| TROPICAL ISLANDS IN AFRICA |
HIGHLIGHTS OF A TROPICAL ISLAND |
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| - Seychelles
- Zanzibar
- Pemba
- Bazaruto Archipelago
- Mauritius
- Quirimbas, Mozambique
- Mafia Island, Tanzania
- Lake Malawi Islands
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- Remote unspoilt beaches
- Snorkelling
- Scuba diving
- Relaxation
- Fishing
- Seafood
- Kayaking
- Sailing
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- Bazaruto, Mozambique
- Quirimbas, Mozambique
- Aldabra, Seychelles
- Vallée-de-Mai, Seychelles
- Black River Gorge, Mauritius
- Domaine du Chasseur, MU
- Mumbo & Domwe, Malawi
- Lake Malawi National Park |
| MAP
OF THE TROPICAL ISLANDS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN AND AFRICA |
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on the tropical Indian Ocean and African Island of your
choice to view a detailed map and information
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TROPICAL ISLAND DESCRIPTIONS
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| Bazaruto
Archipelago, Mozambqiue
The whole Bazaruto Archipelago is an ecological
gem that has been granted National Park status.
It falls into the Eastern African Marine Ecoregion,
which stretches over a 4 600km coastline, from South
Africa to Somalia. The string of tropical island
s off the coast of Mozambique is part of the Bazaruto
Archipelago National Park and is one of the largest
marine parks in the Indian Ocean.
Three of the tropical island s were given formal
protection in 1971 and designated a national park.
Environmental groups kept up the pressure until
government recently gazetted an extension to the
park, incorperating the remaining tropical islands
and their surrounding waters.
Bazaruto Island is one of five principal islands
in the Bazaruto Archipelago, which lies just 30km
off the coast of Vilanculos in Inhambane Province.
It is the largest of all the tropical islands, approximately
37km long and up to 7km wide.
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Quirimbas
Archipelago, Mozambique
The Quirimbas Archipelago stretches for 100 kilometres
along the Mozambique coast. These tropical islands
contain some of the richest coral reefs in the world
and provide habitat for an abundant array of marine
life. The Quirimbas Archipelago consists of 32 tropical
coral islands stretching from Pemba (the capital of
Cabo Delgado Province) to the Rovuma River, which
forms the natural frontier between Tanzania and Mozambique.
The area has never been developed and remains an unexplored
tourist paradise.
The southernmost 11 of these tropical islands and
a vast expanse of mainland forest are included in
the Quirimbas National Park - a conservation effort
to preserve and protect the area.
The Gessner family have lived on Quirimba Island,
(the main island of the Quirimbas) since 1936. Joachim
Gessner's father arrived in Africa from Germany in
1922 and discovered Quirimba soon after. The family
moved onto Quirimba to settle and created a coconut
plantation which they continue to farm to this day.
This plantation's private airfield is available to
Quilálea guests and is just across the bay.
At low tide, Quirimba Island is linked to Ibo by a
narrow sand-spit.
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Zanzibar
and Pemba Islands, Tanzania
Trading under the name Spice Island, this paradise off
Tanzania's east coast has lured travellers for centuries,
some in search of cloves, some in search of slaves and
still others in search of an idyllic home. While commonly
called Zanzibar, the island's name is actually Unguja,
and is part of the Zanzibar archipelago, which also
includes Pemba.
Pemba is located not too far from Zanzibar and boast
unspoilt beaches with excellent diving. Fundu Lagoon
is the epitome of "bare foot paradise" with
a distinct Robinson Crusoe air in a remote and not easily
accessible spot. It is a place for guests to relax and
unwind in casual, yet elegant surroundings.
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| Seychelles
- as pure as it gets...
Located between 6 and 10 degrees south of the equator
amid 1,300,00 square kilometres of sparkling ocean,
these 115 secluded tropical island s have a total
population of merely 81,000. The islands of the Seychelles
have to be counted among the best kept secrets on
earth and, without doubt, rank among the safest and
purest destinations anywhere. The 43 Inner Islands
that cluster around the principal islands of Mahé,
Praslin and La Digue are the world’s only oceanic
islands of granitic composition.
Seychelles’ magnificent tropical islands possess
unrivalled beauty ranging from the verdant mist forests
of virgin granite peaks to the powder-soft sands of
secluded beaches and together represent the ultimate
tropical island destination for the discerning traveller,
living up to the country’s slogan - "Seychelles
… as pure as it gets".
Tourism
is the mainstay of the nation’s economy and
is considered one of the chief components in the sustainable
development of the country, benefiting from policies,
planning and marketing structures that take into account
both the conservation of natural and cultural resources
as well as the carrying capacity of the tropical islands.
Seychelles is a prime diving location located at the
northern bank of the submerged Mascarene Plateau,
a submerged volcanic ridge stretching from Seychelles
to Mauritius.
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Mauritius
and surrounding tropical islands
The Mascareignes Archipelago is made up of Mauritius,
Reunion Island and Rodrigues. Mauritius, an independent
state, is situated at 890km east of Madagascar, between
19°50' and 20°32' of south latitude and 57°18'
and 57°46' of East Longtitude. Reunion, french
island, is 200km south west and Rodridues, a dependence
of Mauritius is 600 km to the East North East.
Mauritius covers an area of 1860 km2 and is made up
of a central plateau gradually rising towards the
south west where it reaches its highest point at 800
metres with the Piton de la Rivière Noire.
This plateau is still surrounded with what is remaining
from the primary crater in the form of a chain of
mountains that are not very high (Moka, Corps de Garde,
Pieter Both) and some isolated peaks (Piton du Milieu,
Motte à Thérèse).
Mauritius is an all-year-round tropical island resort
with a mild climate and pleasant temperatures. In
the summer months, from November to April, the temperature
varies from 20oC to 28oC on the central plateau and
from 25oC to 33oC on the coast. From May to October,
the average temperature is 19oC in the centre of the
island, rarely falling under 13oC at night. On the
coast, all temperatures are about 5oC higher.
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Lake
Malawi - the lake of stars
Lying at the southern end of Africa's Great Rift
Valley, the Lake Malawi National Park is a World
Heritage Site and an area of overwhelming beauty.
It is also the first freshwater marine reserve on
earth, sporting thousands of cichlid tropical fish
that are vital to the bio-diversity of our planet.
Mumbo Island and Domwe Island are luxurious yet
rustic. These tropical islands are located within
exclusive concession areas, guaranteeing privacy
in paradise.
Constructed entirely of timber, thatch and canvas,
the camps adhere to the strictest principles of
eco-architecture. Accommodation on the tropical
islands is in large safari tents situated on thatched,
wooden decks overlooking the lake. Each tent is
fully furnished with its own shady view-deck and
private hammock.
Lake Malawi is the ninth largest lake in the world.
It is 560km, 80km wide and 700m deep and forms most
of the eastern border between Malawi and Mozambique.
It is one of the Great Rift Valley lakes and lies
in a depression which plunges well below sea level
- to a depth of 2,300ft in the north. It is the
third largest lake in Africa and has impressive
proportions with approximate dimensions of 584km
north to south and 83km wide. Half the south-eastern
section of the lake belongs to Mozambique with the
border running through the centre of the water,
while Tanzania lies along the north-eastern shore.
The national park is a sanctuary for the unique,
often brightly coloured little fish called cichlids,
much prized by freshwater aquarium enthusiasts.
More than 500 species of these fish have been recorded
but it is thought there could be 1,000 different
species in the lake.
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