Dhow tours
Sunset has a private traditional
dhow for charter. The 6 meter-long ‘Aurora’ comes equipped with a cool box and snacks.
Picnics are available on request the night before.
Our crew will welcome you aboard and escort you
to Ilha, or Chocas-Mar, to the College, or to the
surrounding desert islands and the coral reef. If
you have never sailed in a dhow before, this is a
must-do. And if you are an old hand, you will
probably want to book in for another gentle sail.
Sailing usually also requires wading into and out
of the dhow, so bring beach shoes you can use to
walk in water and a hat.
Fishing
Take your pick from tuna & barracuda
to parrot fish, on your own with a rod or with a
group of local fishermen who will take you out
and show you how the Macua fishermen have
brought in their catch since they first settled on
this Indian Ocean shore some 1000 years ago.
Water sports
The snorkeling is remarkable and,
if you are lucky, you can not only see, but swim
with dolphins. There are also giant sea turtles the
size of a small army tank, and, in September –
November, there is whale-watching too. wind
surfing, kite surfing,
Local History Guided Tours
Guided tours of
the many local monuments, churches and ruins are
available on request.
Bird-watching
Mossuril District is full of the
most beautiful and exotic birds. Bird-watchers can
enjoy spotting sea eagles, egrets, flamingos,
pelicans, weaver birds, hoopoes and dozens more.
Picnics and folding chairs are available on request
Medicinal Plant Tours
Witch doctors, known
as curandeiros, in Portuguese, still play an
important role in everyday life in Mossuril. Sunset
hosts a typical, genuine curandeiro’s hut in its
garden complete with white and red banners
traditionally used to heal the sick. Most of the
traditional cures are plant-based.
Morripa, a local
leader and also a remarkable medicinal plant
specialist can guide you through a new world of
hidden secrets and magical cures. Guests wishing
to attend an actual traditional healing ceremony
can do so on request with a minimum of 3-days
notice. Most traditional ceremonies from most
other African ethnic groups exclude outsiders or
visitors. It is one of the
many unique
characteristics of Macua
society that friendly
strangers can actually
see and get inside the
local culture.
Arts and Crafts
By appointment, meet some of
the local craftsmen. On Saturday mornings, go on
a guided visit (or wander there by yourself) to
Mossuril’s weekly market known as the Feira.
Here you can buy local crafts at the real prices
local people pay for the baskets, spoons, ladles,
etc that are to be found in every mud hut.
Kayak mangrove
tours
Paddle through
the mangroves in a
hand-made dug-out
canoe. Discover the
marine forests that not
only provide the
nursery of the Indian Ocean but also protect the
coast from e.g. Tsunamis.
Salinas (Salt) tour
Salt production is the main industry of Mossuril.
There are 32 salt
producers all with salt
flats and pans fed by
the Indian Ocean and
tended by local people
in a labour-intensive
activity that has scarcely changed for centuries.
Visit the Salinas and see for yourself how salt is
extracted from the sea. Buy Mossal Indian Ocean
bath or culinary salts to take home as a souvenir.
Packaged in dhow sailcloth and tied with coconut
string and shells, the natural look of Mossal will
be a perfect reminder of your visit: back home in
your own bath tub, in a Mossal bath you can close
your eyes and feel yourself floating in the warm
salty waters of Mossuril Bay
Island Tours
Take traditional dhow tours at
friendly Mozambican prices. You can visit
1. (Ilha) Mozambique Island
With its
millennial history it is now a UNESCO World
Heritage site. From its massive Fortress of São
Sebastião, to its
museum, palaces, ruins,
churches and mosques,
to its restaurants, bars
and markets. A visit to
Ilha is a must. Like
Zanzibar, Ilha has its
grand stone city and its local, ramshackle macuti
(= palm thatch) city.
2. Goa Island
So called for its strategic place on
the old Trade Route to Goa (India) with its 19th
century lighthouse, sunken mangrove forest, turtle
haven and fabulous white beach.
3. Sete Paus Island
With transparent sea, lovely
shells and powdery white sand
4. Senna Island
With its internal lake and a
microcosm of unique plants that drove a German
Botanist to study it in the 19th century and extol its
rare flora in an equally rare book.
5. Antillhas Island
Once a beach playground
and now a desert island with a beach
6. Numerous smaller islands
Where visitors
can wander at will exploring the flora
and fauna and bathing in absolute seclusion.
Courses
Sunset offers the following residential courses for
groups of up to 20 participants:
- Screenwriting
- Creative writing
- TV and filming
- Sculpture
- Macua drumming
- Medicinal Plants
- Fusion Cuisine
- Eco-building the Macua way
More information about Sunset’s courses is
available on request via
lisadeteran@gmail.com
