of the island are its white pristine beaches, dive sites, and of course luxury resorts. One thing that separates Benguerra Island from other popular beach resorts is that it also offers game viewing of African Big Five: lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinoceros.

Originally part of Mozambique mainland, the ecosystem in the now-separated Benguerra Island is still somewhat similar to its bigger counterpart. Apart from the unspoiled beaches, the island still has savannah, freshwater lakes, and even forest to sustain diverse wildlife. You can even find fresh water crocodiles in several lakes in the island, acting as cold evidence of the island’s origin. At least 140 species of birds find home in Benguerra Island as well. The outside boundaries of the island are sprinkled with sandy beaches indeed, but the interior is still pretty much a representative of African wilderness with wetlands, forests, and lakes.

The Lodge

Concentration point for tourists in the island is a lodge located in a protected marine conservation area. Several years ago, it was just traditional simple fishing lodge, until it was purchased by a big multinational company. Immediately after the acquisition, the lodge underwent a major overhaul worth of an estimated $5.5 million; now it has become a major attraction and luxury accommodation in the island. With modern villas facing the beach and stone walls for a complete sense of privacy, Benguerra Island Lodge delivers just the perfect sensation of tranquility and solitary without even leaving the comfort of modern civilized life.

Since the island is basically a land in the Mozambique Channel, you are blessed with rare encounters with a variety of tropical fish including the rare and mysterious dugong. This is a protected species; game fish is a popular activity in Benguerra Island so be careful not to catch any.

When to Visit

Another good thing about Benguerra Island is that it barely has any rain through most of the year, making it great destination all year round. In summer (December – March), temperature during daytime can reach up to 34°C; in winter (June – September), temperature rarely drops below 21°C. It is always hot and sunny in the island, ideal climate for beach resort.

Activities

In addition to the aforementioned game fishing, Benguerra Island is the place where you can have totally undisturbed privacy. On one hand, you can embrace the nature and have adventure with the wildlife; on the other hand, there is always a place for you to sink deep into honeymoon and romance with your loved one.

• Romantic Escape: you can always consider Benguerra Island a romantic escape in tropical paradise. Seaside walks with views of crystal clear water and coral reefs beneath the waves are the best way to lift up the mood for romanticism and bring you deep into an atmosphere of love. The catch-and-release deep sea fishing can only strengthen relationship bond for any couple.
  If walking is too tiring, you can gallop along the beach on horseback, too. Take your time and wait until the sunset to get the most of the romantic experience. Traditional dhow tour is available as well, allowing you to sail away into the sunset and make a great scene with your couple or family that you will remember for a lifetime. Sailing on a dhow is probably best for intimate private adventure as you can absorb and wrap all the goodness of the island in one package: beach, sunset, corals, and marine life.


• Helicopter Flight: the island is not that big indeed, yet there is helicopter tour available in case you want to spoil your mind with bird-eye view of the resort. A flight can also give you a glimpse of all the natural wonder and wildlife diversity you can explore on land at later time.


• African Safari: there are very few places in the world that offer safari on both land and water in one package. Benguerra Island has almost all animals everyone wants to see in Africa, added with the relaxing experience of pristine beach. On the water with catch-and-release deep sea fishing you get to witness the diversity of marine life, and on the land you have the Big Five waiting to be spotted. For even more dazzling marine life experience, take a dive with professional instructor to get a closer look at colorful coral ecosystem.

All in all Benguerra Island is a tropical paradise filled with an excellent assortment of attractions like no other. When people come to Africa for game viewing, what they expect to see is wildlife including Big Five, hundreds of bird species, as well as The Great Migration. They do not expect anything that resembles a beach, let alone luxurious resorts in an archipelago.

While Benguerra Island does not offer Great Migration or even herds of wildebeest, at least it has Big Five and diverse marine wildlife of tropical water including coral ecosystem. The safari exists here, not only on land and in the air, but also in the water with plenty of dive sites available. The fact that the island is small also helps ease your efforts to spot the wildlife on land; those animals are concentrated and packed within close proximity to each other. Benguerra Island gives you the privacy you need, the wildlife, the dhow, the luxury, the beach, and the adventure in one package.