We regard Azura as a great choice of lodge to experience a complete getaway from normal daily lives. Most importantly, it is located in a national park which offers this sense of remoteness coupled with nature. Azura have taken all of this into account when designing the lodge and its features to create Mozambiques first proper eco lodge. Each of the individually designed rooms are just feet from the beaches of a typical Indian ocean paradise.
Azura Benguerra - The Details
Azura has been approved by the Carbon Neutral Company in the UK as Mozambiques first carbon neutral resort. They also have the rainbow fund which supports a variety of social and environmental projects both large and small. Azura is located in Bazaruto Marine National Park on Benguerra Island, in Southern Mozombique.
The communal areas are open to the beach and sea with great views of the ocean. There is a lot of space so one can always find a quiet spot to read their book, or take advantage of the cocktails on offer or even snack on some fresh sushi! There is also a television and internet discreetly tucked away in the library.
Azura Lodge has just 14 villas each with their own infinity pool and the creature comforts you would expect from a luxury boutique resort. The rooms are all designed with locally sourced wooden beams and traditional artwork beneath thatched Jekka roofs. The grounds in which the rooms are built creates your own little sanctuary within the indigenous gardens.
Benguerra Island offers some great diving and snorkelling, as well as Dhow cruises, fly fishing and lengthy walks on the deserted beaches.
The dedication to conservation here is immediately noticeable in terms of the community and preservation of the pristine environment. For example only one cement mixer and one truck was used to build the lodge. The community are a major contributor and stakeholder in the lodge and many of the furnishing are local and handmade as well as there being a big influence on disadvantaged African communities. Azura has been seen by the Mozambican authorities as a model for sustainable tourism.
