Laguna Camp

There's no direct access via land to the sea beach at Bilene but the Laguna Camp team are happy to help you book a boat, as well as arrange whale watching and deep-sea fishing excursions. For those fisherfolk heading out with grand ambitions, the seas around here are full of marine life from black marlin to Zambezi sharks (and wahoos too…) If you want to stay closer to quarters, the lagoon and its beach are a short stroll away, and you can paddle across in canoes to a small manmade reef that’s home to eels, parrot and angel fish and sufficiently close to shore to give first-time snorkellers a safe introduction. Alongside a spicy mix of African and Portuguese food, the attractions in capital city Maputo (an hour and a half's drive) include an 18th-century fortress and vibrant municipal market, museums of revolution, art and natural history, a modernist cathedral, and a still-standing iron prefab built for the governor-general in 1892. It’s also the departure point for boats to Inhaca, an offshore subtropical reserve whose seahorses and butterfly fish, snake eagles and pink-backed pelicans draw wildlife watchers from all over the world. If you're heading onwards, it's around three hours' drive to the leopards, giraffes and other wild beasts of the Limpopo National Park, and three and a half hours to cross the border into South Africa.