t's four o'clock on a saturday at Ponta Mamoli resort. But the sun loungers around
the swimming pool are empty, as is the long stretch of beach. Instead, guests ...
travel weekender
STRETCH OF THE
IMAGINAT ION
Yoga classes are no longer confined to city studios. Innovative instructors are taking the ‘downward dog’ outdoors and arranging retreats in exotic locales. Natalie Dixon travelled to Ponta Mamoli, a serene beach resort in mozambique, with her mat in tow
july 2009
PREVIOUS SPREAD Need caption here please need caption here oppositE (top left) Need caption here please need caption here please; (top right) Need caption here please need caption here please; (bottom) Need caption here please need caption here please need caption here please overleaf Need caption here please need caption
horizons
photographs courtesy land rover
102
Mozambique makes an ideal base for a yoga retreat because of its beauty, and the intense heat, which turns stiff muscles into pliable ones
photog raphs an dre w w oo dbur n
t’s four o’clock on a Saturday at Ponta Mamoli resort. But the sun loungers around the swimming pool are empty, as is the long stretch of beach. Instead, guests are gathered on a wooden deck with a view of the Indian Ocean, their bodies arched and stretching towards the sea. The afternoon’s Vinyasa yoga class is in full swing. Ponta Mamoli (just north of Ponto do Oura in southernmost Mozambique) hosts idyllic yoga retreats run by Clara Woodburn of Yoga Warrior, a studio in Johannesburg. The itinerary is simple: a morning of snorkelling alongside giant turtles, marvelling at Moorish idols and swimming with dolphins; lunch of fresh fish and organic side orders; an afternoon siesta, then Vinyasa yoga on deck. Traditionally the practice of yoga inspires images of ashrams, India and extracts from Eat Pray Love. But the original vanguard of vegans and friends who love India and incense are being slowly replaced with a new wave of practitioners seeking calm in uncertain times. With the American yoga industry worth an estimated $6 billion, it is also serious business. Clara, an ex-New Yorker, organises a worldwide selection of upmarket yoga retreats; her latest offering is in the Sinai Desert in Egypt. Students of all levels are welcome. Mozambique makes an ideal base for a yoga retreat because of its beauty – and also because the intense heat in summer turns stiff muscles into pliable ones. Classes can be intense, depending on the teacher and the student’s level of fitness, but unlike most other forms of exercise, yoga practitioners can take it at their own pace. Ponta Mamoli is a serene spot, set on one of the most beautiful beaches in southern Africa. In the 1940s the land was occupied by a titanium-mining compound, then in the early 1970s a group of Portuguese investors turned the disused buildings into a camping facility that was later destroyed during Mozambique’s guerilla war. The Garmany family from Johannesburg negotiated the land concession in the late-70s and added simple, minimalist timber structures to create the unobtrusive cabins and main restaurant. From the get-go, Ponta Mamoli was built for eco-friendliness by avoiding the dunes, disturbing the natural vegetation as little as possible, and hiding the lodge from the beach. Unlike Tofo or Ponta do Ouro, it has no no quad-bikes, jet skis or private boats – they’re all banned – and you won’t find 3am beerdrinking competitions on the beach either. Until recently, the Garmanys ran the resort; now a local businessman owns it. Days start with early-morning boat trips, scanning the ocean for schools of dolphins and stopping to explore coral reefs. Boat trips are led by 20-something ex-Navy Seal Sheldon Posthumus, who can attest to the fact Mozambique is a land of surprises. One morning, while taking a group of divers out to sea, he spotted a giant hippopotamus frolicking in the break. It had walked overnight from the local game reserve, Zitundo, for a cooling-off session in the ocean. After lunch and the mandatory siesta, Clara’s yoga lesson begins. I find it’s worth learning to have a laugh, too, considering the chances of finding myself flat on my face after attempting an eagle pose or losing my balance and whacking the hapless yogi next to me. Mostly, though, I find the experience fulfilling, enjoying the sensation that keeps millions of people practising yoga – a priceless, comforting stillness.
Travel Notes ponta mamoli BEST TIME TO GO December and January are popular months, but they are also the hottest. March, April and May are temperate and drier.
CURRENCY The Metical. 1M = Rxx. Have cash in dollars and rands. VISAS SA passport holders do not need a visa to enter Mozambique. HEALTH Suncreeen and mosquito repellent are essential. Although not as dangerous as further north, southern Mozambique is still a malaria area and prophylactics are recommended. Drink only bottled water.
EAT HERE The restaurant at the resort uses fresh ingredients from the onsite organic veggie garden, and serves an excellent breakfast, lunch and three-course dinner (think green bean soup, lamb curry and brandy tart).
READ THIS The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski (Hebanu), the haunting dispatches of a Polish journalist who reported from Africa for over 30 years, from the late 1950s. GETTING THERE A 4x4 vehicle is the only way to get to Ponta Mamoli, although the resort does offer transfers from the border for around R500. The drive to the Kosi Bay/Farazela border post is 600km from Joburg (via Ermelo, Pongola and Jozini); from Durban it’s 400km. From the border it’s a further 100km to the resort. Note that customs and vehicle-registration formalities must be completed, which can cost around R150, plus an additional R12 border tax. Don’t forget to pack the necessary car registration and insurance papers.
OZA M
BIQUE
wi
july 2009
chalets, many facing the ocean, equipped with showers and ceiling fans, and all connected by boardwalks. From R799 pp per night including dinner and breakfast. Mosquito nets are provided, all windows have screens, and tea/coffee is delivered to your door each morning.
ala
102
SLEEP HERE Ponta Mamoli (pontamamoli.com) has private wooden
M Zimbabwe
p ho tog rap h ??? ??? ????? ??? ???
Yoga Warrior (082-840-4349, www.yogawarrior.co.za), an innovative studio in Rosebank, Johannesburg, is at the forefront of upmarket yoga retreats, where one is assured of quality accommodation and food. In addition to trips to Ponta Mamoli and Tofo in Moçambique, the Sinai Desert in Egypt is on the cards for September. Closer to home, Yoga Warrior’s Winter Restorative retreat to the Drakensberg is a favourite. It takes place 21 to 23 August at the Three Tree Lodge overlooking the Spioenkop battlefield and nature reserve. Some of the cottages at the lodge have been modelled on the wood and tin housing kits the British used in the 19th century. Yoga sessions take place outside on the deck in the morning and afternoon, and the rest of the time can be taken up with walks, battlefield tours or horseriding. The lodge is about four hours’ drive from Joburg, three hours from Durban. It costs around R2 500. Expect the same yoga format (Vinyasa, the ‘flow’ type) at the Bush Lodge Weekend retreat, which takes place at Thorny Bush Game Reserve in Limpopo from 19 to 22 November. It costs around R4 500. For a clear-headed start to the New Year, there is the Vineyard Retreat in Morgansvlei, Tulbagh planned for 28 December to 2 January. Jim Harrington from Karma Shala Yoga Studio (082-642-5256, karmacalmer.co.za) in Cape Town is running an excursion to Bali, Indonesia, from 6 to 11 December, with the option of surfing too. Based in the rice-paddy town of Ubud, the resort is a billed as being in a jungle setting with excellent facilities. It will cost around R9 500 (excluding airfare). Locally, Jim also runs a surf/yoga combo retreat in Jeffrey’s Bay, widely considered one of the best surfing spots in the world. The retreat, in July, is suitable for beginners (both yoga and surfing) and Jim takes special interest in introducing seasoned surfers to the asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (regulating breath) and mental training of yoga. As a veteran surfer/yogi, Jim’s retreats are very personal. The merging of yoga’s ancient wisdom and a contemporary sport like surfing makes this a completely unique experience. In the scenic Tulbagh area, the Blue Butterfly Retreat Centre (072 719-8147, thebluebutterfly.co.za), set on a nature reserve, hosts a variety of yoga retreats in its beautifully restored farm building. This month’s overnight retreat (25 and 26 July) includes hatha yoga, meditation, breathwork, assisted relaxation, trail walks and free time to explore and relax. Expect delicious vegetarian meals and very cold evenings (temperatures can dip below zero). It costs R725.
M
YOGA TRAVELLER
THINGS TO DO Snorkel over the exquisite coral reefs, dive with whale sharks (Ponta Mamoli is a diving resort and offers various PADI scuba courses), go deep-sea fishing or fly-fishing, birdwatching and horseriding. Enjoy sunset cocktails with 360˚ views of the area. Walks to see turtles nesting are popular – between October and February, leatherback and loggerhead turtles lay eggs here. Braai at nearby Lake Piti with hippos and crocs (resort transport costs R300). The bustling little town of Ponto do Ouro, further south, offers a change of pace with its open-air market, small shops, curio sellers and rustic eateries (transport from the resort costs R300).
indian ocean
South Africa Johannesburg
Maputo Ponta Mamoli
horizons
