Why we love Ibo Island
Offering spectacular ocean views boasts beautifully appointed rooms and personal service that makes it hard to go home.
Lying north of Mozambique in the Quirimbas Archipelago, the Lodge is described as one of the most magical in Africa, steeped in history, rich in culture and unsurpassed by its friendly staff.
Explore rich coral reefs, snorkel the pristine waters, navigate your canoe quietly among the mangroves or simply enjoy the tranquillity that is Ibo Island, it truly is food for the Soul!
Ibo Island Lodge, Quirimbas Mozambique
Ibo Island Lodge, located in the Quirimbas Archipelago National Park, Northern Mozambique, is a place steeped in beauty and history.
A Mozambique holiday break to this remote island, lost in time, will be well worth it. Ibo Island was a trading post in the early 1600’s. Take this opportunity to visit the island’s fantastic ancient buildings, a lot of which still remain. The local traditional silversmith tinkers away in his workshop while guests soak it all in.
The heart of Ibo Island Lodge is the Bela Vista mansion with its high ceilings, thick coral walls and a wide central corridor. Inside, cool lounges are furnished with antiques and books.
Accommodation at Ibo Island Lodge is in 14 unique, authentic and luxuriously decorated rooms, in three grand old mansions. Renovated by the locals, who still benefit from the lodge.
Rooms of indigenous solid teak and mahogany furniture, handcrafted by local people and king size beds decorated with crisp cotton linen and Indian silk throws thrill every guest. En-suite bathrooms have twin basins and large marble showers while wide verandas are a traditional feature of all Ibo mansions. Guests sink into soft comfortable plantation style chairs and enjoy drinks while absorbing sea or garden views.
After a long day of diving, dolphin viewing or just enjoying laying at the pool soaking up the warm Mozambican sun, join other guests on the Bela Visa Roof Deck, sip sundowners or after dinner drinks under the spectacular stars.
The restaurant faces west for unbelievable sunsets and talented chefs are renowned for their award-winning tasty menu and fresh seafood (and especially their famous Ibo crab curry), usually accompanied by tropical orange sunsets and dreamy views over the bay.
The island is steeped in ancient architecture, history and culture, and the guided tours bring the fascinating legends alive. Ibo Island Lodge also offers outstanding scuba diving and snorkelling, castaway beach picnics, guided sea kayaking, birding safaris, traditional dhow sailing, the mangrove forest experience, massage, romance and tranquillity.
The choices of accommodation are:
SEA FACING ROOMS
Beautiful high and low tide ocean views that change throughout the day. Air-conditioning, ceiling fans, wide verandas, magnificent king size 4 poster beds, luxury cotton and silk linen.
HISTORICAL ROOMS
Original, beautifully restored large historic rooms with wide verandas facing lush tropical gardens at the rear of the Niassa mansion. A perfect setting to explore and discover on your Mozambique Holiday.
GARDEN ROOMS
Our Niassa Garden rooms step out from huge verandas into lush tropical gardens with chunky palm trees that provide shade around the Niassa dip pool.
PRIVATE VILLA PARADISO
This beautifully restored building can cater for up to 12 guests and has private facilities including its own pool and garden, kitchen and rooftop terrace. One of the most unique Private Mozambique Villas available.
Ibo Island Facilities
- 5 X Sea facing rooms
- 5 X Historical rooms
- 4 X Garden facing rooms
- Air conditioned and 24-hour power
- Glamorous rooftop restaurant
- Award nominated cuisine
- Daily boat transfer to a private Sandbank Beach
- Castaway beach lunch and picnics
- Guided sandbank snorkelling
- Guided historical experience
- Guided Ibo cultural experience
- Interactive tour of lodge pre-school
- Visit to the silversmiths
Getting to Ibo Island Lodge
You will arrive at Pemba International Airport. Once you have disembarked from the plane, it is a short walk across to the small Pemba arrivals room. If you are booked on a direct flight to Pemba (i.e. not via Maputo) you will need to clear customs, and immigration formalities in Pemba before leaving the arrivals area. If you have flown via Maputo you will normally have cleared formalities there.
Once you have collected your luggage and cleared formalities you will be met by a representative of Ibo Island Lodge. His name is Oscar Soares and his contact number is +258 82 661 9500. In the unlikely event that you are not met, please call Lutfiyyah Davids directly (based in head office in South Africa) on phone +27 82 704 5863 or +27 21 785 5498. Emergency / after hours cell phone is +27 (0) 72 577 8575.
Depending on the time of your air transfer to Ibo Island, the Ibo Island Lodge representative will either escort you directly to the plane or to the waiting room for your flight to Ibo Island.
Please note that there is a strict restriction of 15 kg per person of SOFT luggage including hand luggage. If this is not adhered to, the pilot may leave the bags behind. In an effort to keep the cost of the air transfers reasonable, the lodges in the region co-operate to share daily schedules where ever possible. The rate you have been quoted is, therefore ‘a seat in a plane rate’ rather than a charter rate, which means that guests fit into the combined Quirimbas lodge requirements of each day as opposed to a private plane charter.
Private charter flights to Pemba are available on request at the time of booking Ibo Island Lodge but are more expensive.
GPS coordinates for Ibo Island Lodge
-12.334394,40.599246