Morrungulo Beach Lodge

If there's anything more stunning than what's in front of you at this place, then it's under the sea. The dive centre at nearby Bonito Bay half an hour's walk up the beach is a popular place to book snorkelling and scuba trips to explore sea caves close to the shoreline... and the Sylvia Shoal reef further out with its mantas and turtles, toadfish, dolphins and barracudas at depths of between 16 and 130 feet. If you prefer your feet on the sand, meanwhile, Murrungulo's a splendid spot for whale watching between June and November. An hour away, the diverse terrain of the Pomene National Reserve gives walkers, birdwatchers and wildlife fans a huge variety of life and colour with its dune forests and mangrove swamps home to wild boars, vulture, grey monkeys, fish eagles and paradise flycatchers. An unmissable trip an hour and 20 minutes away is to take a sailing dhow across the channel from Maxixe to the ancient port of Inhambane. A mix of Arab, Indian and Portuguese influences, Inhambane's avenues are lined with trees, colonial buildings and history: soak it all up in the Old Mosque, the museum and the market, then head to Tofo beach half an hour's drive from the city for fresh grilled lobsters and a spot of surfing. Pomene is two hours' drive away.