The Nampula Province coast is a wonderland of secluded beaches, tropical lagoons, and locally designed eco-lodges

You don't always need to stay on an island to feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe. This province in northern Mozambique is another of the country's unspoilt and undiscovered gems, with a coastline that rivals any island.

The beaches are serene and secluded, the lagoons are calm and inviting and the activities on offer are world-class, with canoeing, hiking and bird watching some of the favourites. One of the benefits of staying at one of the properties here is the shore access diving and snorkelling, and the rather unique possibility of kayaking over a shallow sea shelf to do a spot of whale watching. Wildlife watching doesn't get much more up close and personal than this. Visits to local craftsmen are also popular.

Fancy a fun fact? During the colonial period, Nampula Province was in fact called "Mocambique", but when the country gained independence in 1975, the name was used for the entire country and the province was renamed Nampula after its capital town. This is also why Ilha de Mozambique is named as it is, and if you're interested in history and culture, a stay on the mainland can be combined with a visit to this fascinating island.