Bazaruto Island

Because we clearly do not learn from our mistakes we fell for yet another very good sales pitch to visit an island – this time Bazaruto Island. Unlike the previous dhow we would be travelling via speedboat to the Island which was 45 minutes away. We were promised the best island experience second only to the breathtaking snorkeling at 2 mile reef. Lunch was again included and would be rice, fish, chicken and other side dishes.

The morning of island trip 2 we prepared ourselves for a disappointing lunch by having a proper breakfast prior to making our way down to the beach where our skipper and his crew waited. First things first was to pick out our swimming flippers for the snorkeling. Impressively enough they even managed to find flippers (that looked like small kayaks) that fit Clayton perfectly. A total of 7 island tourists, the skipper, the chef and a gofer boarded the speedboat and we set off to the the desert surrounded by ocean.

Even though there weren’t any waves on the smooth, crystal clear ocean the ride was bumpy. I got a whole new level of respect for fiberglass and can now understand why my dad decided to build the Invader Offroad trailer from fiber and not steel. For 45 minutes the boat took a relentless beating, constantly slamming down with full force on the hard, concrete-like ocean surface.

As we got closer to the island the sand dune, that was barely visible from the mainland, rose from the turquoise waters, growing larger and more impressive with every passing second.

We disembarked and scrambled up the rocks, coming to a sudden standstill in awe of the picturesque view. As we climb the massive dune we were blown away by the sure beauty. The stark landscape of the sandy dune on the one side was replaced by green vegetation on the other and we were rendered speechless, managing only a Wow, every now and then. Torn between the ocean and beach on the one side and the green landscape on the other, we sat, mesmerized on top of the dune for more than an hour, alternating the view every now and then.

Does not look that high but the tiny dots at the top are people (photo credit Marcia Brunner)

What is behind the hill finally has an ending I like (photo credit Marcia Brunner)

Since our tour left 30 minutes before all the other companies it meant we had the place to ourselves until the other tourists arrived. When they eventually made landfall the magical silence and the spell of the dune was broken and we could go and explore the rest. We made our way slowly down the dune to the beach and the warm alluring water. The 2 hours we had to explore the island before we went snorkeling went by far too fast and before we knew if we were back on the boat, heading towards 2 mile reef.

photo credit Marcia Brunner

photo credit Marcia Brunner

10 minutes later we put on our snorkeling gear and jumped in the water. We were instantly transported to a place that resembled the aquarium at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The coral in all shapes and sizes were filled with life. We were surrounded by colourful fish and upon exploring every nook and cranny discovered, hidden among the rocks, the most vibrantly blue starfish.

Since Clayton and I are new to snorkelling we thought we would be only ones blown away but even Marcia and Matt who have snorkeled and scuba all over the world agreed that 2 mile reef was something spectacular. We spent 45 minutes snorkelling before we had to head back to the beach for lunch and by that time we were all starving.

The lunch was surprisingly good with freshly braaied barracuda and chicken, rice with tomato and onion smoor, green salad and fresh fruit – all prepared right there on the beach by the chef. Cold water and drinks were offered an eagerly downed in big gulps. 

Too stuffed to move we made ourselves comfortable on the white beach, taking a nap in the sun. Later the afternoon we packed up, again hopped onto the boat and set off to another island before we had to make our way back to the mainland. Tired from the excitement of Bazaruto and the snorkeling, we spent the 30 minutes we had to explore just sitting on the beach, chatting and watching crabs dart in and out of their holes.

After another bumpy ride during which we had to refill the petrol tank below Clayton and my seat (which meant that we had to hang on for dear life while the skipper did not even attempt to slow down) we arrived back at the backpackers at 17:00. We were exhausted but more than pleased about our second, more successful island trip and handed over the Mt3000pp with a smile. It was truly the most memorable day of this trip thus far. Pity that Bazaruto was not close to Tofo…