Beat The Winter Blues Mozambique Style

Many Europeans and Americans forget that it can get quite cold in Africa. Whilst the northern hemisphere is basking in summer sunshine, we in Cape Town have dug out our coats, rain jackets and thick pullovers and are focusing our energies on making fires and eating soups. Winter last about three months in these parts and whilst the mercury rarely dips below 8°c, the fact that houses have no central heating does focus the mind.

Part of the focus is to escape to warmer climes. Our good friends at Rani Resorts have offered our clients a winter special to the pristine and beautiful island of Bazaruto in Mozambique. South African Airways fly daily to Vilanculos from Johannesburg. From Vilanculos, one normally pays for a 15-minute air transfer to the Indigo Bay Island Resort. With Rani, we are offering you free return air transfers; plus if you stay four nights, a further night is offered free of charge. For honeymooners, the bride pays only 50% of her total stay. Not that I am pushing anyone to get married just for a big discount to this island resort but you get the idea.

Indigo Bay is the archetypal Indian ocean resort. Crystal blue water, white sands, palm trees swaying in the wind. As always in this type of resort, you can do as little or as much as you want. For the more dynamic, there is a wide choice of activities: game fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving, sailing, kayaking, dune boarding, horse riding and the list goes on.

The resort itself is divided into 30 beach chalets and 14 villas. They all enjoy sea views and are designed in a contemporary Indian Ocean style with all the mod-cons one can expect. My favourite feature is the outdoor showers.

The real bonus for me, apart from the financial incentive, is that the daily temperature is about 25°c and as it is winter, there are far fewer mosquitoes and humidity is much lower.

I think this might just tempt me out of my winter woollies and rain jacket!

Beat the winter blues-Mozambique style