WHITE Pearl Resorts is the kind of destination that Robin Crusoe wished he had been shipwrecked upon. A 90-minute drive from Maputo Airport or 40 minutes from the South African Kosi Bay border, this luxury lodge is located in Ponta Mamoli, southern Mozambique. Our isolated hidaway is tucked away amongst lush vegetation, which overlooks a tree-fringed bay bordering five kilometres of vanilla-white sands and turquoise Indian ocean.
Light pours into our whitewashed villa, one of just 22 suites scattered across the sprawling White Pearl estate. Furnished in hints of blue and cream, the colours reflect the tranquil hue of the sea and sand below us, while the cascading branches supply natural shade for our villa and for the inquisitive vervet monkeys to hang out. We enjoy the seclusion of our space, spending hours lying on our sun lounges, listening to the waves lapping onto the beach below, and ocasionally enjoying a dip in our plunge pool to cool off from the midday heat.
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
In the morning, with life jackets fastened, we set out in the White Pearl zodiac on an accompanied sea safari experience, crashing over the incoming waves before settling on calmer waters. As soon as our guide spots a pod of dolphins, she bekons us to flip backwards into the sea and to peer underwater as the majestic marine creatures glilde past us. We then head out to Pinnacle Reef to snorkel between the array of colourful fish, for which this southern corner of Mozambique is world-renowned. Back on shore, our lunch is set up in a beach cabana, during which we plan our shoreside activities for the remainder of our stay, including sunset horse riding and beach cycling, which has to be perfectly timed between the tides.
The highlight of each day is selecting our exquisite Portuguese and French inspired food from an extensive menu. A special mention has to be made about the stand-out velvet smooth-roasted cauliflower soup and the piquant Mamoli tomato stew stuffed in pastry, especially when washed down with a glass of chilled South African Hill & Dale rosé wine. We’re served each mouthwatering meal by our butler, Jonas, who is always on-hand to ensure our stay is seemless – which includes delivering our complimentary laundry back to our suite each morning before we awake.
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
White Pearl Resorts, Mozambique
White Pearl’s charming deputy general manager, Amos, joins us one evening to explain about the resort’s sustainability commitment, which extends beyond the elimination of single-use plastics and the adoption of glass straws, to incorporate working closely with the local community by contributing to the funding of the primary school and adult education classes.
During our last evening, we join other guests on the beach-clean-up initiative before dinner, after which we are all rewarded with a sundowner cocktail of our choice. As we watch the amber sun slowly setting over Ponta Mamoli, we know that we have captured our perfect Mozambican memory.
by Amanda Bernstein
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Reservations: Tel +27 (0)11 026 7178 / reservations@whitepearlresorts.com. Rates start from $440 (ca. £340) per person sharing and include: luxury accommodation with personal butler service, all meals/beverages/snacks and beach activities
Four-night stays and longer include additional – 30-min massage, ocean safari with whale watching (seasonal) + swimming with dolphins, a safari at Maputo Special Reserve, guided turtle walks (seasonal) and a guided lake walk with sundowners