Azura is not easy to get to: it is a two-hour flight from Johannesburg, followed by a breathtaking helicopter swoop over the myriad hues of the Indian Ocean, but it is worth the effort. Although the lodge itself is a honeymooners’ idyll, the real draw is the pristine beauty of the island itself. 

The retreat was created in 2007 by British couple Christopher and Stella Bettany, who saw their opportunity when Gabriel Cossa, a Mozambician who ran a backpackers’ resort on the site, was told to upgrade or move out. Happily, Cossa is now the Bettanys’ business partner, his son Zito has been to hotel school in Durban, and many of the original staff are still working there. 

Local techniques and talents are on the show in the construction and decoration of the fourteen wooden villas. Driftwood stools and timber floors conjure a mood of laid-back beach chic, whereas tasseled leather stools and Panton chairs add boutique funkiness. Guests can be as private or as sociable as they choose, with firelit dinners on the beach or communal drinks at the Gecko Bar, stargazing in hammocks. 

The diving and fishing are both exceptional – you can expect unbleached corals, turtles, and sailfish – and humpback whales can be seen between July and October. There are magical excursions to Pansy Island, a sandbar sprinkled with the delicate skeletons of sea urchins at high tide, or a vast dune with the ocean on one side and freshwater pools full of crocodiles and wading birds on the other. Alternatively, just sit by the beach, musing on the moon and the tides. 

Location: Benguerra Island, Mozambique.