The Bite Magazine - Summer 2012 - Issue 5

Quilalea’s restaurant and lounge is located on a peninsular at the northern tip of the island, with fantastic sea views on both sides. The cuisine included surf- fresh fish, exquisite salads and freshly baked breads. With the assistance of our butler, we chose various locations in which to dine including a romantic dinner under the stars and several serene beach picnics. As Quilalea is part of a marine sanctuary, the diving and snorkelling is of course superb, with over 375 different species of fish found within the sanctuary, and fantastic diving a mere 20 metres off the shore on the house reef. If you’re lucky, you may see dugongs grazing in the sea- grass meadows, a fish eagle perched in a tall mangrove or perhaps whales sheltering their young in Quilalea’s deep channel. Both Quilalea and adjacent Sencar Island are important breeding and nesting grounds for Olive Ridley, Green and Hawksbill turtles and they can be seen year round. Dolphins may also be seen year round, and Humpback whales may be spotted from July to October. The island is covered in indigenous vegetation, with statuesque age-old baobab groves and stunning flora and fauna – a real nature lover’s paradise. There are four large sandy beaches to choose from on the island, with the villas spread along two of them. The remote and beautiful Turtle Beach is home to dozens of nesting turtles, and an excellent spot for a picnic. Keen to enjoy the natural environment, we took a nature walk around the island and also tried our hand at kayaking in the mangroves on nearby Sencar Island. For the more adventurous, there’s also deep sea fishing and sea kayaking. A lovely way to travel around is in one of the traditional dhow sailing boats, and from Quilalea you can take a sunset cruise or go island hopping and discover remote beaches on which to picnic. For an injection of human culture, excursions to nearby historic Ibo Island is fascinating, or visit the working coconut plantation on Quirimba island and the adjoining village.