Soak up the sun and sights at these 10 beach destinations in Africa
AFRICA has beautiful landscapes and some of the best scenery in the world. Here’s our list of the 10 best beach destinations with luxury stays for when you’re exploring the motherland. Sodwana Bay, South Africa Sodwana Bay is on the KwaZu-lu-Natal North Coast, between St Lucia and Lake Sibhayi. Sodwana Bay National Park is within the iSimangal-iso Wetland Park World Heritage Site.
The bay area is known for sport fishing, scuba diving and snorkelling.
iSimangaliso Wetland Park is South Africa’s third-largest protected area, spanning 280km of coastline.
For a luxury experience, stay at Thonga Beach Lodge at Mabibi Beach or Makakatana Bay Lodge in St Lucia, which are both a part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
A room starts at about R5 180 a night per person sharing.
Watamu Beach, Kenya Decked with coconut palm trees, soft white sand, and soothing warm water, Watamu Beach is the perfect place to wind down after a safari
The Watamu Marine National Park is about 1km off the coast of Watamu Beach and has 600 fish species and 110 species of stony coral.
For the perfect beach stay on this coast, consider The Charming Lonno Lodge Watamu. Accommodation starts from about R5 700 a night.
Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt Egypt’s most famous sandy strip, Naama Bay, is at the epicentre of Egypt’s prime beach resort, Sharm el-Sheikh, on the Sinai Peninsula.
Sharm el-Sheikh is known for its scuba diving, with a multitude of coral reefs, including the nearby world-class dive sites of Ras Mohammed National Park.
For a luxury stay, the five-star Rixos Premium Seagate is just the ticket and will cost you around R6 700 a night. Bom Bom Island, Sao Tome and Principe
Ilhéu Bom Bom is an island in the Gulf of Guinea. Since 2012, it forms a part of the Unesco’s Island of Príncipe Biosphere Reserve.
This beautiful forest and beach is a perfect choice for nature enthusiasts, especially birdwatchers.
Stay at the Bom Bom Island Resort and enjoy beachside spa treatments. Rates start around R3 790 a night.
Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania For a magical trip head to Zanzibar Island off the Tanzanian Coast. Zanzibar is rich in culture and Nungwi Beach is breathtaking.
There is excellent snorkelling and diving offshore as well.
Stay at the Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort at Nungwi beach for an unforgettable experience. Rates start at R5 072 a night.
Swakopmund, Namibia Swakopmund in Namibia has reinvented itself as an adventure centre, with fishing, surfing, kayaking, quad-biking and sand-boarding. Swakopmund is one of Namibia’s largest coastal towns and its beaches are a popular tourist attraction.
Swakopmund is often described as being more German than Germany with its European-style colonial architecture.
For a comfortable experience, stay at the Strand Hotel Swakopmund, which is right at the beach. A stay starts at R3 537 a night. Anse Source D'Argent, La Digue Island, Seychelles
Lying off the east coast of Madagascar in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the islands of the Seychelles have long been a popular vacation spot for the rich and famous. There are hundreds of gorgeous beaches scattered about this archipelago, but the most beautiful is Anse Source d’Argent on the island of La Digue.
For a luxury experience stay at Le Domaine de L’Orangeraei, a short walk from the beach, for R7 082 a night. Bazaruto Island, Mozambique Set inside the boundaries of the Bazaruto Archipelago Marine Park in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Mozambique, Bazaruto Island is home to some of the most stunning beaches.
The water here is warm and turquoise blue, and the white sandy beaches are backed by swaying palms and towering sand dunes, creating a postcard-perfect vision of paradise.
Part of a larger archipelago that is known for its amazing diving experiences, the coral reefs around Bazaruto are also excellent for snorkelling. You can also swim with horses, scuba dive or enjoy a sunset dhow cruise.
The island can be reached by boat or small plane, and the accommodations range from budget guest-houses to the luxury & Beyond Benguerra on a neighbouring isle.
Accommodation starts at R14 224 a person sharing for the Cabana and R98 016 for the Casa Familia Villa a night.
Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar Madagascar is home to many animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth, and the scenery is truly awesome. Just off the coast of eastern Madagascar is one of its top beach vacation spots, Île Sainte-Marie.
The island has sunny skies yearround and is a tropical wonderland where you’ll find long, porcelain-white-sand beaches fringed with palm trees and backed by clear turquoise water.
You can stay at the Princesse Bora Lodge Spa for R4 696 a night. Trou-aux-Biches, Mauritius Trou-aux-Biches is one of the top beaches in Mauritius. It’s on the main island near the small town of the same name. The beach here runs for 1.5km, and the sand is powdery white while the ocean is calm and perfect for swimming.
If you want to get out on the water, there are opportunities for everything from jet skiing to kayaking.
There are plenty of restaurants serving island and international fare near the beach as well.
The best times to visit Mauritius are during the dry season, between September and December and in April and May.
Book a stay at Trou-aux-Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa for a luxury experience that starts from R7 920 a night.