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Ross recently enjoyed an amazing holiday at Paz do Pai Lodge in Mozambique.
Travel to and within another African country is often not an easy experience. From the various requirements for crossing a border in your own vehicle to the sub-par roads and questionable practices of traffic officials, it can be difficult to recall the picture of that ‘idyllic summer holiday’ that prompted the journey in the first place. After ten hours on the road, a hair-raising detour and a hefty speeding fine where no signage was visible, we might have been tempted to consider our holiday to Mozambique off to a bad start. That is until we saw where we would be staying for our first two nights – the beautiful Paz do Pai Lodge overlooking Guinjata Bay in Inhambane.
The owner of Paz do Pai Lodge, Irma, met us at a predetermined spot a few kilometres from the self-catering villas so that we could park our decidedly not off-road vehicle securely and make the final distance in her 4x4. She was immediately warm and hospitable and made last-minute arrangements for us since we had run out of time to pick up some meat for that evening. Finally, we arrived at our goal. Hidden just beyond sandy hills and a forest of coconut palms, the Paz do Pai villas boasted broad views of the pristine Guinjata Bay beach; a more idyllic picture than our own imaginations had conjured.
Our first impressions of Paz do Pai's “Villa one” surpassed all our expectations based on the pictures we had seen before hand. You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the layout of these villas, which take full advantage of the sea view. From the airy, spacious kitchen and dining area to the stylish ensuite bathrooms and tastefully appointed bedrooms, this is real luxury. The warm day and the view of the ocean drove us quickly into our private pool. And there we stayed while Mafuta, the friendly and attentive butler assigned to our villa, prepared the fire for us to braai for the evening.
We could have spent the whole weekend reading next to the pool and eating cashews and coconuts, but we had sought the warm waters of the Indian Ocean for more than relaxation. A narrow path near our villa took us to an untouched section of Guinjata Bay beach. The nearest Scuba diving centre is half an hour away, although one could drive there if long walks on the beach aren't your thing. After an incredible dive with the professional, but laid-back pro's at Guinjata Dive Centre, we were attracted to one of the beach bars on the far end of the beach.
That evening, the talented Benji prepared a seafood meal with flair with the crayfish and rock cod that he had sourced on our behalf. It was once again our responsibility to simply relax and enjoy the pool while our meal was expertly prepared.
We were sorely tempted to forego our plans to travel further North along the Mozambican coast and remain longer at Paz do Pai and were it not for the promise of more diving, we would have. In fact, the care-free lifestyle that we discovered while holidaying on this beautiful coast caused us to seriously consider dropping out of the rat race for a few months to dive with manta rays and snorkel with whale sharks. However, even if you would rather not abandon your hectic life to become a Dive Master, you will be hard-pressed to find a place as ideal as Paz do Pai for a memorable holiday.
