Arriving at Dugong Beach Lodge isn’t for the socially awkward. As the speedboat nears the resort’s jetty, the in-house band will serenade you, shaking their hips, and performing a welcome song and dance that you’re expected to join in with. If that’s your thing, the trip will be off to a great start. This is a secluded and peaceful resort that also knows how to enjoy itself; the staff are friendly and gregarious, and will pull out all the stops to make sure you have a magical stay.

The villas are beautiful and equipped with very comfortable queen beds, attractive furniture, and attention to detail. They have individual names and two private deckings, one of which has its own plunge pool overlooking the water. If the curtains are a little lavish, it only explains the resort’s popularity with wealthy Russian regulars. The villas are reached via impressive wooden deckings, through which trees sprout, and geckos dart. We recommend visiting during the Mozambican winter; during the summer the villas can get a little stuffy since the generator power is shut off at night, and in this remote spot, you might not want to sleep with the windows open for security reasons.

There’s also a gorgeous communal pool, a nice bar, and an excellent restaurant. Our fish kebab lunch was very good, served with a side salad, and a dessert of fruit skewers drizzled with hot caramel. Dinner was a well-cooked fish served with garlic mash and followed by a French cheese plate. Breakfast the next morning probably added a few pounds, but it was all worth it; real American pancakes, crepes with fresh melon and halves of passionfruit.

Snorkelling takes place right outside the lodge, and diving and wildlife watching excursions can be arranged. Boat transfers are easily arranged. The only real flaw? We came expecting dugongs, but the few that still survive are way out towards the Bazaruto archipelago.