Overwater Bungalows in Africa!

 

Having trouble deciding between that South African safari or a beach vacation in a bungalow over the sea, but don't have the time or money to visit SA and Tahiti or the Maldives on the same trip?  No need to weigh the options for one more moment, thanks to Flamingo Bay Water Lodge in Mozambique! So go ahead, start narrowing down those safari lodges, and plan a relaxing pre- or post-animal-viewing stop in this amazing country!

 Only about an hour's flight from Johannesburg, South Africa to the town of Inhambane and a half-hour car ride will bring you to this eco-paradise.

 Flamingo Bay's barefoot elegance, laid-back style and atmosphere, excellent food and service, simple but lovely water chalets, and exotic setting would definitely be worth a splurge! However, the rates here could actually be more accurately described as a steal - $350-$400USD total for 2 per night, including daily breakfast and dinner!

Here, you can be as relaxed or as active as your heart desires...
Just want to laze? Spend time soaking up the sun on the deck of your chalet, jumping off now and then to cool off and snorkel in the clear waters below. After you've worked up an appetite, jump in one of the complimentary golf carts for the short ride from your chalet to the resort's restaurant and bar. A treatment at Flamingo Bay's spa is a fabulous way to spend the afternoon, and later, a sunset cruise is the perfect activity to cap off the day!

 

Want more adventure and excitement? Paddle around in a kayak, go for a horseback ride down the beach, take a guided city tour of Inhambane or a walk through one of the nearby small villages, try your hand at deep sea fishing, explore the local waters and islands by catamaran or traditional dhow, or take out a bike or ATV to visit one of the gorgeous nearby beaches!

No matter how you choose to spend your stay at Flamingo Bay, it's sure to be an unforgettable experience!

Photos courtesy of Flamingo Bay, Barra Resorts, and Mozambique Tourism

Why I've been AWOL...

Sorry for the couple of weeks lag time in between posts! I've really been trying to get better about posting more often lately, but at least I have a great excuse...I was in South Africa!

The back-story: a couple of months ago, I entered a contest through one of my travel suppliers, Goway. Their AfricaExperts "Ultimate FAM* Trip" was open to all agents who had recently booked client trips to South Africa. I entered my bookings for a chance to win, and then, to be honest, forgot all about it. Until I arrived at my hotel in Zurich, Switzerland on the last night of my Labor Day European vacation (to be blogged soon) and was handed a phone message telling me I had won and needed to get in touch with Goway ASAP since we were set to leave in exactly 4 weeks!
*FAM is short for "familization", and refers to a trip that travel agents take to get first-hand experience with an area, hotel, etc.

Here is the press release about the trip - if only they'd spelled my last name right (it's actually Caroline Bracewell)!
http://travelworldnews.com/2010/09/goway-announces-winners-for-the-%E2%80%9Cultimate-fam-trip%E2%80%9D/ There's an old PR axiom that "all publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell your name right". Since this release can in no way be considered bad publicity, I guess it would fall into the arena of neutral publicity? ;)

But not too worried about that...I'm just thrilled I got to go! It was an amazing trip, and I can't wait to share pictures, reviews, and stories of my adventures on the dark continent. In the meantime, a sneak peak of one of the most amazing things I saw (warning: not for the squeamish!)...