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Santorini courtyard with enclosed pool is a presentation in luxurious perfection By Jo Kromburg
I have been to the isle of Santorini in Greece. This was circa 1989. The black volcanic mass suddenly rising out of the vast deep-blue Aegean Sea like the Phoenix. The narrow cobble stone streets and quaint blue and whitewashed houses. The black volcanic sand. The intense soft violet-pink sunsets over the ocean. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Or so I thought...
I am on my way to "Santorini" again but this time it is in Vilanculos in Mozambique. I step off the twin propeller Airlink flight from Johannesburg into a gush of a wind and cloud but underneath it the year-round tropical heat slyly emerges. Neil, one of my hosts for the next three days, meets me and we set off to on the 20 minute drive to Villa Santorini through the metropolis of Vilanculos. Neil says the population of this coastal town in Mozambique, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province, is 20,000 depending on whom you believe.
My exhaustion evaporates in an instant as he tells me about the villa and jokes in our lazy and charming African way. And then the eggshell white gates loom before us and a guard opens the gates to heaven. In all my travels I have never seen such a place. As a travel writer one can get jaded but every once in a while - if you are lucky - you find a place so inspiring that prose flows out of you like golden, wanton molasses. As I enter the courtyard (with al fresco seating area beside a pizza oven and gas BBQ), the sparkling pool before me gives way to the massive lounge beyond and beyond that is the green and blue hues of the Indian Ocean through massive windows as far as the eye can see. The ocean front deck has a pale blue martini pool, which faces directly onto the sea where you can relax, meditate and entertain on the covered sala, upstairs from the courtyard. There is also another deck for private massages or romantic dinners, to the left on a top floor. The Villa has a staircase to the beach.
Neil's wonderful and forever-smiling wife Christie takes me on a tour of the magnificent villa before lunch. The house is a superb example of design fusion of simplicity and luxury and the utmost care has been taken with the selection of every detail in terms of color scheme, fabrics, fixtures, paintings etc. The elegant white and blue theme of the Greek Isles pervades the house of course but beautiful personal touches make it feel like home. The multi-level design creates areas of solitude and space. Villa Santorini boasts two dining areas, a martini deck, TV room and library, children's bedroom (which can double up as a normal guests room with double or twin bed facility), a communal computer terminal with internet access and multi-functional levels tucked away for your inner serenity. Yet another unique feature of this project is that there were no formal architectural drawings used in the construction. All the builders, Hooper and Louw, had to work on foundation plans and a 3D artist's impression of the completed building, which you will find framed at the entrance to the TV lounge. There is a beautifully lit and comfortably furnished boma set away from the main villa. For the convenience of guests it has its own toilet facilities.
There is direct access to the beach with palm trees, thatched umbrellas and deck chairs for the ultimate in relaxation.
Five majestic en-suite bedrooms feature private balconies and breathtaking sea views. The Villa can sleep 10 people or eight adults and six children and the Chapel can accommodate another 2 people in utmost luxury. For lunch I sit down to fabulous fare.
Margaruque Island is stress relieving haven of pure bliss By Jo Kromburg
The amazing Sergio is my personal "butler" if you will and takes care of all guest's needs. He serves me a heavenly cold soup concoction, a mixture of avocado and pineapple, as a starter. The most divine spring rolls, crumbed calamari and fish cakes follow, completed by homemade coconut and papaya ice cream. Christie keeps me company and tells me about all the various activities that make Santorini special. Guests can visit the arts and crafts center in the village and support the local population by purchasing their various beautiful creations, one of which is a special dugong key ring (one of the items in my gift basket in my room - a wonderfully personal touch). Horse riding on the beach can be organized for guests as well as a wonderful picnic and canoeing excursion on the Guvoru river, about 40 minutes' drive from the Villa. For bird lovers and nature lovers the area is beyond compare, Christie tells me. "The market in the village is something to be experienced," she says. "We warn some of our more squeamish guests that it is an authentic African market with all the sights, sounds and smells to go along with that." In other words, raw, fresh fish, meat and chickens are sold there. "We also take guests on a tour of the village which culminates in a visit to our chef Jorge's 'barraca' or pub." All these activities and excursions, apart from the horse riding, are included in the price as well as all the beach and sea activities as well. Boat trips to various islands of the Bazarutto Archipelago can be arranged at additional costs and they have sand boarding equipment if a trip to Bazaruto is arranged beforehand. The food at this Villa is simply sublime and again, it is made to order. When Christie meets the guests she sits down and plans the meals with them according to their unique preferences so all your personal culinary needs are met. She also tells me that the staff are local with no fancy chef's training but I upon my word of honor, I have dined on food prepared by Michelin star chefs infinitely inferior to the fare one can expect here.
And speaking of food, dinner follows a while later with prawn rissoles with peanut butter sauce as a starter - piquant, sweet and maddeningly delicious. The next course of French onion soup with broccoli slides down my throat with silky yumminess. The wind has calmed down and the waves provide a soothing soundtrack to the soft night heat as I take my coffee under the million bright stars of Mozambique.
I wake up in my sheets of linen - yes, pure linen - to a dark grey sea the following morning. A couple of fishing boats languish in the sea below me, untroubled by the passage of time. After breakfast I laze about, reading on my private balcony with my view of the ocean and the vast sky where a few white, feathery clouds still linger. The privacy and seclusion of this gem of a place makes you lose yourself in reverie and forgotten is the chaos of the outside world. The peace is tangible. By late afternoon clouds are once again appearing and the vast, silky sea changes color below the led grey sky from pale green and blue to a hazy, milky indigo....
The next morning the rain has washed the world clean and the brightest, tropical sunshine greets me. Four tour operators from Johannesburg join me in the villa and we set off for a day of snorkeling and lunch to the nearby Margaruque Island, a 30-minute boat ride from Santorini. We laze away the day, snorkeling, sun bathing, swimming and reading after a delightful picnic lunch, provided by the Villa and included in the price. On the way back we are joined by a school of dolphins.
We are the only tourists on the entire island and we feel spoiled rotten.
I sleep late the next morning since my flight is only at about 12 noon. Christie drives me to the airport and my heart is heavy when we have to say our goodbyes. Between them Neil, Christie, Sergio, Kim and all the staff at Villa Santorini have made this experience truly one I can safely say I will cherish for the rest of my life. Now it's your turn!
Contact:
Reservations and Sales:
Tel: +27 (82) 883 3774
Email: sales@santorinimozambique.com
http://www.villasantorini.co.za/
Getting there from China:
There are no direct flights between Mozambique and China. The best way to get to Mozambique from China is via Johannesburg.
Cathay Pacific has daily flights between Hong Kong and Johannesburg. Flight duration is 12.5 hours and the planes used are Boeing 777-300ER and Boeing 747-400s. Go to http://www.cathaypacific.com/ for schedules and bookings.
South African Airways operates the Johannesburg-Beijing/Beijing - Johannesburg route non-stop three times a week using its Airbus A340-600 long-haul aircraft.
Flights between Johannesburg and Beijing take on average 15 hours, and flyers will be able to make use of the Air China Lounges in Beijing. Bookings through travel agencies and www.flyssa.com.
Getting to Mozambique from South Africa:
Airlink, the largest independent Regional Feeder Airline from Johannesburg offers direct convenient scheduled flights from Johannesburg to Vilanculos on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Flights depart Johannesburg OR Tambo International at 11:30 arriving at Vilanculos 13:10 and depart again from Vilanculos at 13:45 arriving in Johannesburg at 15:30.
The timing of the flights offer convenient connections through our alliance with SAA and the Star Alliance partners flights and other international carriers connecting the world to Mozambique and well as throughout Southern Africa. Go to http://flyairlink.com/vilanculos/?gclid=CjgKEAjw1fKaBRCJ8qTHyM35_kgSJACZQLzikoo0fhBfgtrbCQDL_mFOTNpfPVnkSkaBlVmth_CjKPD_BwE |
