Punta da Barra & Inhambane, Mozambique
We arrived off of Punta da Barra early morning to find a magnificent stretch of beach but with choppy and windy conditions. Once the scout party had assessed the zodiac landing conditions and met with Punta Barra lodge staff, zodiacs shuttled the early morning walkers to shore. It was a very exciting ride and zodiac landing in the surf right in front of the Punta Barra Lodge.
The walkers and birders headed off along the edge of the Mangrove swamp and then turned down and continued walking onto the fine white sandy beach which stretches approximately 6 km. It was not long before we came across an awesome sight and saw the local fisherman hard at work throwing out their fishing nets and hauling them in, all from hand crafted dhows. What a magnificent site to see the fisherman filling their nets, the cloud formations and lighting making excellent photographic opportunities.
Those who took the town tour to Inhambane loaded into an assortment of buses and mini vans along with our charming local guides. We were heading for the town of Inhambane, founded by Swahili traders. Inhambane was also the southernmost port used by Arabs for slave trading. The bus ride on an ‘interesting’ road with a couple of pot holes, after fairly heavy rains the night prior, was very scenic past colorful villages and coconut plantations as well as assortment of fruit trees and stunning bougainvilleas in full bloom.
Once in the town of Inhambane (one of the oldest settlements in Mozambique) we had a little time to explore the local market; some bought very tasty cashews nuts while others photographed the local traders at work. We drove on to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Conception as well as the small architectural museum and quaint local boat harbor. We made it back to Barra Lodge and had a nice cold beverage at the beach bar before heading back across the beach sand to board a zodiac back to the National Geographic Explorer in time for lunch.
Some of us decided to just relax, take a long walk on the Punta Barra beach or take a plunge into the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Others relaxed on lounge chairs around the Punta Barra swimming pool and/or did a little shopping at the local arts and crafts market at the lodge. The Scuba divers also had a good dive and got to see a superb assortment of fish, octopus, lobster, and rays.
A fabulous day was had by all and in particular we enjoyed the very warm welcome from the Mozambique locals on shore.
We arrived off of Punta da Barra early morning to find a magnificent stretch of beach but with choppy and windy conditions. Once the scout party had assessed the zodiac landing conditions and met with Punta Barra lodge staff, zodiacs shuttled the early morning walkers to shore. It was a very exciting ride and zodiac landing in the surf right in front of the Punta Barra Lodge.
The walkers and birders headed off along the edge of the Mangrove swamp and then turned down and continued walking onto the fine white sandy beach which stretches approximately 6 km. It was not long before we came across an awesome sight and saw the local fisherman hard at work throwing out their fishing nets and hauling them in, all from hand crafted dhows. What a magnificent site to see the fisherman filling their nets, the cloud formations and lighting making excellent photographic opportunities.
Those who took the town tour to Inhambane loaded into an assortment of buses and mini vans along with our charming local guides. We were heading for the town of Inhambane, founded by Swahili traders. Inhambane was also the southernmost port used by Arabs for slave trading. The bus ride on an ‘interesting’ road with a couple of pot holes, after fairly heavy rains the night prior, was very scenic past colorful villages and coconut plantations as well as assortment of fruit trees and stunning bougainvilleas in full bloom.
Once in the town of Inhambane (one of the oldest settlements in Mozambique) we had a little time to explore the local market; some bought very tasty cashews nuts while others photographed the local traders at work. We drove on to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Conception as well as the small architectural museum and quaint local boat harbor. We made it back to Barra Lodge and had a nice cold beverage at the beach bar before heading back across the beach sand to board a zodiac back to the National Geographic Explorer in time for lunch.
Some of us decided to just relax, take a long walk on the Punta Barra beach or take a plunge into the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Others relaxed on lounge chairs around the Punta Barra swimming pool and/or did a little shopping at the local arts and crafts market at the lodge. The Scuba divers also had a good dive and got to see a superb assortment of fish, octopus, lobster, and rays.
A fabulous day was had by all and in particular we enjoyed the very warm welcome from the Mozambique locals on shore.
