Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa wins award for Mozambique's Leading Hotel in the 2009 World Travel Awards
World Travel Awards serves to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.
This year the award for Mozambique's Leading Hotel went to Pemba Beach Hotel & Spa. Pemba Beach Hotel and Spa is the gateway to the romantic Quirimbas Archipelago on the northern coastline of Mozambique and the Niassa National Reserve. It is a world-class destination where Swahili East Africa meets Arabia in a sweeping compilation of Arabian-inspired buildings, colonnades, turrets and archways.

The award for Mozambique's Leading Resort went to Medjumbe Island Resort. Medjumbe is a exclusive island getaway set like a jewel within the glittering Quirimbas Archipelago, Medjumbe is a small private Mozambique island only one km long and 500 metres wide. A perfect vista of endless white sand and translucent sea mesmerizes all who visit.

Mozambique Tourism Minister backs Dutch prince's villa project
The government of Mozambique has given its first public response to Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander's plans to build a luxury holiday home on the Machangulo peninsula in a poor area of the country.
Tourism Minister Sumbana Júnior says the prince's villa and surrounding luxury resort will be a good way of combatting local poverty. As well as holiday facilities, the construction plans include a school and hospital for local people.
The prince's Machangulo plans have faced a barrage of criticism back home in the Netherlands. Some MPs have called for the prince and his wife, Princess Máxima, to back out of the project.

Diving & Snorkeling
The last of the Humpback Whales are leaving the area and are only occasionally heard on dives or seen on the surface. They will hopefully be replaced by the Whale Shark and Manta Ray coming into the plankton rich waters.
In the shallow waters of Two Mile Reef a group of approximately 30 Grey Reef sharks were spotted. Adventurous snorkelers were treated to this spectacle in only a meter of water!
Groups of Devil Rays are being seen on the cleaning stations in groups of about ten. These “Little Mantas” gracefully glide over the reef feeding and stopping to be cleaned by the numerous reef fish.
On one dive a Green moray, a honeycomb moray, a Loggerhead turtle and a few Lionfish were seen sharing the same overhang!
Short wetsuits are becoming more common with the water temperature climbing to a warmer 25 degrees celsius.

Angling
For the angling enthusiast, the Bazaruto Archipelago is famed as one of the greatest game fishing sites in the Indian Ocean. Species such as Sailfish, Blue and Black Marlin and King Fish can be found roaming deep beneath the waters.

Marlin Lodge proudly maintains fully equipped angling boats of the highest standard, as well as an outstanding tackling centre