Casa Rex is our favorite luxury lodge in Vilanculos, with a perfect position looking out towards the Bazaruto archipelago, and a blend of hip wooden furniture and creature comforts. With just 15 rooms, including suites, it retains an exclusive feel, and is a great spot for families as well as among (quiet) groups of friends.

The main building has an open plan lounge that leads into the kitchen (a creative den) and out onto the veranda. There are sleek driftwood tables graced with coffee table books, egg-shaped lamps, white sofas, and colorful cushions. Board games are housed in vintage wooden chests, and fair-trade Mozambican Bom cosmetics are for sale. The outdoor dining space is flanked by rolling grass verges and cute wooden staircases that lead down to three spacious plunge pools of 2.5 meter depth and beyond that, the lovely beach.

Rooms are accessible via wooden staircases, and come with huge wicker armchairs and beds splashed with freshly-cut flowers. Our room had a wrought-iron seahorse lamp, stone floors, and showers big enough for two. Sleep here and you’ll wake to soft morning light and birdsong: it would make for a great honeymoon spot. The suites (a little pricier at $360 per night) are blessed with tubs and larger living areas. Elegant wooden bunk beds accommodate kids.

Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth coming by for dinner. Curry dishes, fantastic salads, and giant Mozambican prawns are cooked creatively; the chefs take real care over presentation and the taste of every bite. For breakfast, you’ll find dishes such as soft poached eggs on whole-wheat bread with avo and crispy bacon. The buffet includes locally-produced honey, fresh mango, papaya, orange, coconut, and muesli. And on weekend mornings, nothing beats sipping a bloody mary (290 Mets) in the garden cocktail coves.