Quilalea Is the Perfect Private Island Paradise
If you want to go on the perfect vacation then you have to be prepared to spend a whole lot of money on it.
If you don’t have that kind of money then you will have to settle for something a little less fabulous, unfortunately.
But if you have a lot of money at your disposal then you will never have to share a beach with people you don’t like.
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You can go on a private island and truly relax and feel like royalty while enjoying the perfect view you could get.
According to forbes.com, Quilalea, which is in the Quirimbas Archipelago of Mozambique, doesn’t have a formal dining room, a celebrity chef or a fancy spa.
The rooms don’t have huge infinity pools or even Wi-Fi. There are no chandeliers.
And truth be told, it’s not the easiest place to get to (tip: avoid Air Mozambique), although it is closer to the airport in Pemba than other islands in the archipelago—a 25-minute helicopter flight, unlike the hour it takes to get further north.
But as a connoisseur of the remote, I have a theory that the harder a (luxury) destination is to reach, the more special it is.
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The further off the map, the better. And Quilalea is special.
In place of old-school luxury trappings, it has 58 ancient baobab trees, an endlessly kindhearted staff, excellent fresh seafood, four beautiful beaches spread around 85 acres (for just 18 guests on the island) and the sort of sublime simplicity that justifies the journey.
In a protected marine sanctuary, it also has one of last few near-pristine reefs in the world—a walk-in from the beach—and a full dive center (and snorkeling gear) for those who want to explore it.
The reef is home to huge potato bass and schools of hunting jacks, and it’s an important breeding ground for olive ridley, green and hawksbill turtles.
During a short dive with resort co-manager Leon Joubert—one of three excellent dive masters on staff—we saw three of them, almost as big as I am. I touched one’s shell.
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