Ultimate Mozambique: Maputo, Bazaruto & the Quirimbas in Luxury

Today you explore cosmopolitan Maputo in style. On a private guided tour you take in its Portuguese-African landmarks, the striking iron railway station attributed to the Eiffel workshop, the Art Deco and colonial buildings of the old town, the cathedral, the fort and the botanical gardens, learning the layered history of the city. You wander its vibrant markets, the colourful craft market and the lively central market, browsing for art, textiles and curios, and pause for coffee and Portuguese pastries at a stylish cafe. For lunch and dinner you savour Maputo's legendary seafood at its finest restaurants, from giant grilled prawns to fresh lobster. The blend of African warmth and Portuguese flavour is captivating. As evening falls, you enjoy a sundowner overlooking the sea. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the turquoise dune islands of Bazaruto.

Today you fly north to the turquoise Bazaruto Archipelago and your flagship island lodge. After a private transfer to the airport and a scenic flight over the Indian Ocean coastline, you arrive at Bazaruto, transferring to your exclusive island lodge amid the golden dunes, a beautiful retreat of private villas opening to the sea, an infinity pool and gracious personal service. You are welcomed with a chilled drink and settle in over an exquisite seafood lunch. The afternoon is yours to relax in barefoot elegance, swimming, snorkelling from the beach, indulging in a spa treatment, or lazing on the soft white sand of your island paradise. The luxury, beauty and seclusion are exceptional. As the day ends, you gather for a spectacular sunset over the archipelago. This evening, savour a fine dinner beneath the stars. Rest well amid the beauty of Bazaruto.

Today you enjoy the treasures of the Bazaruto Archipelago in private style. Aboard a graceful private dhow you sail across turquoise water between the golden dune islands, the lateen sail billowing overhead, anchoring to snorkel or dive over vivid coral gardens alive with tropical fish, wading across shimmering sandbanks, and enjoying a fresh seafood picnic on a deserted beach. You might climb a towering dune for sweeping panoramas across the archipelago. In the late afternoon, a private sunset dhow cruise carries you across the water as the sky turns gold and crimson, a chilled drink in hand. The exclusivity and beauty are magical. As the day ends, you return to your lodge under the first stars. This evening, savour an exquisite dinner beneath the sky. Rest well amid the beauty of Bazaruto.

Today you combine a marine safari with blissful island indulgence at Bazaruto. In the morning you head out by private boat across the turquoise waters of the marine national park, which protect one of the last significant populations of the gentle dugong, to look for dugongs, dolphins, turtles and, in season, migrating humpback whales, snorkelling further vivid reefs along the way. The afternoon is yours to indulge, relaxing by the infinity pool, sharing a spa treatment, lazing on the empty beach, or trying the archipelago's famous fishing. Gracious service anticipates your every wish. The beauty, wildlife and luxury are exceptional. As the day ends, you gather on the dunes for a spectacular sunset over the sea. This evening, savour a fine seafood dinner beneath the stars. Rest well amid the beauty of Bazaruto, deep in barefoot luxury.

Today you enjoy a flexible day of barefoot luxury on Bazaruto at your own pace. You might snorkel or dive the reefs, sail a dhow at sunrise, climb the great dunes for a final panorama, try the world-class fishing, take a guided nature walk to the inland lakes, or simply indulge, relaxing by the pool, sharing a spa treatment, and lazing on the empty beach with gracious service on hand. This flexible day lets you savour the archipelago before you journey far north. As the day ends, you gather for a final spectacular sunset over the turquoise archipelago. This evening, savour an exquisite farewell dinner beneath the stars, reflecting on the dhows, dunes and dugongs of Bazaruto. Rest well amid the beauty of the island, ready to fly to the remote Quirimbas tomorrow for the second half of your journey.

Today you journey far north to the remote Quirimbas Archipelago and an exclusive outer-island retreat. After a final morning at Bazaruto, you fly up the length of the Mozambican coast, via Pemba, to the Quirimbas, one of the Indian Ocean's last true wildernesses. A light aircraft and boat transfer brings you to your exclusive lodge on a pristine outer island, an intimate, eco-conscious retreat set alone on an uninhabited or barely inhabited isle ringed by untouched coral reefs and empty white beaches. You are welcomed with a chilled drink and settle in over a fresh seafood lunch. The afternoon is yours to relax in total seclusion, swimming and snorkelling from the shore. The remoteness and untouched beauty are exceptional. This evening, savour fine seafood beneath brilliant stars. Rest well amid the pristine beauty of the Quirimbas.

Today you explore the pristine coral reefs that ring your remote outer island, among the most untouched in the Indian Ocean. By private boat or dhow you head out to vivid, healthy reefs within the national park, diving or snorkelling over coral gardens alive with clouds of tropical fish, cruising turtles, rays and, if lucky, reef sharks, in wonderfully clear water, exploring drop-offs that feel wholly untouched. Between the water you relax on empty beaches and sandbanks, and may spot dolphins along the way. The health and beauty of these remote reefs are exceptional. As the day ends, you return to your lodge to relax in seclusion. This evening, savour fine seafood beneath a canopy of brilliant stars. Rest well amid the pristine beauty of the Quirimbas, deep in your exclusive island retreat.

Today you take a fascinating journey into the layered heritage of the Quirimbas at hauntingly atmospheric Ibo Island. By dhow or boat you sail across turquoise water and through mangrove channels to Ibo, one of the most evocative places in the Indian Ocean, a former Swahili and Portuguese trading hub where grand colonial mansions now stand romantically ruined amid bougainvillea. With a local guide you wander its cobbled lanes past faded villas and churches, explore the star-shaped Fort of Sao Joao Baptista, and meet the island's famous silversmiths, who craft delicate filigree jewellery by hand. The atmosphere and history are captivating. As the day ends, you sail back to your island lodge under a golden sky. This evening, savour fine seafood beneath the stars. Rest well amid the pristine beauty of the Quirimbas.

Today you enjoy a final, blissful day of barefoot luxury on your pristine Quirimbas island. You might take a last dive or snorkel on the untouched reefs, sail a dhow at sunrise, kayak the mangroves, walk to a distant sandbar at low tide, look for turtles and dolphins, or indulge in a spa treatment. Equally, you may choose simply to relax in total seclusion, swimming in the warm turquoise sea, lazing beneath the palms, and walking the empty white beach one last time. This flexible day lets you savour one of the Indian Ocean's last wildernesses. As the day ends, you gather on the beach for a final spectacular sunset over the empty ocean. This evening, savour an exquisite farewell dinner beneath brilliant stars, reflecting on your ultimate island journey. Rest well amid the pristine beauty of the Quirimbas.

After a final morning on your pristine Quirimbas island, perhaps a last swim or a stroll along the empty beach, you travel by boat and light aircraft back to Pemba, then onward by air for your international departure. You leave having experienced the ultimate Mozambique, cosmopolitan Maputo in style, flagship luxury on the turquoise dune islands of Bazaruto with private dhows and dugongs, and an exclusive retreat on a pristine outer island of the remote Quirimbas with untouched reefs and the heritage of Ibo, all warmed by legendary Mozambican hospitality. The images stay vivid long after you land, the elegance of Maputo, the golden dunes of Bazaruto, the private dhow at sunset and the untouched reefs of the Quirimbas. Mozambique offers cosmopolitan culture, stunning archipelagos and pure indulgence in abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this most beautiful of Indian Ocean lands.