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THE BEST NEW BEACH RETREATS
AZURA MARLIN BEACH, MOZAMBIQUE
BEST FOR: Diving and snorkelling
Rebuilt and relaunching in 2022 , Marlin Beach on
Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago
is the fresh and funky little sister of Azura
Benguerra, Mozambique’s original Indian Ocean
island eco-lodge. Set on the site of an old sport
fishing lodge on Benguerra’s southwest shore, it
has its own PADI five-star dive centre. Between
scuba sessions and lazy boat trips by dhow,
guests can relax in villas with crisp, beachy
decor, right on the sand. azura-retreats.com
SUNDY PRAIA, SÃO TOMÉ & PRÍNCIPE
BEST FOR: Jungle hikes and waterfall swims
This unique retreat on the island of Príncipe is
wedged between the rainforest and the ocean
in a little-visited UNESCO Biosphere Reserve,
one degree north of the Equator. Relaunched in
2021, it invites you to step out of your canvas-
roofed beach villa and explore. Expect boat
trips, visits to artisan cocoa plantations and
expert-led jungle hikes, searching for endemic
bird species such as giant sunbirds and the
Príncipe speirops, then cooling off in crystal-
clear waterfalls. hbdprincipe.comKISAWA SANCTUARY, MOZAMBIQUE
BEST FOR: Marine conservation projects
Kisawa’s blow-the-budget beach bungalows,
vast but cosseting in their minimalist comfort,
opened on Benguerra Island in spring 2021 in a
WWF National Marine Park. Carefully designed
to blend in with the coastal forest and built by
island artisans, skilled in using natural materials,
each bungalow comes with a dedicated butler,
infinity pool and kitchen. By staying here,
you support Kisawa’s nonprofit offshoot,
the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies,
Africa’s first permanent ocean observatory.
kisawasanctuary.comLEKKERWATER BEACH LODGE,
SOUTH AFRICA
BEST FOR: Whale-watching
Close to South Africa’s much-loved Garden
Route, this luxurious off-grid lodge in the De
Hoop Nature Reserve, opened in 2019, has soul-healing sea views and direct access to a pristine
beach. Though only 45 miles northeast of Cape
Agulhas, Africa’s southernmost tip, the Indian
Ocean here is typically at least 2C warmer than
the Atlantic in Cape Town. In migration season
(July to November), you can watch southern
right whales without even leaving your private
deck. naturalselection.travelTIME + TIDE MIAVANA, MADAGASCAR
BEST FOR: Ultra-luxurious lemur-spotting
Celebrating its fifth year in 2022 , Time + Tide
Miavana is still Madagascar’s newest ultra-luxury
island lodge. Set on Nosy Ankao, in the Levens
Archipelago off the mainland’s northeastern
shore, it’s gloriously remote, with a spacious,
stripped-down, beach-chic vibe conjured
up by celebrated Johannesburg-based
architects Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens. The
environmental team monitors Nosy Ankao’s
crowned lemurs, translocated here from an area
of high poaching and habitat loss. According
to the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership,
they’re in glowing health. miavana.comTHE COASTAL SAFARI
Crabs at Time + Tide Miavana
Clockwise from top: Beach
bar, Time + Tide Miavana;
food and drink at Kisawa;
a suite at Kisawa