Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort

We enjoyed our time at the resort because of the friendliness and professionalism of the staff looking after us. They went out of their way to accommodate and plan a birthday celebration for our group and we enjoyed our time poolside. The Bazaruto archipelago is remote, pristine and stunningly beautiful no matter where you look there is natural beauty everywhere. We were very fortunate to have this experience and thank the ones that made it possible.

It seems like people are paying 2 different prices for this place because we paid over $1000 US a night, the highest price we paid on a 5 week trip through Africa with a dozen different stays, and it was the least luxurious for the price. This was our last stop so we wanted it to be nice. We stayed 5 nights so we got a real feel for the place and I'm guessing if you only stayed 2 nights you might have a different impression. It was HOT (83* but felt like 93* with the humidity) when we arrived. The only AC in the whole resort is in your room. Our room had weak AC to start, that declined to nothing by the 3rd night. We found it hard to enjoy things when we were so hot, as we were sweating and lethargic. When we did call (nobody answered on the first call) they said "we will come put some gas in the AC unit for you" and it worked fine after. They had been servicing the room for 3 days and saw the AC was running out, but did nothing ~ not proactive and not 5 star service. The menu seems great until you are told that they don't have the tuna dishes and the pizza oven is not working, which remained true for 5 nights. The menu doesn't vary much at all, so 5 days of a similar menu is not 5 star. We were told drinks are included but only local rum or vodka drinks, that are made weak, are included. If you want a G&T, you pay $10. A bottle of white wine was $50-85 unless it was one of the 3 on the "included" menu. Drinks were not really 'inclusive' as implied when we booked. The spa was a joke! The spa has no working AC anywhere. In the women's locker room there are no chairs, blank walls with no art or decor anywhere, a smell of mold, hair blocking the shower drain, no shampoo at all, a sauna that didn't work, and the lockers don't lock in the changing area, so I had to go back down the hill to my room to shower after. The staff didn't pay attention to the forms we filled out with our preferences (they tried to rub spots I marked to be avoided so I had to ask them to stop). In the end, they overcharged us and then argued that we should pay the individual price X2 ($290) instead of a couples massage price we signed up for ($220). The management had to get involved and finally gave us the price stated on their own brochure ~ weird. We only went back for the second massage because it was the free one included in our package which they told us would be a "signature massage", not the Swedish massage we prefer, because no 'alterations' were allowed ~ WTF? At these prices, $145 was the supposed value for an individual massage we were "gifted", that is nuts! They were purposefully unaccommodating. Sadly, we couldn't scuba dive because they said the water was not clear enough and they suggested we come back in April (not easy to do from California ;o). The horse back riding was great because they took us along the beach and through the small local village (paid extra). The small dhow boat sunset ride they included was nice. The waterskiing was fun (paid extra). The snorkeling at Paradise Island was mostly dead coral (sad) and very few fish with no other sea life spotted in 45 minutes of snorkeling (paid extra). Of course this was not the boat drivers fault and he took us to see sea turtles swimming from the boat and was friendly, so we enjoyed it. If you're an experienced snorkeler you will probably be disappointed. The board walk that takes you to your room is dilapidated and it can be a very long walk to your room from the main area (up to .25 mile each way), but if you don't mind the walking, the rooms are private and along the shore. I never saw a gardener the entire 5 days and it was a dry, natural, untrimmed look which is ok, but not 5 star. There is no abatement so the bug biting is real. Romantic dinners are their specialty and I will give them 5 stars for putting lantern lit tables near the sea, or around the pool, or up with a view ~ but we were eaten alive even with repellent on. If you are susceptible to bites, beware of this issue and bring light clothes that cover you, especially your ankles. Now let's talk about the staff because they were eager to please and well meaning. I don't blame them and we tipped them well, but I do blame the management for the issues. Since Portuguese is the spoken language of the country, few speak English well enough to understand even your menu order. This led to unfortunate "misunderstandings" until we found a waiter who could communicate well enough with us. Service was consistently slow and that's fine when you want to sit, but if you are tired, come back from an event hungry, want to eat quick and small, or there is a "misunderstanding" about the order, it can be a bit frustrating. We love to banter with the staff and get to know people but it was hard since we didn't speak Portuguese and that made it less enjoyable for us. Getting to know the people when I travel is half of the reason I go. I did learn to speak politely in Portuguese (please, thank you, hello and goodbye) but we were forced to talk with the other guests most of the time. If you speak Portuguese they can offer menu specials we never heard, they can answer questions like, "what is the fish of the day?" and they can build rapport with you. Every staff member who saw you asked, "how is your trip?" followed quickly by, "how are you?". After 5 days of being asked those 2 questions 5-10 times a day, it begins to feel insincere. If you don't answer in the positive (like after our spa debacle) they don't know what to say. The pros ~ certainly the beauty of the beach and warm, turquoise sea water are its best features. They were gracious and upgraded us to a room with a mini-pool and chaise lounges. We loved the public pool area, the romantic dinners they set up, the heathy tasty food, the nice spacious, clean private rooms with mini-frig, coffee maker, and comfy bed. The smiles and good intentions of the staff were appreciated. The cons ~ no reprieve from the heat except in our room (sometimes). The lack of being proactive like letting our room run out of AC until we had to complain to get it fixed or not replenishing the coffee, milk, fridge so again you have to ask for services that should be obvious - was not 5 star. The trash (paint cans, rubber tire pieces and fishing stuff) in the seawater was sad to see. The repetitive food choices, the dilapidated boardwalk, the communication difficulties, the bug bites and the awful spa experience ~ all while charging $1000+ a night left us needing to make sure people know what they are getting when they book this place. Compared to what we got in Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania on this same trip, it was the highest priced and the least luxurious accommodations we encountered. We were ready to go by the 5th day. We are very frequent travelers and have seen many different countries and stayed in all levels of accommodations. This place is seriously overpriced. We would call this a 3 star resort. Hope this honest review helps travelers decide if this place is right for them. We hope the time spent writing this helps the management realize they need to better maintain the place (AC, boardwalk, spa area, landscaping, etc.), add more variety to the menu, train the staff to be able to speak enough English to communicate about the menu with all guests, train the 2 ladies in the spa on customer service and make the price reflect the amenities, especially during off season. We know how important this resort is to the health and livelihood of the locals, and the preservation of the environment, so we sincerely hope it becomes the gem it could be.

The overall stay was amazing, all the staff were incredible. The Santa Carolina trip and snorkeling was great. The management guy suggested the trip around the island by car which we really enjoyed. Bazaruto is beautiful and with this kind of service you can even stay and not return home. Missing all of you and all the best. I really recommend this hotel, either for leisure or business trip.

We took a helicopter from Vilanculas to Bazaruta island, so felt like complete rockstars from the start. Achingly beautiful scenery. We loved our island hideaway and all staff were warm and welcoming. Beautiful fruit basket and bottle of wine welcomed us. Sunset cocktails on the beach are a must. My birthday dinner was very memorable - special table on the beach, amazing seafood buffet, birthday singing and cake to end the magical evening. Another highlight was scuba diving 2 Mile Reef with divemaster Juma - dolphins, turtles, shark and the most beautiful tropical fish. Plus a stop on Pansy Island to look for shells! Finished by the best lunch - prawns and snapper! Fabulous evening entertainment at the club, with a Greek themed buffet rounded off another amazing day in paradise. Thanks again to Haylee at Barefoot Breaks for everything! You made our trip the best!!

From our initial check-in to every morning and evening at meal times, the team could not do more for you. Their beautiful, warm smiles and excellent hospitality made you feel like you were staying with a relative / family member. The food was out of this world with the chefs surprising us everyday with their talent - were we blown away by the Mozambique seafood or what. Unbelievable - Those prawns - actually the size of Lobsters were ‘next level’ and sumptuously prepared. I was equally surprised on my birthday with a cake and warm Portuguese singing by the fabulous team which was the icing on the cake for me so thank you , thank you and thank you. We will definitely return. I would add they do need to promote the Spa a bit more as it is somewhat feels like an afterthought when asked about and this is where they could make their money.