Dhow sailing, Sandbank lunch, Swimming with Dolphins and camping on Quirimbas Island...

What an amazing day...

Up early morning after a comfortable night at Ibo Island Lodge, a quick guided tour with Raul around Ibo Island seeing the sights and fewling the relaxed atmosphere of Ibo...

Therefrom we embark our Dhow, our lifeline the next 24 hours. Azure Blue ocean and a blue sky - where can be better to be?

After a sandbank visit, hereafter named Pekka Island, with snorkeling and a fantastic Prawns pasta, we sailed for the Dolphins...

Amazing experience, so peaceful to drift over the 20 to 30 Dolphins making (hopefully) a great video to share with you all. Remarkable beyond words!

Therafter a slow sail trip in between the islands, mangroves and shallow waters waiting for the tide to be high enough to bring us to our camp at Quirimbas. 

Refreshing drinks, a great dinner and good company, a good night sleep in a tent right on the beach... can't get much better!

Up in the morning, 05.00 to see the superb sunrise before using the high tide to get back to the mainland and a 5 hour drive to Mocimboa da Praia for our last night in Mozambique before crossing the Rovuma back into Tanzania!

More tomorrow!

Ibo Island, sails and Dhows...

The summary of a nice drive, a boat trip to this intriguing island, great hospitality and culture will be to much to write today.

Laying  a blue cushion writing this, hearing only the sound of the ocean against the wooden hull and the wind i  our sail...

The story of Ibo Island will come later but rest assured - it is definitely one of the highlights of our journey!

Now Dolphins, snorkeling, sandbank lunch and a night camping on Quirimbas...

To be continued...

Pemba, Ulala and Caiperinha - all exotic sounding...

... and it is!

To arrive in Pemba after a 7 hour transfer from Ihla de Mozambique was great. A city of contrasts - from the beaches, the old fisherman part of the city to the booming industrial areas with all international oil and gas companies present - or so it seems.

Our chosen spot for the night, Ulala Lodge is about 20 minutes outside the city, a highly recommendable Hideaway with great food, hospitality and same for comfortable accommodation!

As we speak, (write) we are on the 4 hour drive to Tanganyanga for our Dhow sail over to the assumed highlight of the Mozambiquen part of our adventure, Ibo Island!

Caiperinha by the way is a Brazilian drink - similar to Mojito - exotic...

Ihla de Mozambique - a walk in history and culture who need digestion...

Approaching the several km long bridge to this renowned and a bit mystical island, our vehicle is unusual quiet.

One vehicle at the time, pockets to pass each other and the surrounding Indian ocean with ladies picking seaweed and fishermen constantly working to  get their catch..

Amazing...

Same for our hotel...

But as all the impressions and experiences of today surely will be better shared after some time, also a "dive" into all photos and videos, let's use some lines on what was almost equally impressing - THE FOOD...

All meals here have so far been great, plentiful and tasty, but todays choices made my day!

Lunch with Tuna Carpaccio and Smoked Marlin salad was a adventure for the tastebuds and senses. Accompanied by a fresh Portuguese white wine it all become a winner.

So one should expect a "down" for the dinner, but a hearty fishsoup with fish, prawns, vegetables and potatoes - spiced with some great green peri peri was not far after the stunning lunch!

After lunch, a good walk around the island, visiting hotels and sights as the old fort made this far to short stay on a amazing island memorable. 

Tomorrow up with the birds for a long 7 hours drive to Pemba and a little taste of some BEACH LIFE!!!

Nampula - Gateway to the intriguing islands

Nampula - third largest city in Mozambique and the province seat.

A gentle first stop for many, maybe for the first time visiting Africa, with wide and spacious streets and lush surroundings, Nampula offers all you need, and in a slow welcoming way.

The few sights to be seen includes the beautiful Carheral of Nossa Senhora de Fatima, The National Ethnography Museum and the Sunday morning Craft Market.

As a Monday keep most museums in the world closed for us we did the cathedral and went visiting a local railway station planning a alternative and adventurous way of getting here, before picking our fellow travellers on the airport. 

For evenings Nampula offer many different restaurants, with tasty Portuguese inspiered meals.

Today Ihla de Mozambique is our destination, a 3 km long and 500 m wide intriguing island with all of its culture and history...

Roadtrip Mocimboa de Praia to Nampula

Starting the day after a good night sleep in Chez Natalie, a good breakfast - with a view our roadtrip started.

Normally we never do this route with our guests, this is our transit to receive our people in Nampula where you will fly in.

The nature in Northern Mozambique is quite different to what we are used to in Tamzania. More hills and variations, very lush and green these days.

Only with a "village lunch" break consisting of spicy rice and goat stew as a break, we entered Nampula late afternoon after having a few showers in the outskirts of the city.

Today we'll do some sightseeing before vollecting our friends at the airport at 14.15.

To be continued...

We have started...

Leaving Dar es Salaam in very early morning hours and heading south on Kilwa road for a long days drive.

Sunrise came when crossing Mkapa bridge, over the mighty Rufiji Delta providing water and green, lush fields or rice, maize and other fruits and vegetables. 

Passing historic sites like Kilwa which we will return to, past Lindi which are waiting for a explosive development when Tanzanias natural gas adventure starts, on to Mtwara - the  cashew nut central of the south.

A lot of impression - all before lunch which was tasty liver, kidney and heart with stewed cooking bananas.

Thereafter down to the mighty Rovuma river along the border, across with the 4 vehicle ferry at high tide to a very, very different Mozambique. Friendly people with all the time in the world it seems.

A few last hours drive, rough in the beginning then amazing tarmac roads to Mocimboa da Praia, a charming quiet costal town. Sleeping at Chez Natalie a great seaside estate, Calamari dinner and now some good rest before continuing to Nampula tomorrow.