When looking for a private island vacation, most Americans think of the Caribbean’s easily accessible warm waters and paradise-like beaches. But for those who thrive off adventure and the thrill of journeying to far off lands, Mozambique is soon to be at the top of the list.
Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort—which has been bringing an-adults only clientele to the remote Quirimbas archipelago off Mozambique’s northeast coast for over a decade—is now available for a full buyout (from $12,900 per night). After being picked up at Mozambique’s Pemba International Airport and whisked to Medjumbe island in a private Eurocopter AS350 B3 helicopter (catching views of breaching humpback whales along the way), up to 24 guests (including children of all ages) can enjoy the clear tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, pristine soft-sand beaches, and unspoiled natural beauty of the island in total privacy.
Located in a cross-over zone between Eastern and Southern Africa in Quirimbas National Park, the private resort offers an exclusive opportunity to trek through the reserve’s 1.85 million acres of unique coastal forests and mangrove trees. Day trips can easily be arranged to view Quirimbas’s unique geography (think giant granite inselbergs) and diverse flora and fauna Guests can expect to see palearctic water birds, which migrate through the park, along with large African animals like antelopes, hyenas, leopards, elephants, buffalos, and lions. Beneath the waves, guests will find unchartered coral reefs and a variety of marine life, including turtles, dugongs, dolphins, sharks, and humpback whales.
For a more cultural experience, overnight excursions to nearby Ibo island allow for guided tours of local villages, where guests can experience first-hand the day-to-day life of the Kimwani people, who blend Muslim and African traditions.
Back at the recently renovated resort, guests can learn to sail dhows (a traditional Arab lateen-rigged boat commonly sailed on the Indian Ocean), nap on the beach in new pillow outdoor canopy beds surrounded by lanterns, relax with sensual spa treatment, or cool off in their breezy villa’s private plunge pool.
