Reviews of Azura Benguerra

"Incredible, private beach setting. Excellent snorkelling.
Liked seeing how the Resort is investing in the community." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 6n in Mozambique

"We had a second wonderful trip to Azura Benguerra, thank you for organising it!

The local staff were as welcoming, kind and lovely as before. The rooms were excellent as was the food.

We spend time on the reef each day which was fascinating with some very large specimens of a wide variety of fish and loads of turtles.

Highly recommended!" See all these reviews: 7n in Mozambique

"The best beach resort we have stayed in.

Great location and great service and food.

The staff were very helpful in helping us overcome some of our concerns about the water activities.

Altogether just delightful." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 4n in Mozambique

"A really magical place for total relaxation. Arriving by helicopter flying over the stunningly turquoise sea was a wonderful start to 5 days in this very special place. The staff were welcoming friendly professional and kind. I was unsure about having a private butler but he was so kind and appropriate that there was no problem. We ate delicious local food (particularly seafood ) either at the restaurant or at our villa, or on the beach (depending on where your butler chose). A lot of effort went in to the location and setting of your table for dinner.
The accommodation was spacious comfortable and so private, we loved having our own infinity pool and direct access on to the deserted beach.
The tidal range is huge so the beach scenery changes all the time.
We had good snorkelling at three different ;locations - all involving a boat trip which we loved because you got to see more of the area. The 2 Mile reef "Aquarium" was spectacular." See all these reviews: 8n in South Africa; 5n in Mozambique

"A good place to unwind, with the added interest of engagement with the local community and various trips by boat and jeep." See all these reviews: 7n in Mozambique; 3n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa

"A stunning boutique hotel set right on a perfect sandy beach with rooms and service to die for.

The hotel has just 20 rooms - each its own little building in its separate semi-private garden opening out to the beach 20 paces away. We barely used shoes: just walked up the beach to the bar and restaurant area. Our room was very spacious and well appointed. Some romantic touches like twin outdoor showers, as well as an inside shower. A nice deck with plunge pool, sun loungers etc.

The beach is exceptionally clean. It is wide, and at high tide the sea comes to within 30 or 40 paces from the room, but at low tide it goes out a long way as the sandbars are very wide and flat. This makes for great variety during the day, and some interesting bird life (eg flamingoes in the next bay).

The food was delicious, and always individually prepared and well presented. Lots of fish, shellfish, varying daily. I had beef once which was tender and flavoursome.

Prior to going, we were not sure either about using a helicopter to get there, or about having “our own butler”. In fact, the heli ride gave us truly beautiful views over the azure, almost turquoise sea, and we enjoyed looking for dolphins and dugongs on the 8 minute flight. Likewise, Agostino, our butler - in reality, a designated staff member who was waiter at the restaurant and brought us a cocktail each evening in our room - got to know our likes and dislikes very quickly. He, like all the staff at this hotel, was a gentle, thoughtful and unassuming character, and could not have been kinder or worked harder to make our stay better.

Your website could be clearer that there is no house reef - snorkelling is a boat ride away (and costs a bit each time). We were unlucky that they had lost both divemasters and so the guy in charge of the water sports/dive centre was untried, did not know the reef or the water conditions, and was organisationally very weak. We did not dive a second time for those reasons.

We did a lot of snorkelling and the reefs and fish were amongst the best we have ever seen - we requested one particular guy, Paulo, as our guide each day and were able to have a boat to ourselves with him, and could stay in the water for as long as we wanted (1.5 hours +). He gently steered us towards the best time to go and then took us to good places where there were turtles, black tips, and a huge shoal of the beautiful and enticingly named sweetlips. Paulo is another gentle person, who had done the planting for the hotel (as it turned out as we got to know him) who walked an hour and a half each way to and from home every day.

As well as the wonderful staff, we liked the ethos of the hotel. We saw children lugging a bucket of crabs to the kitchen, and walking away happily holding their earnings. The hotel adds a suggested donation to the bill, and on the free round-the-island drive (the driver loved bird spotting for us), they show you the school and medical centre these monies have funded.

We absolutely loved it and are sure we will be back!" See all these reviews: 6n in Mozambique

"What an amazing place and one that we intend to return to----will speak to someone at Expert Africa this week

We had what is considered one of the best Villas---Villa no. 18---it is only one of their Standard rooms, and is quite sufficient to be honest

The De-:Luxe have separate lounges, but who wants a lounge when you have so much outside space?

We had lovely palm trees in our private garden, giving us a very open view of the sea

Every Villa, regardless of the price paid, gets a plunge pool----"plunge pool" is not quite what it sounds----it is quite large and I was almost out of my depth on tiptoes---and I am 5 ft 5 ins!----some plunge pool

There are 20 villas in total

There are about 9 x Standard Villas like ours

There are also about 6 xs De-luxe Villas, with these separate lounges that I have mentioned

Then there are 2 x Royal Suites, with large pools

Then there is 1 x Family Villa with 2 rooms I believe and 1 or 2 pools

Then finally there is 1 x Presidential Suite with 3 rooms, + a dining room and kitchen + their own butler ----way over the top to us!

This hotel has a very unique idea and one that we loved-----each Villa has a "Personal Host"

He is not a Butler as such (thank goodness---hate the idea of Butlers waiting on you!)----but this guy tends to all your needs, whether that be bringing drinks to our Villa or meeting us at dinner each night and serving us----really brilliant idea and SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE DREADED BUTLER!!!!

We were exceedingly fortunate in having the wonderful Carlos as our Personal Host----he has not travelled anywhere, but is highly intelligent and wanted to have very interesting conversations with us on every topic under the sun----he knows far more about BREXIT and the dreaded Trump than most British people!!

I should add that he was never intrusive in any way---it is just our way to try to get to know any staff wherever we are----it makes our stay so much more enjoyable, and hopefully makes their job looking after us a bit more personal and interesting for them

The food was very good and there were as many drinks as you wanted--both alcoholic and non-alcoholic

At 5 pm every night, your Personal Host brings to your Villa the "cocktail of the evening"---a lovely idea

And the beach---miles and miles of pure white sand with no seaweed at all

No snorkelling from the beach as they sadly don't have a House Reef

Meals on the beach---whether that is breakfasts, lunches or dinners----all of these meals can be served on the actual beach and at night, there are no words to describe the magic of millions of lanterns and candles everywhere dotted all over the beach

Pure romantic magic!

There were 2 x free activities---an evening Dhow sunset cruise lasting 1 x hour---we didn't do this this time, as sometimes the sea was a tiny bit rough----Mike gets easily seasick and I get frightened!

The other free activity was a 2-2 and a half trip around the island by Land Rover---there are 3 x villages on this island, so pristine, neat and clean were the adobe houses, that it was incredible!

The hotel runs something called The Rainbow Trust and has built the school and the hospital, both of which we were shown---10 dollars per person on this Landrover trip goes back to the communities

This hotel really is "putting things back" to he community

Unless you dictate otherwise, 20 dollars is added to every person's bill for the Rainbow Trust---a brilliant thing to do! Or you can opt to give more on departure

There are various other activities that you can do which are expensive but really worthwhile

One is a 4 hour snorkel, picnic and tour around 2 other islands at a cost of 197 dollars per person

Or you can just snorkel, for a fee I cannot remember

Or you can just have a picnic somewhere for about 100 dollars per person

I also think that it is possible to take a fishing trip

A superb hotel, and one which we plan to return to next year--will discuss this with one of you very soon" See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 6n in Mozambique; 3n in Namibia; 3n in Zimbabwe; 1n in South Africa

"We had a very enjoyable time at Azura which is set directly on the beach with good levels of privacy for each villa. The staff are lovely and do their best to ensure you have a good time. Meals were excellent and the evening 'cocktail of the day' brought to us on the beach was a lovely treat.

We had a really good day out 'island hopping'. The snorkelling was good, we climbed the great dune and were rewarded by the amazing views and the picnic lunch at North Point was special.

The helicopter flight from Vilanculos to the island and back was a bonus too." See all these reviews: 8n in Zimbabwe; 6n in Mozambique; 3n in South Africa

"Azura Benguerra was one memorable experience. Although we've been around on beach and dive resorts and hotels around the world, Azura is beyond any expectations we could have.

It combines a very special, almost empty pristine beach, superior quality accomodations, a staff that is genuinely worried about you and how well you are you being treated, feeling, etc etc with a great 5 star diving operation. It is a rare combination to find nowadays. You can get great resorts, but in very developed áreas, or prístine beaches and diving with very basic comfort and service. It is rare to find all in one place. And Azura offers it, combine to the gentleness of the island staff - so helpful it never ceases amazing us...

We were there a couple of months ago, and I already want to go back !" See all these reviews: 6n in Mozambique; 2n in South Africa

"Azura Benguerra was all you'd expect from an intimate and high-end beach resort. Private villas with direct access to the beach and azure waters of the Indian Ocean.

Exceptionally attentive staff that catered to all of our needs with a genuine smile. Excellent food and variety. If you like to dive or snorkel -- exceptional reef opportunities with an abundance of sea life.

Take a drive around the island too -- it is charming with beautiful unspoiled vistas." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 3n in Mozambique; 2n in Zambia; 1n in South Africa